Class Notes
1940s
Betty Cooper Hearnes, ’49, enjoyed her 90th birthday with a “celebration in song” at First Baptist Church in Charleston, MO. Hearnes served on the Missouri House of Representatives in 1979 and was re-elected in 1980, 1982, 1984 and 1986. She also served as the organist and director of the children’s choir at First Baptist Church. Hearnes has an immense love of music and is honored the church chose the performance to honor her and celebrate her contribution to the community.
1950s
Deane Dobson Johnson, ’52, of Waco authored a sequel to her book, I’ll Be Seeing You: A Wife’s Journey with her Husband’s Alzheimer’s, which documents the day-to-day journey over seven years with her husband Hon. Joe N. Johnson, BM ’56, JD ’64. The new book, Steele Love, documents the last five years of Joe Johnson’s life after he moved into a care facility. Mrs. Johnson hopes her books help inform those dealing with or interested in Alzheimer’s Disease.
Murray Watson Jr., BBA ’52, JD ’54, was honored as the 2017 Baylor Lawyer of the Year. He served on the Texas House of Representatives for six years before being elected to the Texas Senate. He proposed the bill which created the Texas State Technical College and established the Temple medical branch of Texas A&M University. He played a large part in founding the Brazos Higher Education Service Corporation Inc., which allowed thousands of young people to achieve their educational dreams. Watson’s involvement in his community, church and Baylor is extensive including many leadership and service roles. His wife, Greta Warren Watson, BS ’59, is his biggest supporter. They have two children, Missy Watson Larson, BSEd ’85, MSEd ’87, and Marcus Warren Watson, BBA ’94, and two grandchildren, Annika Larson, who is a Baylor freshman, and Niklas Larson.
Helen Bacon Drake, BA ’55, of Pantego, TX, writes, “Our family now contains three generations of Baylor graduates: Gary, BMEd ’84, and Jan Drake Anthony, BSEd ’79; Helen and Ray Drake, BA ’55; Kylie Anthony, BBA ’17, and Rachel Anthony, BFA ’17. On May 13, our family had a tailgate lunch in the Ferrell Center parking lot between Rachel and Kylie’s graduations. It was a wonderful, doubly exciting day for us all!” Contact at 2620 Peachtree Lane, Pantego, TX 76013 or drake11@swbell.net.
Nancy McVean, BA ’58, retired as the director of theatre at Weatherford College. She was awarded Faculty Member of the Year in 2016-17 by her colleagues and holds a master’s degree from TCU. McVean has backpacked through Alaska, the Grand Canyon and Mexico; bicycled through Europe; swum with whales near Tonga; walked with penguins in the Antarctic; and camped in the Kenyan wilderness. Now she looks for a new adventure in her new life with more free time. McVean is an active environmentalist and outings chair of the Sierra Club. Contact at 104 Pats Court, Weatherford, TX 76087 or nancymcvean@gmail.com.
1960s
Rev. Dr. David Marx, BA ’64, and Diane Hardy Marx, BA ’64, celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary May 18. They met at Baylor. Contact at 5100 John D Ryan Blvd., Apt. 613 San Antonio, TX 78245.
Dr. Mike McCrocklin, BA ’67, of Corpus Christi, TX, published his 13th and 14th books: two trilogies entitled Jesus Christ: Denied and Denigrated. As apologetics, they refute the modern denigration of Jesus from both within and without the Visible Church. The books are available on Amazon, and 100 percent of any royalty earned is pledged to Baylor. Contact at drmccrocklin@gmail.com.
Bob Stockburger, BA ’67, MS ’73, of Georgetown, TX, retired from the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. He and wife Marcile, BS ’71, moved to Richmond, CA. They have three children and four grandchildren. Contact at stuttgart822@hotmail.com.
1970s
Joel T. Allison, BA ’70, former president/CEO of Baylor Scott & White Health, received the American Hospital Association’s Award of Honor, which recognizes exemplary contributions to the health and well-being of people through leadership on major health policies or social initiatives. Allison has been a key contributor to excellence in healthcare for more than 40 years. He joined Baylor’s health system in 1993 as senior executive vice president and COO, becoming president and CEO in 2000. Allison led the system’s efforts to create the HealthTexas Provider Network—community-based primary care clinics that make health care more accessible for tens of thousands of Texans. He also led the merger with Scott & White Healthcare and the ultimate creation of the state’s largest nonprofit healthcare system. Under Allison’s leadership, Baylor Scott & White also developed the system’s Accountable Care Organization, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance. Allison retired in February 2017. He currently serves as a senior advisor to the chairman of the Baylor Scott & White Holdings board of trustees. He is also chair of the Baylor Board of Regents.
Richard Schuetz, BBA ’70, was named interim director of the University of New Mexico Press. In this role, he oversees the day-to-day operations of the press. Schuetz was associate director of business operations at the press for 15 years. He previously had a 30-year career in the U.S. Air Force.
Martha McMullan Singleton, BA ’71, of San Antonio and her husband Greg Singleton released their fourth book from Leafwood Publishing Company, titled The View Through Your Window: Finding God’s Vision for Your Family. The book guides parents on a journey to discover God’s desire to use each member of a family. The text includes real experiences and questions that guide thoughtful discussion. They will sign their books at the Baylor Bookstore during the Homecoming parade, and they would love for their friends to stop by and say hello. Contact at marthasingleton210@gmail.com.
James “Jimmy” Allen, ’72, ABC ’06, was named executive vice president/chief operating officer of Moody National Bank. He was formerly group executive vice president of Broadway National Bank. Allen has more than 30 years of experience in the banking and financial services industry. Contact at 17302 Fountain View Dr., San Antonio, TX 78248 or jallen78248@gmail.com.
