Flagler College Magazine - Winter 2019

WINTER 2019

Fifty Alumni of Distinction

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Fifty Objects That Shaped Our History

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Flagler's First Influencers

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Bonus: An Illustrated Timeline

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THIS ISSUE: D E PA RT M E N T S 16

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT Flagler's Archivist Remembers the Early Years

24 THE BREEZEWAY

A Photo Essay: Flagler Through the Years

Fifty.

1968 has been called a “year that changed everything.” It certainly changed the lives of those students who were the first to attend a small college founded in the nation’s oldest city. Since then, more than 18,000 alumni have received Flagler diplomas. Throughout its 50 years, the college has seen a lot of change, but one thing that has remained constant is the spirit of the students who chose to attend Flagler. These trailblazers embody the ideals of Henry Flagler through their entrepreneurial ideas, their vision for a better world and their desire to make their own history. Join us as we honor Flagler College’s 50th anniversary.

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INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Louise Foster's Generous Gift

32 ALUMNI NOTES 37 ALUMNI EVENTS

F E AT U R E S 2

FIFTY ALUMNI OF DISTINCTION Meet 50 Alumni Making a Difference Around the Globe

18 50 OBJECTS THAT SHAPED OUR HISTORY

Artifacts Gathered from Flagler's Fifty Years

» BONUS CENTER SPREAD An Illustrated Timeline of Flagler's First Fifty

20 FIRST CLASS STORIES

The Class of '72 Looks Back 22 THE INFLUENCERS

Meet Flagler's Original Leading Minds 28 THE KENAN CHARITABLE TRUST

A Tradition of Generosity

PRESIDENT'S LETTER FLAGLER COLLEGE MAGAZINE DR. JOSEPH G. JOYNER President DONNA DELORENZO Executive Director of College Relations BRIAN THOMPSON, ‘95 Director of News and Information and Magazine Editor LETICIA MARTIN Creative Director WE ARE CHARETTE Graphic Design TONYA CREAMER Assistant Editor CONTRIBUTORS Kerri Carlyon, ‘02 Jenn Gulgren, '18 Tom Iacuzio, '06 Jake Martin Lauren Piskothy, ‘19 Kara Pound, ‘06 Jordan Puyear, ‘17 Scott Smith, ‘04 Bobbie Stewart Margo Thomas, ‘06 Zach Thomas, ‘00 FLAGLER COLLEGE MAGAZINE is published for alumni and friends of the college by the Flagler College Office of News and Information, P.O. Box 1027 St. Augustine, Florida 32085-1027 (904) 819-6249 bthompson@flagler.edu

"An anniversary is a time to recognize how far we’ve come, take stock of where we are and even look to the future of where we are going. We’re doing that last part now as we complete a strategic plan designed to lead Flagler forward into the next 50 years."

This year we are celebrating an important milestone for Flagler College: 50 years as a thriving college committed to our students, our community and the many rich historical resources on our campus.

We often talk about our accomplishments, our beautiful campus, our rankings and other highlights that signify the success of the college, but this anniversary is really a celebration of people.

The story of Flagler College is truly about the hard work, dedication, vision and ingenuity of so many who worked diligently – faculty and staff, early students, alumni and everyone who supported us along the way.

We often talk of the “Flagler Family,” and in the time I have been president of the college, I’ve come to understand that this is more than a tagline. Rather, it truly represents what makes this institution such a special place – a feeling of community and camaraderie. A shared purpose.

This anniversary edition of Flagler College Magazine focuses heavily on the role people have played in our success. We spotlight 50 Alumni of Distinction for making a difference in the world and proudly representing their alma mater. We speak with alumni who were part of that pioneering first class at Flagler, and talk with faculty and staff who took a chance on this fledgling school because they saw an opportunity to do something special.

We highlight our influencers who helped found and lead the college from its early struggles to where we are today.

An anniversary is a time to recognize how far we’ve come, take stock of where we are and even look to the future of where we are going. We’re doing that last part now as we complete a strategic plan designed to lead Flagler forward into the next 50 years. You will hear more about that soon.

For now, join us in celebrating this historic 50-year milestone, and thank you for making Flagler College a truly remarkable success story.

Joseph Joyner Joseph G. Joyner President www.flagler.edu/magazine

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5 0 A LU M N I O F D I S T I NC T I O N Flagler Alumni who are making a difference in Florida, across the U.S. and beyond

PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHN TINSETH, CLASS OF '84 2

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lagler College is 50! To celebrate this milestone, we are thrilled to tell the story of Flagler’s progress through the accomplishments of its alumni. I am so excited to share with you the “50 Alumni of Distinction” for this milestone.

The selection process started in early 2017 with an online nomination form that received hundreds of submissions. In late 2017 nominees were vetted by the Alumni Board of Directors, and a final selection was made by a committee of alumni, faculty, retired faculty, administrators and students in the spring of 2018. Selecting these 50 graduates was one of the toughest jobs I’ve had as Director of Alumni Relations because every one of our 18,000 alumni have a unique and important story to tell. Ultimately, we chose alumni based on how distinct their paths have been since graduation, telling a bigger story of the impact Flagler has on our communities across the country, and the world.

Some featured are young, their stories still unfolding in surprising ways. Others are established industry or community leaders. These stories are as different as the people in them, and they help illustrate a larger point: people who graduate from Flagler College are prepared to chase their dreams. Whether that dream is to work at Google, teach deaf children or start a business, Flagler alumni make it happen.

I hope you enjoy reading about our “50 Alumni of Distinction,” and join me in feeling an immense sense of pride in being a Flagler College graduate.

To view the full stories of featured alumni visit www.flagler.edu/magazine

M A RG O T H O M A S , '0 6 D I R EC TO R O F A LU M N I R E L AT I O N S

P.S. We are always eager to hear your stories!

