Class Notes, Fall 2011

1950s

Naomi C. Bledsoe (B.S. '56, M.S. '68) is an author at the age of 91 with her book I Wouldn't Take Nothing for my Journey Now.

1960s

Shirley Cooper (B.A. '65) was honored as one of 23 teachers nationwide with the 2011 All American Teacher Award. She teaches at Lincoln High School in Dallas.

Larry R. Davis (B.B.A. '65, M.B.A. '67) longest serving employee of Texas A&M University-Texarkana was named dean of the college of business.

Dr. Royce L. Granberry (B.S. '65, M.S. '66) recently retired after a 45-year career in teaching at Texarkana College.

Robert G. White (B.S. '67, M.Ed. '61) recently won the golf senior games competition in Houston.

Dr. Cliff L. Wood (B.S. '66, M.S. '67, Ph.D. '73) has written a chapter in the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators book Exceptional Senior Student Affairs Administrator's Leadership Strategies and Competencies for Success. His article was entitled “Preparing for a Presidency, Even If It Isn't Your Goal.” Dr. Wood is president of Rockland Community College in New York.

1970s

Davey G. Vela (B.S. '70, M.Ed. '72) retired from Willis ISD after 39 years as their theatre arts director.

Lynne Liberato (M.S. '76) began her one year term as president of the Texas Supreme Court Historical Society on June 3. She currently co-heads Haynes and Bonne's Appellate Practice Group and has led appellate teams in some of the most significant appeals in Texas.

Linda Palmer Teel (B.S. '72, M.Ed. '97) was named Teacher of the Year at Canton Elementary School for 2010-2011. She retired after 24 years of teaching in Canton with a total of 36 years of service in Texas.

Ronnie G. Ward (B.S. '70, M.S. '71)
has been selected as a Fulbright Senior Scholar to do research on international software development teams during the 2011-2012 academic year. He is senior lecturer in the department of computer science and engineering at Texas A&M University.

1980s

William (Bill) T. Allison (B.A. '89, M.A. '91) professor of military history at Georgia Southern University, is completing a year as visiting professor of military history at the U.S. Air Force School of Advanced Air & Space Studies at Maxwell AFB in Alabama. His book, My Lai: An American Atrocity will be published by the Johns Hopkins University Press early next year.

S. Scott Coulson (B.M. '80, M.M. '85) is retiring after 30 years in teaching. He has been the band director at Mesquite Poteet High School since it opened in 1986. He led them to three state championships and consistently scored in the top ten.

James B. Cowley (B.S. '87, M.Ed. '90, Ed.D. '03) was recently named superintendent of the Linden-Kildare CISD. Prior to this, he served for six years as assistant superintendent for Sunnyvale ISD.

Daniel G. Freeman (B.S. '81, M.S. '89) retired after 30 years as a teacher and coach and finished his career in Texarkana.

Sandra Watkins Hocutt (B.S. '87, M.S. '81) retired after 29 years in education. She is now an independent consultant working to mentor teachers in TI-MatchForward.

Keith L. Humphrey (B.B.A. '86) left Lancaster to become the chief of police in Norman, Oklahoma.

Larry Goddard (B.S. '80, M.S. '91) was elected to three honors in May, two national recognitions and one state-wide honor. He was elected to serve on the American School Foundation Alliance national advisory board of directors as the first Texan to be included. He was the first person to receive the National School Foundation Association professional certification and also was invited to become a columnist and write for Texas School Business Magazine, the most widely-read education journal in Texas.

Patricia A. Phelps (Ed.D. '87) was named director of the instructional development center at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA). She is a professor in the department of teaching and learning.

Scott A. Reighard (B.A. '86) has been named featured columnist for the fourth largest online sports website bleacherreport.com, posting three columns a week. He is currently a teacher/coach at Northside High School in Roanoke, Virginia.

Guillermo A. Birmingham, CPA (B.B.A. '82) retired from the U.S. Air Force as a colonel in 2008 and has been serving as the director of administration for the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization in Washington, D.C. since June 2010.

Marcus A. Pinzel (B.S. '87, M.S. '89) transferred from the Department of Energy Idaho Falls Field Office to the DOE Carlsbad Field Office, New Mexico, as the Transuranic (TRU) Waste Certification manager with the National TRU Program.

1990s

Shayne D. Canning (B.S. '98, M.S. '03) was named Royse City High School's director of band. Shayne and his wife Alma Rillera Canning (B.S. '96) reside in Sunnyvale with their two sons.

Linda M. Henrie (Ed.D. '92) was appointed for a four-year term by the National Federation of State High School Associations Board of Directors. Linda is superintendent of the Mesquite ISD.

Meredyth Purdy Kippes (B.A. '92) and Christopher S. Kippes are the proud parents of Isaac Patrick Kippes born March 5. Isaac is the grandson of alumni Bobbie Fleming Purdy (B.S. '67) and M. Arlan Purdy (B.S. '67).

Amanda Seigler Knox (B.S. '99) and husband Brian Knox (B.S. ‘00) are proud to announce the birth of Zachary Ryan Knox on April 18 in Decatur. Big sis is Audree Cate Knox, age 4.

Melody A. Paschall (M.S. '97) is the new associate superintendent of academic studies at the Irving ISD.

Ryan Lee Reodica (B.P.A. '98) married Richelle Socias in 2006. He is currently an application systems analyst at Texas Health Resources.

Russell S. Robinson (B.B.A. '97) recently completed his M.S. degree in information science at the University of Houston Clear Lake. He is a senior systems engineer at Sungard Availability Services and also an adjunct professor at UHCL.

Kevin G. Walthers (M.Ed. '95) was named president of Las Positas College in Livermore, CA.

2000s

Charles R. Alderman (M.Ed. '06) is the new Sulphur Springs High School principal.

Jean L. Conway (Ed.D. '08) was named president of Eastfield College in Mesquite effective June 8.

Mariah R. Brand May (B.S.C.J. '09) was married May 7 to Billy May in Commerce.

Josh Ragsdale (B.S. '02) is athletic director and head football coach at
W.H. Adamson High School in Dallas.

Brett Andrew Richardson (M.S. '05) is the assistant director of bands at Stephen F. Austin State University, and has recently been accepted into the Doctoral Wind Conducting Program in the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN.

Shey Stegall (B.S. '06, M.B.A. '08) has accepted a job with Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial as a financial advisor. His wife Regan Jesse Stegall (B.S. '10) is employed by the Defense Contract Audit Agency as an auditor. They live in Rockwall and have one son named Liam.

Robert A. Brown (B.S. '09) and Amanda Gorsuch (B.S.I.S. '11) were married on June 25, 2011 in Commerce and reside in Commerce.

2010s

Anthony Schrock, Jr. (B.S. '11) is a client yield manager for Health Management Systems in Irving.