Jimmy Dorrell, BA ’72, MES ’93, and Janet Dorrell, BS ’80, MS ’02, are celebrating 25 years of Mission Waco, the organization they founded, with a fundraising campaign called “The Next 25” to build on past success in impacting lives both locally and globally. John Calaway, MDiv ’11, returned to Waco to serve as associate executive director of Mission Waco and Mission World for the project. Money from the fundraising will go toward local projects such as expanding the children’s center, securing a new residential treatment center, purchasing a storage facility, improving the Jubilee Theatre and purchasing new vehicles for growing youth programs. Internationally, Mission Waco hopes to expand medical clinics in India and Haiti, develop clean water programs and drilling rigs, support orphans and widows in Mexico and India with education, and provide support for Mission World efforts. In 2016, Mission Waco opened Jubilee Food Market, a nonprofit grocery store to serve North Waco lower-income neighbors in a food desert.
Marty Jones, BA ’73, JD ’77, of Amarillo, TX, celebrated 40 years of practicing law. His practice focuses on groundwater law, complex commercial litigation, power and utilities and natural resources. Jones has been with the Sprouse Shrader Smith law firm since 2003. He has served on the Board of Disciplinary Appeals, the College of the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors and General Counsel to the Texas Landowners Council.
Stephen R. Tucker, BA ’73, retired from teaching high school after 32 years. He writes, “Looking forward to naps, movies, good books, Christian service and Baylor Athletics!” Contact at 332 Dorrington Blvd. Metairie, LA 70005 or srtucker74@gmail.com.
Rev. Tom Atkins, BA ’74, was named pastor of Crawford Street United Methodist Church in Vicksburg, MS. Previously, Atkins served as pastor at First United Methodist Church in Brookhaven, MS. He has been in ministry for 42 years. Atkins is excited to join the church in their Honduras Mission team and Crawford Street’s Service Over Self program.
Steve Bostick, BBA ’75, MBA ’76, retired in June from Pattillo, Brown & Hill LLP in Waco. Bostick, a CPA, joined the accounting firm in 1985 and was admitted as a partner in 1988. He oversaw the growth of the firm, adding new offices in Albuquerque, NM. Bostick remains active in the Waco community and continues to mentor young accountants beginning their careers.
Dr. Christopher Frost, BA ’75, was appointed dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Previously, Frost was senior vice president for academic affairs for the Long Island campus of St. Joseph’s College in New York. He also served in administrative roles at Texas State University and San Diego State University. Frost holds a master’s degree and PhD from Boston University.
David Kent, BA '75, JD '78, of Dallas was elected to a 3-year term on the board of directors of the State Bar of Texas, effective June 2017.
Bob Hart, BS ’75, was granted the Texas City Management Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given to a city manager who has significantly contributed to local government for more than 20 years. Hart is the manager of Corinth City, TX, and has a 41-year career in city management in six Texas cities.
Sam Porter, BA ’75, of Oklahoma City was named the national director for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief by the North American Mission Board. Porter has been involved with the organization for years and was one of the first disaster relief leaders to respond after the 9/11 attacks in New York. He made numerous trips to the area for two years and served as a chaplain in the morgue at Ground Zero. Porter also led more than 100 volunteer mission projects and more than 40 international relief missions. He headed recovery efforts for a year in Haiti, following 34 volunteer teams from Oklahoma in the wake of the devastating 2010 earthquake. Porter and his wife have two sons and five grandchildren.
Larry Enroth, BS ’76, BA ’78, joined the marketing and sales team at NVerizon as the company’s West Coast sales representative. Enroth has nearly 30 years of experience in sales leadership. He previously worked in file-based workflows for news operations and IT-based infrastructure for video content delivery. Enroth is a certified broadcast engineer and a professional member of the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers.
Dr. Michael Marcades, BM ’76, MCM ’81, of Odessa, TX, published Rose Cherami: Gathering Fallen Petals in 2016. The book traces the troubling, lifelong travail of his mother, Melba Christine Youngblood Marcades, later known by the world as Rose Cherami. Cherami, portrayed in Oliver Stone’s film, JFK, attempted to warn authorities in advance of President Kennedy’s assassination. Marcades’ publication, the product of over 30 years of research and ten years of writing, has attracted the attention of JFK assassination researchers and others worldwide. The book provides a tender, compassionate look at an otherwise difficult life story. Contact at michaelmarcades@gmail.com.
Laree Estes Perez, BBA ’76, of Scottsdale, AZ, was granted an honorary degree from New Mexico State University in May. She is a former president of the Board of Regents at the university and recently named the NMSU College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in her estate to establish scholarships. She has an extensive background on civic boards and committees, including serving on the Baylor Board of Regents for nine years.
Paul L. Foster, BBA ’79, of El Paso recently sold Western Refining to Tesoro, a Fortune 100 refining company, in a $6.5 billion acquisition. Foster bought Western Refining out of bankruptcy 10 years ago. He is beginning work to develop The Plaza Hotel in El Paso and bringing a soccer team and stadium to the city. In March, Foster ranked No. 463 on the Forbes list of the wealthiest people in the U.S. He is a CPA and has worked in the refining field since 1979.
1980s
Janice E. Michael Quinn, BS ’80, of Magnolia, TX, fulfilled her long-term goal and completed her MSN in nursing education through the University of Texas at Arlington. With this accomplishment, Quinn signed on to coach online while continuing her full-time job. Contact at jequinn2@comcast.net.
