Fall 2026 – Class Notes
1950s
Betty Ruth Baker, BA ’59, MEd ’68, of Waco established the Betty Ruth Baker Track and Field Endowed Fund.
1960s
Bob Hollis, BBA ’61, and Margaret Hollis, ABC ’89, of Garden Grove, CA, established the Margaret L. Hollis Memorial Endowed Scholarship for the Moody School of Education.
Charles Frances Guittard, BA ’64, and Nancy Davis Labastida of Austin established the Guittard and Labastida Endowed Fund for Editing and Publishing.
Charles Cooper, BBA ’66, of Amarillo established the Edwin L. Caldwell, Ph.D., Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Economics.
John T. Williams, BBA ’67, of Baltimore established the Virginia and Tom Williams Endowed Chair in American Literature.
1970s
David Paul Smith, BS ’71, recently authored his second book, Henry Eustace McCulloch: Texas Ranger, Legislator, Civil War General (LSU Press).
William E. Crenshaw, BBA ’73, of Lakeland, FL, established the Ed Crenshaw Student Foundation Student Experience Fund.
Jo (Sparks) Salmon, BS ’76, got remarried in March to Tim Harvard of Winnsboro, TX.
Kari Rhame Murphy, BSEd ’77, was honored with the national Consortium of School Networking (SoSN) Withrow CTO award in April. This award recognizes an exceptional district CTO who serves as a true technology champion and whose leadership has been transformative for their school system. The award honors Frank Winthrow, a pioneer and champion of K-12 education technology.
Thomas G. Parker, BA ’77, continues his practice in clinical counselling and forensic psychology in Austin, where he has worked for 40 years.
Paul Darr, BBA ’79, retired from his role as Morgan Stanley first vice president. Following his graduation from Baylor, he served as Lieutenant, Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy.
Jon Palmer, BA ’79, of Scottsdale, AZ, established the Jon Palmer Endowed Scholarship for History.
1980s
Robert Copple, BBA ’80, MPA ’81, and Lynda Copple, BSE ’79, of Frisco, TX, established the Dr. Jonathan Eckert Research Endowment for the Center for School Leadership.
Greg Ford, BBA ’80, MBA ’81, retired after a career in finance, working for Texas Commerce Bank directly out of school and subsequently living in NYC. Beginning in the 90s, he worked for Chemical, Chase and J.P. Morgan as the result of mergers. After corporate banking and M&A financing, private equity and a few other odd endeavors, including an Indy Race team, occupied his time. Waterfowl and quail hunting, flyfishing and German Shorthaired Pointers remain his passion when he is not reading C.S. Lewis, all things WWII history and biographies. He now resides in Houston.
Deborah Little Key, BFA ’80, of Dallas established the Joan C. and W. E. “Bill” Little Endowed Scholarship in Theatre Arts, in honor of Deborah’s parents, Joan C. and W. E. “Bill” Little.
Lisa Lowry Schwartz, BA ’80, co-owns the Houston office of Jostens Yearbooks, which is the largest yearbook publishing office in the industry. The Houston location was recently named Office of the Year at the Jostens Yearbooks Annual Business Meeting.
Carol McDonald, BBA ’82, retired after serving for 30 years as the chief financial officer of The Catholic Foundation. Matt Kramer, president and CEO, said McDonald has provided invaluable expertise and executive leadership to the Foundation. McDonald will serve as a special advisor to the Foundation through the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition.
Ann Westfahl Kroll, BSEd ’82, MSEd ’90, and her husband moved to Topeka, KS, in summer of 2025. Their new address is 3938 SW 40th Terrace, Topeka, KS, 66610. Kroll’s email is krollit@juno.com.
Eva Dubert Bukholder, BA ’85, authored In Every Moment: Recounting God’s Goodness in Overseas Life. With vulnerability, humor and honesty, Bukholder shares what God revealed about himself in both the remarkable and routine moments of her cross-cultural life and ministry — and invites you to see his goodness at work in your own story. This 12-week devotional-memoir is available on Amazon.
Lea Melville, BA ’85, served as teacher, dyslexia therapist and reading specialist in the greater Houston area for more than 30 years, retiring in 2019. Since retirement, Melville has travelled extensively and recently authored her first book, titled Israel: His People, His Place, which was released in July (Trilogy Publishing). The book biblically chronicles our Creator’s desire to dwell with us through a photographic journey of Israel in a coffee table book format. Available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble; also available in e-book.
