Class of 1983
Howard “Boo” Chafin has recently retired from a 33-year teaching career. He and his wife, Rhonda, live in Bristol, Tenn. Pam Kestner has been appointed Secretary of Health and Human Resources by Gov. Terry McAuliffe for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She previously served as special advisor on families, children and poverty within the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Resources since April 2014. Prior to that she served as homeless outcomes coordinator, a position she was appointed to in July 2012. Her work has focused on early childhood, nutrition and poverty issues with a specific focus on addressing homelessness in Virginia. Prior to joining state government, Pam served as president and CEO of the Council of Community Services in Roanoke, Va., where she worked for more than 26 years. For more, go to alumni.ehc.edu. Becky Grinstead Pierce was featured in the March 12, 2016, issue of the Smyth
County News. She teaches sixth grade math at Chilhowie Middle School. In 2015 she was presented with the Southwest Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics Emmet F. Low, Jr. Excellence in Teaching Award on a regional level and this year she has been honored by the Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics with the William C. Lowry Mathematics Educator of the Year Award for Middle School Level. Karen Broyles Swiney was promoted to director of auxiliary and business services at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP). She is responsible for the oversight of the bookstore, post office, food services, ID card services, asset and surplus management, ZipCar, central receiving and vending. Prior to this assignment, she served as the bookstore director at UNCP for 21 years. Mary Katherine “Kit” Tate is working as a chaplain at the Children’s Hospital of King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Va.
Class of 1985
Jim Cox has published his second novel, The Altar Call. He is writing under the name J. Butler Cox. The book is available at Amazon. Karen Moore works at Highlands Ski and Outdoor Center in Abingdon, Va.
Class of 1986
David McGlothlin was named by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History as the 2015 Massachusetts History Teacher of the Year. This placed him among finalists for the National History Teacher of the Year, and an archive of books will be placed in his school’s library in his name.
Class of 1987
Steve Cross has been working for the last three years as an imaging sales specialist for Guerbet LLC, a French company dedicated solely to diagnostic imaging. Covering Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, West Tennessee and South Alabama, he has
Handy known for compassionate care
Dr. Mark Handy (’86) won the 2015 Carl and Ruth Looney Humanitarian Award from the E&H Alumni Association for his commitment to treating patients with care and individual concern. He finished at Emory & Henry with a bachelor of science degree in biology and graduated from East Carolina School of Medicine and the ETSU Family Residency Program. He is a family medicine practitioner and CEO of William M. Handy, MD, PC in Abingdon, Va., with countless board memberships that oversee hospice and emergency medical care. He is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Virginia. He also is well known for his work as a musician – playing the banjo and clogging competitively. He was in a Zach Galifianakis video that covered a Kanye West song. But all accolades aside, he is beloved for his bedside manner. His southern charm is present in every interaction, and older patients feel particularly special as he calls them “Honey” and “Sweetie.” He makes sure they’ve had a good breakfast and he double checks to make sure they have adequate help at home. He’s been known to make house calls, is tireless when it comes to checking on patients, and shares his own joy for life with every person he meets and treats. If you ask Mark what led him to be in medicine you understand why he approaches his job with a huge smile and plenty of heart: “I chose medicine to help provide compassionate and loving care to those who are in need.” ■
30 / FALL 2016-WINTER 2017 / EMORY & HENRY MAGAZINE