Randy Wilhoit, BBA ’80, of Dallas was elected an executive vice president of PNC Bank and promoted to regional president. A 20-year veteran of PNC, Wilhoit previously specialized in senior mergers and acquisition related financing. He was also recently named to the board of directors of the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce. Contact at Randall.Wilhoit@pnc.com.
Dr. Betty Dungan, EdD ’81, of Waco and her husband Darrell celebrated their 42nd anniversary this year. Dungan retired in 2016 after 31 years as a counseling psychologist at the Veterans Administration Regional Office in Waco and five years each at the Lighthouse for the Blind and MHMR. She holds two degrees from East Texas State University (now Texas A&M University-Commerce). Darrell worked as an educator and training developer at Texas State Technical College. They enjoy traveling and attending Renaissance festivals. Contact at trekkermom1@aol.com.
Mary Wise, BBA ’81, MDiv ’99, opened Hymnsinger House, a bed and breakfast located near downtown Waco. “We’ve enjoyed having guests from across the U.S., including Baylor parents/alumni and others visiting Waco,” she writes. Contact at hymnsingerhouse.com.
Stewart Mayers, BA ’82, of Durant, OK, was named chair of the Department of Educational Instruction and Leadership and director of Educator Preparation Programs at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Dr. Clif Petty, BA ’82, MBA ’84, published Before the Sun Goes Down, a thriller based in Sun Valley, Idaho. The novel includes themes of the West, Native American culture and bioterrorism. He is working on a second novel in a planned trilogy. Petty and his wife Joan live in Springfield, MO, where he is a professor of management at Drury University.
The 11th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards recognized The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee by Talya Tate Boerner, BA ’83, of Fayetteville, AR, in the category of Regional Fiction-Southeast as a finalist. The book (Southern Yellow Pine, 2016: 344 pages) is southern fiction set in the Arkansas Delta in the 1970s. Contact at talya.boerner@gmail.com.
David Moore, BBA ’83, JD ’84, of Longview, TX, was named president of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He has served as member of the organization for 26 years and as an officer for six years. It is the largest and oldest statewide association of criminal defense lawyers in the country. Moore is listed as a Super Lawyer by Texas Monthly and holds the highest possible rating by Martindale Hubbell lawyer rating service. Moore is a husband and father of three children.
Peter Doolittle, MSEd ’84, was named director of the School of Education at Virginia Tech. He has served as executive director of the university’s Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research and as assistant provost for teaching and learning. Doolittle joined the School of Education in 1997 as an assistant professor and achieved the rank of professor in 2012. He is the founding editor of the International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. In 2013, he gave a TEDGlobal talk titled “How your ‘working memory’ makes sense of the world,” which has over 2 million views. Doolittle has a BA from SMU and a PhD from The Catholic University of America.
Shala Mills, BA ’84, was named assistant vice president for graduate and extended learning at the State University of New York at New Paltz. She leads programs such as summer session, winter session, online and hybrid courses and extended programs. Mills previously served as director of liberal education and chair and professor of political science at Fort Hays State University in Kansas. She has served as a American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ Global Engagement Scholars and as the National Coordinator for the AASCU Global Challenges Project. Mills spent her 2015-16 sabbatical serving as the National Manager for AASCU’s Blended Course Consortium. She holds a JD from the University of Kansas.
Eilene Carver, BFA ’85, of Flower Mound, TX, was featured in an exhibition of her paintings and drawings at the Medical City Lewisville Grand Main Gallery in Lewisville, TX. Her pieces have received awards and been included in national and regional exhibitions since 1986, including venues such as Laguna Gloria Museum in Austin, The Berkeley Art Center, Women’s Museum of Dallas, San Antonio Museum of Art, Michael Himovitz Gallery and the Graham Horstman Gallery. Carver is a professor at Collin College in McKinney, TX, and holds a master’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Trey Wingo, BA ’85, will star alongside Mike Golic in a morning-drive show, Golic & Wingo, that will begin on ESPN Radio in November. The program will air from 6 to 10 a.m. ET and initially will be simulcast on ESPN2. Wingo has been one of the primary figures in ESPN’s year-round coverage of the National Football League. He joined ESPN in 1997 as an anchor for ESPNEWS and has served as host of NFL Live since its inception in 2003. He is the host of ESPN’s multi-day NFL Draft coverage.
Jeff Berry, BBA ’86, MBA ’89, of Franklin, TN, launched his own management firm, Courage Management. Berry is the head of Eaglemont Entertainment and has spent a decade partnering with Nashville-based Centricity Music. With this new position, he will work with artists Jason Gray, Stars Go Dim, David Dunn, Carrollton and Grayson Reed. Berry taught economics and entrepreneurship at Baylor before founding CrossWind ministries in 1994. He directed Grace Bible Study in Abilene, TX, before partnering in 2007 with Centricity, where he developed artists including Lauren Daigle and country group High Valley.
Dr. C. Allin Means, BA ’86, received the 2017 Distinguished Professor Award from Missouri Baptist University. Means received his doctorate in mass communication and journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). He has taught in communications departments at Northwest Florida State College, the University of West Florida, Morris College, Southeastern Oklahoma State, Baylor and USM.
C. Runcie Clements IV, BBA ’87, was named executive vice president and general counsel of provider Cumberland Trust in Nashville, TN. He joined the firm in 2002. Previously, Clements was the charitable giving counsel for the American Cancer Society. He has also worked in a private legal practice for estate planning, taxation and real estate. He is a licensed attorney and CPA.
Kim Lubel, MA ’87, of San Antonio is among the 32 female CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies. Her leadership has allowed CST Brands to a No. 306 ranking among the 500 companies.