Ed Menger, BA ’85, and Megan Ullman, BA ’85, retired to Portugal.
Kimberly Neuhaus, BSEd ’85, and Brent Neuhaus of Woodway, TX, established the Culture of Joy Endowed Fund for the Center for School Leadership.
Sam Adams, BA ’86, authored his sixth book, The Feel Good Marriage: Principles and Practices for a Joyful Christian Marriage. Adams and his wife, Julie Williams Adams, BA ’87, live in Austin. The couple has four children and enjoys life with their five grandchildren.
Jay L. Voncannon, BBA ’87, was appointed chief executive officer of Family Business Capital, LLC, an invitation-only private equity syndicate focused on offering bespoke, curated direct investments for ultra-high-net-worth families. Their approach emphasizes operational expertise from underwriting through value creation, paired with a patient, family-minded perspective that respects legacy, culture, multi-generational stewardship and principled leadership. Voncannon has spent most of his career with the Koch family of companies in Wichita, KS, as well as with the Coors family of companies in Golden, CO.
Deb Carson, BBA ’88, joined Baylor as director of development for the California region following her career in sports broadcasting, most recently serving as a network anchor and host with Fox Sports Radio.
John E. Delzell Jr., BA ’89, MD, of Richmond, VA, was recently named senior associate dean for graduate medical education for Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health. Delzell is a board-certified family physician and professor in the Department of Family Medicine & Population Health in the School of Medicine.
Debbie Freeman, BA ’89, of San Antonio established the Freeman Family Endowed Scholarship for Law Interns.
Paul McCown, BBA ’89, of Dallas recently authored his first book, Longing to Breathe: Taking Brave Breaths for your Soul’s Freedom, a reflective work inviting readers to examine their personal stories and pursue deeper freedom and purpose. The book was shaped in part by McCown’s experience as a double lung transplant survivor, which deepened his reflections on life, faith and authenticity. Available on Amazon.
Rogers Pope, Jr., BBA ’89, JD ’92, was inducted into the Texas Bankers Hall of Fame, presented by Sam Houston State University’s Smith-Hutson Endowed Chair of Banking. He has been employed by Texas Bank and Trust Company in Longview, TX, since 1994 and has served as the bank’s chief executive officer since 2014. He and his wife, Kellie, reside in Tyler, TX, and are the proud parents of five children, two of whom are fellow Baylor Bears.
Gaye Walker, BA ’89, is now the vice president of communications at the Florida Hospital Association. Walker brings more than 20 years of experience in internal and executive communications with a strong focus on crafting high-impact messaging, spearheading thought leadership initiatives and deepening stakeholder engagement.
1990s
Emily Taylor, BS ’90, retired in May from teaching after 36 years. She taught four years in New Caney ISD and 32 years in Mesquite ISD. She taught grades two through four and was recently an ESL teacher and taught grades PK-five. She looks forward to spending time with her family and her dog Charley.
John Gresham, PhD ’91, received an Award of Excellence from the Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship for his article “Tongues as Glossolalic Prayer – A Pentecostal Invention? A Reply to Blosser and Sullivan” in the Journal of Pentecostal Theology 34.2 (2025). He also recently published “The Modern Shift in the Roman Catholic Understanding of Speaking in Tongues” in Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 11.1 (2026). Gresham is semi-retired in Florida, continuing to teach as an adjunct for various seminaries and universities.
Greg Benesh, MS ’92, and Dana Benesh, MA ’93, PhD ’14, of Waco established the Benesh Outstanding Physics Student Endowed Awards.
Elizabeth Ingram Carlyle, BBA ’92, JD ’95, the chief executive officer of First Freedom Art Company, recently authored her first book, Americans Who Pray: Uniting a Nation in Faith and Freedom (BroadStreet Publishing). Her book contains prayers from more than 80 inspiring Americans, including Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D. Carlyle also served as the executive producer of An American Storyteller: The Art of Arnold Friberg, which was nominated for the Most Creative Documentary at the International Christian Film and Music Festival and also was selected for the DOCUTAH film festival. Carlyle serves on the Baylor Board of Regents.
