SERVING YOU ADVANCING ACU
DALLAS AREA Doug Fair • URM 214-208-9625, doug.fair@acu.edu Craig Rideout • AC 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 craig.rideout@acu.edu Ben Gonzalez • AC – Collin, Denton, Wise and Parker Counties 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 ben.gonzalez@acu.edu Kayla Stringer • AO 325-674-4972, kayla.stringer@acu.edu Don Garrett • AO 325-674-2213, don.garrett@acu.edu
FORT WORTH AREA Brent Barrow • URM 817-946-5917, brent.barrow@acu.edu David Dietrich • AC – Tarrant, Johnson and Hood Counties 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 david.dietrich@acu.edu Lance Rieder • AO 325-674-6080, lance.rieder@acu.edu
HOUSTON AREA Carri Hill • URM 713-582-2123 • carri.hill@acu.edu Lauryn Lewis • AC 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 lauryn.lewis@acu.edu Eric Fridge • AO 713-483-4004, eric.fridge@acu.edu
AUSTIN AREA Tunisia Singleton • URM – Austin / Central Texas 512-450-4329 • tunisia.singleton@acu.edu Robert McCall • AC – Austin, Central Texas 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 robert.mccall@acu.edu
SAN ANTONIO AREA LaDonna Wilson • URM – San Antonio, South Texas 210-410-9014 • ladonna.wilson@acu.edu John Mark Moudy • AC – San Antonio, South Texas 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 johnmark.moudy@acu.edu Josh Clem • AO – San Antonio, South Texas 210-573-2475, josh.clem@acu.edu
WEST TEXAS AREA Kat Burns, Associate Director of Admissions 325-674-2650 / 800-460-6228 kathryn.burns@acu.edu Mark Rogers • AO 325-674-2669, mark.rogers@acu.edu
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Winter 2012
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AC U TO D AY
Austin may be 220 miles from Abilene. But for Tunisia (Sekhon ’81) Singleton, university relations manager for ACU in Austin, both places feel like home. “We are an Abilene Christian family,” Singleton says. “My husband Scott (’80) and I met at ACU, and we began taking our children back to campus when they were young.” She speaks highly of “the effect ACU has had in my life and my children’s lives.” Her daughter, Rebekah, is a junior political science major, while her sons, Justin (’07) and Mason (’09) are graduates. During her time as director of admissions at a private Christian school, Singleton talked with families seeking the best college for their students – and helped her own children decide where to spend their college years. In 2007, she began serving on the university’s Alumni Advisory Board, sharing ideas with ACU’s admissions team for promoting the university in Austin. Since 2008, she has spent her days acting on those ideas, and reaching out to area alumni, prospective students, parents and friends. Each fall, when many students are making their college decisions, Singleton and admissions counselor Robert McCall (’08) visit area high schools, meet with guidance counselors and represent ACU at college fairs. roughout the year, Singleton plans and host events from networking lunches to dinners honoring area ministers. “I’m constantly looking for ways to help ACU students and graduates connect with potential employers,” Singleton adds. She maintains several Facebook and LinkedIn pages to keep Wildcat alumni and friends informed about Austin-area activities. Whether she’s greeting prospective students at a college fair, recruiting alumni to host Purple & White parties or bringing together Austin-area physicians and students who are considering a pre-med major, Singleton’s work is all about building relationships. “Being a ‘connector’ is a great way to describe what I do,” she says. “We connect alumni with one another for fellowship and networking at our ACU in Austin On the Move alumni and friends gatherings. We connect outstanding alumni who are successful in building their businesses with LINDSEY COTTON
Do you want to recommend a prospective student, volunteer, host an event or just learn more about how you can be involved with ACU where you live? To help foster relationships with alumni and future students, ACU has assigned personnel from its Advancement and Admissions offices to major markets in Texas. A university relations manager (URM) focuses on establishing relationships with churches and schools, an admissions counselor (AC) reaches out to future students and their parents, and an advancement officer (AO) assists prospective donors who can contribute funds to ACU. Through this territory team approach, these dedicated professionals can provide exceptional service to those who contribute so graciously to ACU’s mission and 21st-Century Vision.
Tunisia Singleton enjoys being Austin’s ‘connector’ for ACU
impressive students and graduates for internships and jobs.” And she is always glad to hear from alumni and other friends of the university who want to volunteer, host events or share their ideas. For up-to-date information on Abilene Christian events in Austin, visit facebook.com/ACUAustin. 䊱 – KATIE NOAH GIBSON
DALLAS AREA • Fifty future students and their parents attended a Purple and White Party hosted by Scott (’86) and Chantal (Henry ’88) Johnson in November 2011 at their home in Rowlett. • Basil (’85) and Rachel (84) McClure hosted a Purple and White Party in their Denison home in December 2011, along with co-hosts Don (’62) and trustee Kay (Coleman ’62) Skelton. More than 50 prospective students and parents attended from the DenisonSherman area, and as as a result of this event, many made their first visit to ACU during 2012 Sing Song. • Trustee Jim Orr (’86) hosted a lunch for coaches and athletics directors from McKinney ISD, which was attended by ACU athletics director Jared Mosley (’91) and broadcaster Grant Boone (’91). Several student-athletes from the three high schools in McKinney are committed to attending ACU in Fall 2012. • Greg (’98) and Alison (Whelan ’99) Pirtle, Audrey (Pope ’85) Stevens (president of the Alumni Association), and Cody Thompson (’98) helped host Spirit Night at the Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Allen. More than 100 Collin County students and parents attended, and met with admissions counselor Ben Gonzalez (’09). • Audrey (Pope ’85) and Dave (’80) Stevens, Richard and Cindy Beasley, and Mike (’86) and Kristal (Koehn ’87) Willoughby of McDermott Road Church of Christ in Plano have made multiple trips to campus with prospective students and their parents. Because of their efforts, a large group of high school students from their congregation has enrolled at ACU. Kristal also serves as an effective volunteer recruiter of future students at Legacy Christian Academy, where she works. • The ninth annual Rachel Blasingame Memorial Golf Tournament was scheduled May 14, 2012, at Buffalo Creek Golf Club in Rockwall, benefitting scholarships for ACU students. Guy (’79) and Julie (Grasham ’80) Blasingame’s daughter, Rachel, who died in a car accident in 2003, would have been an ACU student. The entire extended Blasingame family – 19 of the 25 have been students or graduates of Abilene Christian – are generous ambassadors for the university.
FORT WORTH AREA • ACU partnered with Park Row Church of Christ, Lance Parrish of Pleasant Ridge Church of Christ and 12 other congregations in June 2011 for Arlington Work Camp, where admissions counselor David Dietrich spoke to more than 260 local high school students about Abilene Christian.