Dr. John Coats, BA ’88, was granted Lee University’s 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award in June based on his work in the Department of History and Political Science at the Cleveland, TN, university. Coats previously worked as an associate professor at Quincy [IL] University, where he won the Excellence in Teaching Award, directed the honors program and served as the athletics representative. He has two advanced degrees from Texas A&M University.
John Meredith, JD ’88, of Houston joined national law firm Chamberlain Hrdlicka as chief operating officer.
Dr. Charles Rochester Young, BMEd ’88, was named associate dean of the Conservatory for Music at Baldwin Wallace University in metropolitan Cleveland. Young previously taught for 22 years in the University of Wisconsin system and received numerous awards, including the UW System Board of Regents Teaching Excellence Award, their highest honor. He remains active as a composer, presenter and clinician.
Brad Goodwin, BBA ’89, of San Angelo, TX, was elected and sworn in as state district judge for the 391st Judicial District Court. Judge Goodwin comes from a long line of Baylor alumni. His father, Ronnie Goodwin, BBA ’64, JD ’69, is in the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame (football and baseball). His sister, Kristi Goodwin Haas, BA ’93, and brother-in-law Derek Haas, BA ’91, MA ’95, are both Baylor grads, with Derek having been named Baylor Alumnus of the Year for 2014-15.
Mary Hensley, EdD ’89, was named chancellor of the Blinn [TX] College District in July. In this role, she serves as chief executive of a 19,422-student, four-campus institution which will expand to five campuses in Fall 2018. Hensley previously served the district as the 15th President and CEO of Blinn College. Contact at maryLhensley@gmail.com or 110 Poppy Hills Cove North, Georgetown, TX 78628.
Judge Penny Roberts, JD ’89, was elected 2017-18 Fellows Chair of the Texas Bar Foundation. The Foundation uses the financial contributions of its membership to assist nonprofit organizations with a wide range of justice-related programs and services. Roberts has been presiding over Tom Green County Court at Law 2 since 1995.
KariAnne Presley Wood, BA ’89, author of the award-winning blog Thistlewood Farms, published her first book, So Close to Amazing. The book is a collection of funny and heartfelt reflections on getting it almost right and how, instead of giving up, we can choose to simply embrace our real selves right where we are. Wood lives with her husband in the hills of Kentucky and has four children: a Baylor junior and three future Bears.
1990s
Wendy Anderson, BS ’90, MS ’93, was awarded tenure as a professor of environmental science and studies at Stetson University in DeLand, FL. She joined the university in 2014 after serving 16 years as a faculty member, department chair and campus sustainability director at another institution. She teaches three different courses at Stetson and oversees undergraduate research. Anderson has a PhD from Vanderbilt University, where she specialized in plant and ecosystem ecology. In 2011, she coedited a book published by Oxford University Press titled Seabird Islands: Ecology, Invasion and Restoration.
Dr. Rose Cardarelli, MHA ’90, and Danielle De La Fuente created Amal Alliance (amalalliance.org), a humanitarian organization established to address the needs of children in refugee camps through alternative education methods, reading, sports and yoga. Cardarelli holds degrees from Fitchburg [MA] State University, Boston University, Baylor and the College of William & Mary. She is a graduate of the Reserve Officer Training Program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA. Cardarelli is board certified in healthcare management, experienced in disaster management and has run a variety of hospitals in the U.S. and overseas. As a former U.S. Army Medical Service Corps officer and professor of human security, she has expertise in organizational development and strategic security and has conducted educational programs in Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Middle East. In her spare time, Cardarelli is a DPI/NGO education representative to the United Nations. After working at several embassies in Washington, D.C., she served at the National Defense University’s Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies. Her focus on intergenerational violence and the role memory plays on the next generation made her committed to helping children who have endured trauma. Cardarelli resides in New York City and received the Fitchburg State Alumni Achievement Award this fall.
Kevin Kastor, BBA ’90, was named board member of Leadership Montgomery County, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing current and future leaders of Montgomery County, TX. Kastor is the manager of regulatory and legislative affairs for Consolidated Communications. He has a master’s degree from Texas A&M University.
Doug Doe, BA ’91, joined Oklahoma City-based Koch Communications LLC as an account director. In this role, he oversees a client services team dedicated to integrated public relations, social media and digital communications for various clients. Previously, Doe was a journalist for the Waco-Tribune Herald and worked in website content management for Cox Interactive Media. He had a 14-year career in state government for the Oklahoma Department of Human Services and the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
Christopher D. Keefer, BSEd ’91, of Saginaw, TX, graduated from Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention with a Doctor of Ministry. The title of his project paper was “Developing and Implementing an Outreach Strategy to a Changing Rural Community.” He has served as pastor of the First Baptist Church of Poolville, TX, since 2004. Contact at cdkrrk@gmail.com.
Roberta Trites, PhD ’91, was selected as the first American woman to receive the International Brothers Grimm Award from the International Institute for Children’s Literature in Osaka, Japan. This award is given every other year to a scholar for outstanding research in children’s literature. Trites is a professor of English and interim chair for the department of management and quantitative methods at Illinois State University. She wrote her book, Waking Sleeping Beauty: Feminist Voices in Children’s Novels, in 1997 and will publish her second, Twenty-First Century Feminisms in Children’s and Adolescent Literature, in 2018.
Chris Hudson, BBA ’92, has been appointed managing director of professional services firm Dacarba LLC. Based in Houston, Hudson has more than 20 years of leadership experience across multiple industries, including healthcare, insurance, manufacturing and telecommunications. Hudson was the healthcare leader of the South Division at Slalom Consulting. At BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, he led the urgent care division as president. Previously, he was a principal at KMPG LLP, serving as the national healthcare technology advisory leader.