Jeffery D. Price, BBA ’92, and his team at Price & Associates has been ranked no. 1 on the 2026 Forbes “Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams” list in the Texas-North (High Net Worth) category. Jeffery and his wife, Cara, reside in Flower Mound, TX. Their son, Connor Price, BA ’20, and daughter, Catherine Price, BS ’23, are also graduates of Baylor.
Dena Dyer, BA ’93, has dealt with chronic pain and fatigue for more than three decades after suffering a head-on car wreck during her senior year. After longing to connect with others in similar situations, she followed God’s call to begin Sustained Ministries. The non-profit organization cultivates online relationships and resources to help individuals with chronic illness live with restored hope, purpose and resilience. Visit www.sustained.info to learn more.
James Perry, BBA ’93, and Lydia Perry, BA ’93, JD ’96, of Dallas established the James and Lydia Perry Endowed Fund in Finance. The Perrys’ son, Drew, is a member of the Baylor University Class of 2029.
Debbie Stouse, BBA ’93, and Mark Stouse, BA ’87, gathered with Janna Everroad and Christian Stouse at the Baylor at the Ballpark game in Los Angeles. The LA Dodgers played the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix. Everroad is currently the Baylor Alumni West Regional Leader and is a graduate of the University of Arizona. Additionally, Christian Stouse is a freshman at Scottsdale Community College.
Taekuk Cho, BA ’94, was selected as the Department of Homeland Security regional attaché for Korea and Japan. Based out of the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, Korea, he oversees all law enforcement, counterterrorism and transnational organized crime investigations for Homeland Security Investigations.
Inez (Balderas) Hayes, BA ’97, completed a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Administration, Educational Leadership through Liberty University. She currently is the instructional designer for graduate business programs at Baylor and teaches business communications.
Chris Migura, BBA ’98, MBA ’98, is now chief executive officer of Logos, having previously served as its chief financial officer. Logos seeks to build technology to serve the global church in light of the Bible, particularly its flagship product, the Logos Bible study program. Migura is not only a champion of the product but also an avid user, experiencing firsthand the difference Logos can make in the lives of pastors, students and everyday Christians who want to go deeper in God’s word. Learn more at logos.com.
Baylor besties Elizabeth Wickersham Ginn, BA ’98, MA ’00, and Carrie Morris Nelson, BM ’99, MM ’02, celebrated their 50th birthdays on the Today Show Plaza in NYC!
Jaime Lannou Shipley, BSE ’98, MSE ’99, was recently named assistant superintendent for Elementary School Leadership and Support in Katy ISD.
Jon Allen, BA ’99, MS ’11, and Barbie Allen, BA ’99, MS ’01, were excited to watch their daughter, Madelyn Allen, Baylor University Class of 2028, represent Central Texas as Miss Bluebonnet in the Miss Texas Pageant (Miss America Opportunity) in June in Richardson, TX.
2000s
Jennifer Camplair, BSEd ’02, earned her MFA in creative writing from University of Texas in El Paso. She will pursue publishing her thesis about WW1, “Blood, Steel, and Stone,” that uses her great-grandfather’s photo catalog from the German Army combined with docupoetry and examines the war, immigration and inheritance. Camplair is currently the emerging bilingual coordinator at Lorena ISD.
Michael Dallas Lusk, BS ’02, was awarded his Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Liberty University in May and then was recruited by Vanderbloemen search group to serve as the new superintendent at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church & School in Oviedo, FL. Dallas accepted the divine call and he and his wife, Sarah Osborn Lusk, BA ’02, and their two kids, Noah and Sophia, will be moving to Oviedo.
Erin Cline, MA ’03, PhD ’06, authored The Problem of God, a book where Cline explores age-old questions relating to the belief in and meaning of God. She analyzes the challenges of religious belief and spirituality through the lens of both historical and contemporary sources from religious and philosophical traditions around the globe — including Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Confucianism and Daoism. The curious and the spiritually hungry will benefit from discovering that there is not one problem of God but many, and that understanding the spiritual dimension of human life holds the key to better understanding ourselves and one another.
