1996 DeWayne Peevy has been promoted to deputy director of athletics at the University of Kentucky. He had previously served as the executive associate athletics director for external operations at UK. Latonya Wrenn served as a guest musician at the private service for President Obama, Vice President Biden and their families at Metropolitan AME Church in Washington, D.C., on Inauguration Day. She is a professor of music at Bowie State University in Bowie, Md., where she also directs the Bowie State Gospel Choir and teaches piano.
1997 Ryan Young of Bradenton, Fla., is a certified financial planner with SunTrust Investment Services. He was recently selected as one of three advisers to be featured on the SunTrust web page.
to the “Sweet 16” finalists for the Alabama Department of Education’s Teacher of the Year award.
communication and strategic initiatives at the Mississippi State University research and curriculum unit.
Allison Armstrong Campbell M.Ed. ’03, Ed.S. ’05 has accepted the position of principal of Montevallo Elementary School. She replaces Annie Valentine McClain ’82, who retired recently. Campbell has served Shelby County schools for 13 years, most recently as assistant principal at Calera Intermediate School.
2003 Class Reunion
Connie Jackson-Gaiter M.Ed. ’01 of Birmingham has been named Children’s Policy Council coordinator for Shelby County.
2003
1998 Matt Fridy has been named a member of the law firm of Wallace, Jordan, Ratliff & Brandt LLC. His practice includes civil trial and appellate litigation, constitutional law, and governmental law.
1999 Ginger Aaron M.Ed. ’02 was named Shelby County Elementary School Teacher of the Year for 2012. She has taught physical education at Valley Elementary School for 12 of her 13 years as an educator and earned National Board certificaton in 2007. Ginger recently was named
see page 26 for photo
2006 Justin Averette, publisher of The Demopolis Times, has been elected vice president of the Alabama Press Association Journalism Foundation. The foundation supports journalism education in Alabama through grants to high school and college newspapers as well as scholarships and internships to students. Griffin Hood of Helena has cowritten the screenplay for the film, Baytown Outlaws, that was shot in Slidell, La., and stars Billy Bob Thornton, Eva Longoria and Paul Wesley. Griffin characterizes the film, which is rated R, as belonging to the “Southern shoot ’em up genre.”
2007
After a decade in sports journalism and several national awards, Joshua Buckley of Houston has been named public relations coordinator at Moody Gardens, a tourist destination on the Texas Gulf Coast. He says, “I went from spending my time on football fields and basketball courts to hanging out with aquarium and rainforest animals like penguins, snakes and seals.” Josh also does some freelance sports writing and broadcasting and calls high school football games on a major radio station in Houston. Kristin Dechert of Starkville, Miss., recently was promoted to project manager for research,
Megan Gulland served as the visiting and demonstrating potter at the 2013 Orange Beach Festival of Art in Orange Beach, Ala. Megan is an adjunct professor at the University of South Alabama. Kimberly Harville-Rhodes of Hollywood, Calif., a 20-year veteran in the fields of social service and nonprofit, has been named network director of Family Promise of East San Fernando Valley. Family Promise is a national nonprofit organizaton committed to helping low-income families to achieve lasting independence. Brandt Montgomery has been ordained as only the third black priest in the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama. Ordained a deacon in 2012, Brandt now
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Top 40 Under 40 A trio of University of Montevallo alumni was recognized in the 2013 Top 40 Under 40 listing by the Birmingham Business Journal. These three joined a distinguished group of young executives and leaders who are likely to shape Birmingham and how it does business. Jim Cavale, ’05 is the chief operating officer of Iron Tribe Fitness, a health and fitness program based in Birmingham. He opened the company’s franchise prototype in 2011. Greg Embry, ’96, (above right) UM’s director of undergraduate admissions, led the initiative to increase Montevallo’s freshman enrollment by 10 percent between fall 2011 and fall 2012. He served as president of the Alabama Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers in 2008. John Paul Strong, ’02 (above left) has grown his automotive advertising business by more than 300 percent in six years. His company handles advertising for more than 80 automotive dealerships from the Northeast to the Southwest.
www.montevallo.edu/alumni