Rob Springer, BA ’92, joined Tyler [TX] Junior College as director of annual giving. Previously, he served as the redevelopment commission executive director for the city of Shelbyville, IN, and as executive director for the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Central Indiana.
William “Daniel” Clark, BA '93, of Keller, TX, was appointed president and CEO of Ieso Digital Health in 2016. He also serves on the company's board of directors. Ieso, based in Cambridge, England, with U.S. Headquarters in Southlake, TX, is now the U.K.’s largest online behavioral healthcare company and has enjoyed rapid U.S. expansion following Clark's appointment. He earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Dallas Baptist University and completed post graduate studies at UC Berkeley and Harvard Business School. Clark has 20 years of experience as an executive in the U.S. and global healthcare markets.
Kristi Peterson, BS ’93, was named assistant principal at Roosevelt-Wilson Elementary School in the Texas City ISD. Previously, she worked in the district as the assistant principal at Kohfeldt Elementary for two years. Peterson also has classroom experience as a fifth grade teacher in Friendswood [TX] ISD for 15 years before nine years in administrative roles. She has a master’s degree from the University of Houston-Clear Lake.
Joe Pukaite, BSE ’93, was appointed as senior vice president and CFO of Templar Energy LLC in Oklahoma City in April. He received his MBA from Rice University and has experience in finance, capital markets, and mergers and acquisitions through work in treasury, corporate development and investment banking. He began his career in operations as an engineer at Schlumberger, and has more than 23 years of experience in the energy sector.
John Rainey, BBA ’93, MBA ’95, was elected to the Nasdaq Board of Directors in July. Rainey is executive vice president and chief financial officer of PayPal Holdings Inc. and previously held the same title at United Continental Holdings Inc.’s United Airlines. Rainey oversees financial stability and growth at PayPal. He serves on the March of Dimes National Board of Trustees, is an inaugural member of the CNBC Global CFO Council and is a member of The Wall Street Journal CFO Council. He is a certified public accountant.
Taekuk Cho, BA ’94, is assistant special agent in charge of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York flagship office, overseeing the national security division and Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF). Cho was promoted to division chief and relocated to Washington, D.C., where he is third in charge of all HSI domestic law enforcement operations. Contact at baylorcho@gmail.com.
John Patterson, BA ’94, of Austin and his wife Michelle celebrate the 10th anniversary of their advertising agency, ShakeWell Creative, this year. The agency recently was named a winner of Austin Business Journal’s 2017 “Best Places to Work” award. The business has a new location and a strong portfolio of clients.
Molly Frye Wilmington, BA ’94, and Dr. David Wilmington, PhD ’15, left Baylor this summer for new positions at Yellowstone Theological Institute in Bozeman, MT. David is a professor of theology and philosophy, and Molly will be executive administrator for the president. For five years, David taught in the Honors College, the Department of Religion and Truett Seminary. Molly most recently served as assistant to Dean Todd Still at Truett Seminary. In Spring 2018, Paraclete Press will publish Molly’s children’s book (an early reader for first through fourth graders) on Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Also next year, Fortress Press will publish David’s book, a monograph on postmodern and medieval apophaticism and ethics titled A Pregnant Silence: Negative Theology and Virtues Ethics.
Matt DeLorenzo, BBA ’95, was appointed vice president, strategic accounts and workforce solutions for MDI Group, a national IT staffing and recruiting firm. He has 20 years of experience in the IT consulting industry. Previously, DeLorenzo worked in lead alliances and business development for Point B, a management consulting company in Seattle. He also fulfilled key leadership positions for companies such as Experis, Ajilon, Randstad, Triangle Technology and Decision Consultants. DeLorenzo is active in his community through the Austin Technology Council, George Hannon Society, Austin Innotech Council, JDRF and Junior Achievement. He is a board member for The Rise School of Austin.
Dr. John Childs, MPT ’96, was recognized as one of San Antonio’s Health Care Heroes by the San Antonio Business Journal. The physical therapist is CEO of Evidence in Motion and is being honored for his work in the military medicine field. Childs in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years. He is an associate professor and director of the U.S. Army-Baylor Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy. Childs is the youngest ever Fellow of the American Physical Therapy Association.
Laura Hilton Hallmon, BA ’96, JD ’99, was elected equity partner in the law firm of Cantey Hanger LLP. Hallmon practices labor and employment law in the firm’s Fort Worth office. Contact at lhallmon@canteyhanger.com.
Dr. Jim Siebert, MA ’96, of Katy, TX, was featured in the Houston Chronicle as one of Houston’s favorite meteorologists. He has worked in Corpus Christi, TX, Waco, New Mexico and Nevada. Siebert also is a professor at the university level. He holds degrees from Bringham Young University and the University of New Mexico.
Jason R. Grill, JD ’97, joined the law firm Steptoe & Johnson in The Woodlands, TX. He specializes in civil litigation and represents clients in product liability, transportation, personal injury and wrongful death, construction and professional liability matters. His clients include a variety of industries including oil and gas drilling and services companies, trucking companies, physicians and banks.
Peter Singer, BSEd ’97, was named the chief compliance officer of Allen, TX-based GIACT Systems, a company aiming to reduce payment fraud. He has experience in leadership roles in education, defense, government, health insurance, utility billing, property and casualty insurance and money transmission. Singer previously directed the Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering team at RealPage. He holds advanced degrees from the University of Texas at Arlington and is a certified anti-money laundering specialist and a senior professional in human resources.