Baylor Wortham, BBA ’03, was awarded the Spindletop Award of Merit from the Three Rivers Council of Boy Scouts of America in March. The merit award is given annually to an adult volunteer who exemplifies leadership and a commitment to the principles of scouting.
Josh Arnold, BBA ’04, MBA ’09, and Amy Arnold of Austin established the Arnold Family Endowed Scholarship in Business.
Angela Akin-Fonville, BSEd ’06, was named the new principal of Giesinger Elementary in Conroe ISD in June. With nearly 20 years in education, Fonville has served as a teacher, behavior specialist and assistant principal.
David Blalock, BBA ’06, and Paula Blalock of Dallas established the Amber Maritha Blalock Endowed Scholarship in Social Work in honor of Mr. Blalock’s mother, Amber Maritha Blalock.
Lt. Col. Sean Meagher, BS ’06, MD, USAF, MC, was recently inducted into the U.S. Army Medical Commander Order of Military Medical Merit (O2M3). Founded in 1982, O2M3 is a prestigious honor society within the U.S. Army Medical Department and recognizes high-performing personnel who have demonstrated the highest standards of integrity, professional competence and significant, long-term contributions to Army medicine. Meagher is a board certified developmental and behavioral pediatrician, a prior program director for the pediatric residency at the San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium, and the current chief of the department of pediatrics at Brooks Army Medical Center. He, his wife Lindsay (Spencer) Meagher, BA ‘06, and their four children are stationed in San Antonio.
David Spann, BBA ’08, and Blake Spann of Meadows Place, TX, established the David & Blake Spann Endowed Scholarship in memory of Fred Sterling Hulme, Jr.
2010s
Colton Canava, BFA ’11, founded his own design firm after a 15-year career in advertising. His firm that specializes in murals recently completed a large-scale mural for the Arlington Museum of Art. The piece was on view as part of an exhibition focused on the World Cup. The mural explores the myth-making nature of sport and culture and the parallels of religion that sport inherently embodies. This mural was brought to life through a bold, immersive visual style, literally capturing the viewer as they step into the art exhibit at the museum.
Christina Crenshaw, PhD ’13, published Redeeming Justice: Reclaiming God’s Vision for Doing Good in the World (Harvest House Publishing, February 2026). The book offers a biblically grounded framework for understanding justice work, inviting readers to move beyond cultural narratives and recover a vision for doing good rooted in Scripture. Crenshaw holds a PhD in education from Baylor and an MA in theological studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. She serves as an assistant professor and fellow at the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, specializing in cultural apologetics and biblical worldview.
Ann Simmons, BS ’13, has launched Annie Ozark, a women’s apparel brand rooted in the beauty, simplicity and rich history of the Ozark mountain region. Discover the launch collection on annieozark.com.
Tara Reese, BS ’15, studied at Oxford University and earned a master’s in science from Saïd Business School (Keble College) in major programme management. She currently works as a digital technology program manager with Collins Aerospace.
Ashleigh Tran, BA ’15, completed the Great World Race — running seven marathons on seven continents in seven days — and was the second-place female finisher. Additionally, in late 2025, she completed the BMW Dallas Marathon, which was her 10th marathon with a sub-4 finish. At Baylor, she double majored in psychology and sociology and was in the Golden Wave Band. After her time at Baylor, she went to graduate school and now holds a PhD in cognitive and brain sciences and works as a researcher. Running has become a way to explore resilience, adaptability and performance under extreme conditions — both physically and mentally.
Andrew Rodriguez, BA ’16, was promoted to equity member of Weinberg Hudgins Gunn & Dial.
Nan Tolson, BSW ’17, recently started a new role as national deputy director of Conservatives Concerned, an organization that works with political conservatives to reduce the use of the death penalty in the United States.
2020s
Benjamin Haddock, BS ’21, and Meredith (Kelly) Haddock, BA ’22, MA ’24, were married in Irving, TX, on June 6, surrounded by many other Bears and friends from their time together at Baylor University.
Nicholas Simmons, MBA ’21, and Melinda Simmons of Frisco, TX, established the Simmons Family Endowed Fund for Future Cybersecurity Leaders.
Tristan Brown, BS ’25, and Kendall Ladtkow, BS ’25, were married in Estes Park, CO, in June 2025. They currently reside in Broomfield, CO. Kendall is a high school math teacher, while Tristan works in cybersecurity.