Aaron Barfoot, BS ’98, was named CFO of Continuum Analytics in July. He oversees finance and accounting operations for Continuum, which created Anaconda, the leading open data science platform powered by Python. Barfoot is a cloud hosting industry veteran and former executive at ClearDATA and Rackspace.
Dr. Chad Prosen, BA ’98, was appointed principal at Brook Forest School in Oak Brook, IL, near Chicago. He earned a master’s degree from Chicago’s Saint Xavier University and a doctorate from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Prosen began his career teaching in Texas before becoming a history teacher in Chicago. He then worked as a principal at several schools including Medinah Intermediate School and Western Avenue school in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Paul Dodd, MBA ’99, of Hinsdale, IL, joined restaurant management software company Compeat as senior vice president of sales in June. He has over 20 years of global strategic planning and sales experience with companies such as Google, Adometry, Bazaarvoice and 6Connex. Dodd also holds degrees from University of Santa Monica [CA] and Kent State University.
John Scott Gray, MA ’99, received Ferris State University’s 2017 Distinguished Teacher Award. Gray, a resident of Canadian Lakes, MI, came to Ferris in 2006, after earning degrees from Furman University, Baylor and Southern Illinois University. Gray has taught more than a dozen classes while on the faculty at Ferris, and has led Study Abroad trips to Italy, France and Spain. He has co-authored and published journal articles and a book, Introduction to Popular Culture.
Kyle McClure, MBA ’99, of Bellaire, TX, was named senior vice president and CFO of Franks International N.V., a global oil services company. McClure previously served as senior vice president of finance and treasurer of the company since 2015. Prior to joining the company, McClure served as treasurer for a specialty chemicals company, in multiple financial roles for Dell, and in public accounting.
Terry Welty, MBA ’99, is senior vice president of marketing for Santa Monica, CA-based PatientPop, a maker of an all-in-one practice growth software for healthcare providers. In this role, Welty helps the organization achieve aggressive revenue growth with over 20 years of experience leading successful marketing teams. Previously, he worked for Quorom as chief marketing officer and also served in executive roles at Smarsh, Duo Security and Quark.
2000s
James Clark, BS ’00, was named principal of Lady Bird Johnson Middle School in Irving, TX. Clark has served Irving ISD for seven years as an administrator and teacher. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington and a composite science certification as well as his principal certification.
Brian Mancuso, BA ’00, of Indianapolis was one of 62 selected for residency this summer through the Getty Leadership Institute at California’s Claremont Graduate University, an international executive education program for museum leaders. Mancuso joined Conner Prairie, one of the most-visited outdoor museums in the country, as director of exhibits in 2012. He led the reimagination of William Conner House in 2016, which earned a national honor from the American Alliance of Museums. Previously, Mancuso was director of exhibits at the Health Museum in Houston. He holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jeffery P. Chamberlain, MBA ’01, was named commander of the Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Center at Red River Army Depot near Texarkana, TX. He holds a paralegal certificate and earned a commission in the Army’s Field Artillery as a second lieutenant from the University’s Reserve Officer Training Corps. Chamberlain’s military education also includes Airborne School and Army Command and General Staff College, and his personal decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
Several Baylor alumni supported Dallas Cowboys Travis Frederick’s Blocking Out Hunger Foundation at an event in the Dallas area. Pictured from left are: Heath Poindexter, BBA ’01, MAcc ’01, Cowboys tight end Rico Gathers, BSEd ’16, Chris Collins, BBA ’01, and Jeff Domen, BA ’97, JD ’00.
Julia Brown Harman, BBA ’01, was named market president of the Dallas-Fort Worth region for Atlanta-based SunTrust Bank. She will lead the firm’s commercial banking expansion plans in North Texas. Previously, Harman was a managing director in the firm’s corporate and investment banking division, SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, covering corporate clients in the southwest region. Contact at julia.harman@suntrust.com.
Randall C. Ball, BM ’02, MM ’04, graduated in May with his doctorate in musical arts with a focus on pedagogy, performance and literature from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. He is director of music ministries at Great Bridge United Methodist Church in Chesapeake, VA, where he resides with his wife, Kristin Barrow Ball, BM ’04, and their three children, Marquita, Serenity and Elijah.
Jason Ellis, BBA ’02, was named president of Worthington National Bank’s downtown Fort Worth location. He focuses on commercial lending and managing customer relationships. Ellis has 11 years of experience in the banking industry, specifically in commercial lending and relationship management. He serves in the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Fort Worth, Junior Achievement of the Chisholm Trail, Trinity Habitat for Humanity and other community organizations.
Bill Kopitke, BBA ’02, MBA ’10, of Dallas has moved to Seattle and accepted a position at Amazon as head of hospitals and integrated delivery networks. Kopitke leads the strategy and performance for Amazon’s expansion into healthcare with hospital systems. Kopitke has two sons.
Anne Claire Andaya-Nauts, BA ’03, is a foreign service officer with the Department of State. She is assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, and she previously served in Guangzhou, China, and Chennai, India.
Hilary Osburn Marchbanks, BA ’03, graduated from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in May with a Master of Divinity. She was commissioned as a provisional elder in the United Methodist Church in Corpus Christi, TX, on June 9. Rev. Marchbanks remains an associate pastor at St. John’s United Methodist Church in Austin. She and her husband Ryan Marchbanks, BBA ’02, have two children: Ridley, 6, and Ryder, 4.
Angie McCallister, BS ’03, became a certified crime analyst for the Waco Police Department in July. Formerly a crime scene technician for Waco PD, McCallister researches and applies historic and real-time crime data to identify trends and find “hot spots” of crime to inform proactive approaches to policing. The analyst strengthens the link between Waco police and other agencies in McLennan County and surrounding areas as they share information.
Alex Witherow, BBA ’03, completed his first screenplay, Blood Allegiance, that screened in Tribeca in May 2017. He wrote, produced and starred in the film. Blood Allegiance was accepted to the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards, which took place in August. Witherow has been an actor for 10 years and is based in New York City.
Warren Allen, BBA ’04, of Richwood, TX, has earned his EMBA from Rice University, Jones Graduate School of Business. He aided in bringing a product to market: a chemical-proof vibration reducing pump base. Contact at warkat@rice.edu.
Dr. Rebekah Crowe, MA ’04, of Plainview, TX, received the 2016-17 Faculty Contribution to the Profession Award from Wayland Baptist University. Crowe has been a member of the history faculty at Wayland’s Plainview and virtual campuses since 2015. Contact at rebekah.crowe@wbu.edu.
Megan Stanton Czerwieski, BMEd ’04, was named Teacher of the Month for April in Red Oak [TX] ISD. She is a band teacher at Red Oak Middle School, where she has worked for the past five years. Her husband John Czerwieski, BMed ’02, is a band director for Venus [TX] ISD. Megan is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association and First United Methodist Church Waxahachie, TX. She is a board member for the Mansfield Wind Symphony.
Cristina Luna, BA ’04, of Alamo, TX, was named assistant dean of students and director of Greek life at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL. She began her involvement in Greek life as a chapter founding sister of her sorority Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha Inc. in 2003. She served in the roles of national president from 2011 to 2014 and VP of risk management 2015 to 2016. Luna career’s in higher education includes leadership curriculum and advising in fraternity and sorority life.
Kathryn Flowers Samler, BA ’04, earned a spot on the Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for the fourth consecutive year. This accomplishment placed Samler among 2.5 percent of Texas’ 97,000 attorneys who are awarded the annual honor. Samler is a Dallas-based family law attorney who has also earned recognition from Up-and-Coming 100 and Up-and-Coming 50 2017 women. She is an attorney for GoransonBain.
In March, Jay Matthew Barnes, MDiv ’05, earned a PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. His focus was on the New Testament, and his dissertation was Philippians 3.2-11 and the New Perspective. Dr. Donald Hagner was his PhD mentor. On May 7, Barnes was voted in as senior pastor of First Baptist Church Alhambra, CA. “My family and I are excited to see how God will continue to encourage this great church to participate in the coming of God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven,” he writes.
Tiffanie Blackmon-Jones, BA ’05, a former Baylor basketball player, has been named director of communications in DeSoto [TX] ISD, which serves 9,800 students and 1,200 employees across 12 campuses in the communities of DeSoto, Glenn Heights and Ovilla. Contact at 2855 Deer Ridge Dr., Rockwall, TX 75032 or tblackmonjones@gmail.com.
Dr. Michael Soileau, BSEd ’05, of Belton, TX, is a neurologist with a specialty in movement disorders, including the medical and surgical management of Parkinson’s disease, tremor, spasticity, restless leg syndrome and others. Soileau has opened a private practice called Texas Movement Disorder Specialists with locations in Waco and Georgetown, TX.
Sapora Latisha Bradley, BA ’08, of El Paso received her doctor of education in learning technologies from Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, in May. She earned her master’s degree from the University of North Texas at Dallas.
Chris Lang, BS ’08, MBA ’10, was named vice president of the Houston-based investment banking energy team for Imperial Capital Group LLC. Previously, Lang worked as an associate at Wunderlich, where he advised on debt finances, M&A and equity capital raises while serving as an engineer in the A&D group. Lang also was a senior associate at Grant Thornton in both the transaction services and corporate advisory and restructuring groups, where he focused on the energy and manufacturing industries.
Dan Moore, JD ’08, MBA ’08, of Dallas was named to the board of directors of Waco’s Methodist Children’s Home. Moore is an alumnus of the home and also serves on its Alumni Board as past president. Contact at dan@danmoorelaw.com.
The Liddell Group, a political strategy firm headed up Samuel Chen, BA ’09, MA ’11, of Wescosville, PA, was recently named a finalist for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Business Innovation Award. The GLVCC is the seventh-largest regional chamber of commerce in the U.S.
Jenna Chang, BA ’09, joined the Family Office for the Roman Catholic Diocese in Lubbock, TX, as a marriage and family life ministry leader. Chang is a doctoral student at Texas Tech University. She has served as a youth minister at St. John Neumann Parish and is the founder of the Divine Mercy in Action Sunday.
Lindsay Ehrhardt, BFA ’09, played the lead role of Alice Sycamore in a production of “You Can’t Take It with You” by Houston theatre company the A.D. Players. The show ran throughout May at the George Theatre. Recently, Ehrhardt also performed in Main Street Theater’s Theater for Youth productions of “The Cat in the Hat” and “The Magic School Bus.”
Marcus Krohn, BBA ’09, of San Antonio was promoted to regional operations manager at Bridgestone, where he has worked for eight years. His territory includes Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, San Antonio, Austin and Waco with 128 stores and more than 1,600 employees. Krohn credits his Baylor business internship class for his start as a student intern with Bridgestone.
Ashley Langhorst, BS ’09, married Cole Edwards on May 28 at the Gadsden House in Charleston, SC. She is a special education teacher and he is in electrical sales. They reside in Cary, IL.
2010s
Justin Kralemann, BS ’10, of Chesterfield, MO, has joined March of Dimes as a senior development manager. He leads fundraising efforts to reduce infant mortality, birth defects and premature birth through research and education across Missouri and Illinois. Kralemann previously served as ministry grant manager for Mercy Health.