Wade and Julie Humphries are beyond proud of their son, Jaden Humphries, BBA ’26, for graduating in May from Baylor. While finishing his degree, Jaden spend his Christmas break helping open and launch The Sim, a new golf simulator and lounge in the family’s hometown of Miramichi, New Brunswick, while also selecting two partners to bring the project to life. Baylor played a big role in helping shape his confidence, leadership and entrepreneurship mindset. Jaden graduated in May alongside his sister Tyra Humphries, BBA ’26.
Friends & Family
Discovery Foundation of Dallas established the Discovery Foundation Endowed Scholarship in Nursing.
Drs. James and Patricia Griffin established the Dr. Patricia (Peck) Griffin Endowed Scholarship fund.
Michael Iaccarino of Plano, TX, established the Joseph M. Iaccarino and Joseph M. Iaccarino, Jr., Endowed Scholarship in memory of his father, Joseph Iaccarino, and in honor of his brother, Joseph Iaccarino, Jr.
David and Shirley Lake of Tyler, TX, established the Lake Family Endowed Excellence Fund in Communication.
Vincent and Venus Leung established the Chiu’s Memorial Endowed Fund in Biomedical Circuits Research in honor of Simon Chiu, Sandy Chiu, and Mandy Chiu of Hong Kong.
Stephen A. Mizell, PhD, of Idaho Falls, ID, established the Nancy Brent Hunt Mizell Endowed Fund in Geosciences in memory of Nancy Mizell, BS ’73.
Charlie and Julie Noreen of Los Altos, CA, established the Noreen Family Endowed Fund for the Paul L. Foster Success Center. The Noreens’ daughter, Shelley Tucker, BBA ’18, and son, John Noreen, BA ’20, are both alumni of Baylor University.
In honor of Dean Linda Treadaway Plank, the Louise Herrington School of Nursing established the Dean Linda Treadaway Plank Endowed Scholarship.
Jessica and Matt Palmer of Texarkana, AR, established the Palmer Family Endowed Scholarship. Their son, Dawson Palmer, is currently attending Baylor University in the Hankamer School of Business.
The Tom and Pat Powers Foundation of Houston established the Tom and Pat Powers Family Endowed Fund in Finance.
An anonymous donor established the Ora et Labora Endowed Scholarship for the Honors College in support of Honors College students who are pursuing a program of study in Latin, Greek or Classics.
Robert and Lark Schott of Fort Worth established the Stormie Lynn Schott Endowed Fund for Graduate Students in Political Science in loving memory of their daughter, Stormie Lynn Schott, BA ’99.
Lauren and James W. Turner of Spring, TX, established The J. W. Turner Family Endowed Scholarship for Truett Seminary.
Dr. Charles H. Whiteside of Kilgore, TX, established the Nell Whiteside Starling Endowed Scholarship for Nursing in honor of his sister, Nell Whiteside.
Laurie and Dan Kelly of Newport Beach, CA, established the Tyler and Luke Kelly Endowed Fund for ProSales. The Kellys’ two sons are part of the Baylor Family. Tyler Kelly, BBA ’25, is an alumnus of Baylor University, and Luke Kelly is a member of the Baylor University Class of 2027.
Hemakshi and Manish Desai of Coppell, TX, established the Desai Family Endowed Scholarship in support of the students enrolled in the College of Arts & Sciences. The Desais’ daughter, Shayla Desai, is a member of the Baylor University Class of 2029.
Phillip and Mary Beth Canfield of Austin established the Canfield Family Endowed Fund for Study Abroad and the Canfield Family Endowed Fund for Undergraduate Research. The Canfields’ daughter, Molly Canfield, BS ’25, is a proud Baylor alumna.
Randy Michael Wood of Waco established the Edna Huskison Wood Endowed Scholarship, in memory of his wife, Edna Huskison Wood, ABC ’96.
The Robertson Family Foundation, Inc. (Lester E. Robertson, Jr., BS ’81), of Savannah, GA, established the Dr. Gene Robertson Good Samaritan Endowed Fund at the Louise Herrington School of Nursing in memory of Lester Eugene “Gene” Robertson, Sr., BS ’52, MD ’60, and Mary K. Robertson.