Whitney Lasse, BA ’10, and James Mix were married Feb. 12 in Mulberry, AR. She is a marriage and family therapist, and he is a youth pastor at New Heights Church in Fayetteville, AR.
Whitney Gillam, BBA ’10, married Nathan Klemm on June 10. They met in Anchorage, AK, and were married in the Great Frontier in front of friends and family. The couple resides in Anchorage. Contact at whitney.gillam@gmail.com.
Paulina Do, BSEd ’11, and Joshua Chang, BSEd ’11, were married June 3 in Oahu, HI. They met in 2007 in freshman English class. They reside in Oklahoma City, where Josh is finishing his fourth year of medical school.
Ekpe Udoh, BSEd ’11, a former Baylor Basketball student-athlete, became a fan favorite for his two basketball seasons in Turkey with Fenerbahce, Turkey’s leading club. He helped Fenerbahce win two domestic titles as well as this year’s championship of the Euroleague, the world’s most competitive league outside the United States. Udoh also takes time to lead a book club, keep a photo blog of his favorite Istanbul restaurants, organize a cinema night for fans and wish high school seniors good luck for their exams. These displays of love for his fans make Udoh memorable both on and off the court. Previously, Udoh played center and power forward for the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. He recently signed a two-year contract with the Utah Jazz.
Ryan Blackmon, MBA ’12, was promoted to associate director by the Houston-based tax consultancy firm alliantgroup. Blackmon joined the company in 2015 and previously served as senior associate. In his new role, Blackmon helps lead the career development of his peers and continue to maintain the highest caliber of the firm’s professional services.
D’Andrea “Dede” Ceasar, BSEd ’12, was one of 50 students in the second cohort of medical students at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine. Caesar has a love for science and people and decided to pursue a career in medicine after her grandfather’s bout with cancer.
Abigail Forbes, BA ’13, of Longview, TX, graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in June. She will continue at UTMB with a plastic surgery residency. Proud parents are Scott, BBA ’85, and Holly Patterson Forbes, BFA ’84.
Matt Lewis, BA ’13, and Mallory Streiffert, BS ’13, of Edmond, OK, met at Baylor and were married in 2013. Matt earned a master of education in counseling with an emphasis in student affairs at Texas Christian University in May. He is the graduation specialist at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City. Mallory earned a doctorate of osteopathic medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in May. She specializes in family medicine at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center in Oklahoma City. They recently adopted a puppy and named her Bear.
Sabrina Triola, BA ’13, and Jacob Reagan, BA ’13, were married Nov. 12, 2016, at Baylor’s Armstrong Browning Library. The reception was held in The Barfield Drawing Room. The Reagans met during their sophomore year at Baylor and were friends throughout college before later reconnecting at a friend’s wedding. They reside in Austin.
Morgan Stuart Meador Smith, BA ’14, and Scott Bradford Smith, BA ’13, JD ’16, were married Jan. 1 at The Carleen Bright Arboretum in Waco. Morgan is a real estate associate, and Scott is an associate attorney. The couple met while Morgan was a media intern at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church and Scott was a drummer in the worship band. They are moving to Dallas in the fall for Scott’s new position at Hallett & Perrin, P.C.
Bryce Hager, BA ’15, and Rio Goesling, BA ’16, married Feb. 18 in Dripping Springs, TX. They met at Baylor, where Bryce played middle linebacker for the Bears. The Hagers reside in Thousand Oaks, CA, and Bryce now plays for the Los Angeles Rams. Contact at riohager@gmail.com.
Daniel Huizinga, BBA ’15, married Madeleine Cooney June 11 in Wheaton, IL. They recently moved to Washington, D.C., and have enjoyed connecting with many of their friends (including several Baylor alumni) who live there.
Jackson Wren, BBA ’15, is now focusing solely on his clothing company, Dapper Bear, for the first time since its founding in 2013. Wren founded the business as part of Accelerated Ventures, a course which enables students to create companies at Baylor. Through this program, Wren and two of his classmates, Claire Major, BS ’14, and Hob Howell, BBA ’14, were granted the license to an exclusive Baylor plaid. The company started selling ties, silk scarves and bow ties. By 2014, Wren bought his classmates’ shares of the company and made plans to expand the business alongside his twin brother Eric Wren, BBA ’14. The twins alternated running the business while working in other fields and furthering their education until June.
Noelle Martinez, BSA ’16, assisted her mother, Michelle, in developing a forensic science program for students at Thurston Middle School in Laguna Beach, CA. The program consisted of creating a crime scene and executing a mock trial for the students in the murder of renowned pirate Blackbeard. The program was widely popular among students and allowed the school to create a forensic science class to explore more of the subject. Martinez was president of the Forensic Society during her time at Baylor.
Samuel Azide, BBA ’17, planned and performed an elaborate flash mob proposal for his girlfriend Anitiria Flores, BA ’15. A YouTube video of the performance went viral in June and featured the couple’s friends and family dancing in the Waco restaurant 1424 Bistro, where Azide and Flores first met.
Mima Fondong, BSEd ’17, was awarded a Global Grant Scholarship from The Rotary Foundation. With this grant, she will attend the University of Westminister in London to pursue a master’s degree in global public health and nutrition.
Mercedes Ordonez, JD ’17, joined Weinberg Wheeler Hudgins Gunn & Dial as an associate in the firm’s Atlanta, GA, office. Her practice focuses on construction litigation, healthcare, professional liability and transportation. While attending law school, she was the Notes Editor of the Baylor Law Review and an extern for Judge Martin Hoffman, a Texas State Court Judge in Dallas, and Federal Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Manske.