Contact my office to share yours today at alumni@flagler.edu.

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Sherri Anthony Not only is Sherri Anthony the dean of Students for Landrum Middle School, and the head coach of the women’s varsity basketball team at Nease High School in St. Johns County, Fla. As a coach, she has won state championships, and in 2018 was named the state and southeast region coach of the year for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association. She was also a finalist for National Coach of the Year.

Chris Barnwell The first Flagler baseball player to make the Major Leagues, Chris Barnwell was drafted in 2001 and made his debut with the Milwaukee Brewers when they played the Detroit Tigers in June 2006. Since retiring from professional baseball in 2009, Barnwell is now a senior vice president of Business Development with Lumina Analytics.

www.flagler.edu/magazine

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Lorna Bracewell A political theorist and published assistant professor at the University of Nebraska Kearney, Lorna Bracewell focuses on feminist theory and history of political thought. In 2017, Bracewell won the Okin-Young Award for Feminist Political Theory, which recognizes the best paper on feminist political theory.

Brad Brewer After playing golf around the world, Brad Brewer returned to Orlando to partner with Arnold Palmer and open the Arnold Palmer Academy at Bay Hill Club. After 16 years with Palmer’s organization, Brewer opened the Brad Brewer Golf Academy at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Fla., and has operated this business for the past 14 years.

JON BRUNSON Making a difference by protecting children in Bermuda | By Bobbie Stewart

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n the span of seven years, Jon Brunson, '84, has played a pivotal role in changing the social norms for protecting children on the island of Bermuda. The Bermudian Flagler alumnus has been an integral contributor to the formation of the nation’s Saving Children and Revealing Secrets (SCARS) organization, which aims to reduce the risk of child sexual abuse through education and advocacy.

Brunson and the SCARS team, with the help of U.S.-based partner organization Darkness to Light, have trained over 14 percent of Bermuda’s adult population — more than 7,500 adults – on awareness and prevention of child sexual abuse.

“This is not a job, it’s a responsibility,” Brunson said. “As a father of two, it’s a charge I take very seriously.”

The idea for the advocacy organization developed in 2011 during a time when Brunson was looking for something new. He had devoted more than two decades to banking and business in Bermuda, as well as

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Brad Brown It was Flagler professor Joyce Libby who encouraged Brad Brown to add an accounting major to his business major. This advice would start Brown on a career path in investment banking at Price Waterhouse and then Bank of America.

In 2013, Brown was named the corporate treasurer of Ally Financial Inc., where he is currently responsible for capital, liquidity and interest rate risk management.

time to philanthropic causes targeted at supporting disadvantaged youth.

He went on sabbatical in 2009 to work for Habitat for Humanity in Africa and Central America, and came back home wanting to make a difference there.

He bumped into a lifelong friend and learned something that would forever change him: that she and her daughters had been sexually abused as children. “She expressed to me her frustration with a system that didn’t work to address the issue,” he said.

In years past, he had served as an elected member of Bermuda’s Parliament, listening to the concerns of the people he represented — and yet the abuse of a friend and numerous others remained a dark secret.

“I told my friend, ‘It’s no longer appropriate to just talk about this issue, but we need to engage and act,’” he said. “We went to my office and strategized on how to breathe life into an organization that would give voice to the voiceless.”

For his dedication to the protection of children, Brunson received the “Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honour” award in 2017. He was also appointed to the coveted position of Justice of the Peace by the Governor of Bermuda in 2003.

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MARGARET FENWICK Helping the business world transform policy into action on sustainability | By Bobbie Stewart

Hunter Camp Rev. Dr. Hunter Camp II is the pastor and head of staff at Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church in downtown St. Augustine, adjacent to campus. After a departure and return to faith, Camp credits Flagler professors Dr. Mattie Hart and Dr. Robin King with helping him find his path.

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Beverly (Copeland) Carmichael A graduate of Flagler’s first class in 1972, Dr. Beverly Carmichael blazed a trail for future graduates.

She received her master's and Ph.D. from The George Washington University, and devoted her life to non-profit development, eventually becoming Assistant Chancellor for University Advancement at the University of WisconsinGreen Bay. Carmichael celebrated her retirement in 2018 after serving for 5 years as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Flagler College.

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Jonathan Growick Since graduating from Regent University School of Law in 2011, Jonathan Growick has devoted his career to providing legal services to children in the state of Florida.

After three years as the managing attorney for the Seventh Judicial Circuit for Children’s Legal Services for the State of Florida, Growick is now the statewide counsel for Quality Assurance for Children’s Legal Services.

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argaret Fenwick is on a mission to create solutions. That drive was the catalyst behind attaining a master’s degree from Harvard University’s Sustainability and Environmental Management program, fueled her ambition at the United Nations and at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015, and inspired her to join the business world in transforming policy into action.

“The environment, the outdoors, the wellbeing of others and social justice are important for me, so I set out to explore how I could build a career around this,” she said.

The Flagler alumna is currently the manager of Corporate Sustainability Engagement at BASF, the largest chemical producer in the world.

Chemistry, she said, “is a part of our lives, 24/7 — it is the building block of the sustainable solutions we need to house, feed and drive the world.”

She said BASF has taken this immutable fact and is making products to be the best they can be, for people and the world.

It is this spirit, of taking concrete steps toward definable goals, that inspired her to leave what was formerly her “dream job.” At the intergovernmental organization, she worked with the Environment and Climate team helping to manage the Caring for Climate Initiative, the UN’s business leadership platform.

In her role, she was exposed to the potential of the business world and decided to take what she saw as the next logical step.

“I wanted to move beyond promoting collaboration to actually working with partners to create innovative, sustainable solutions,” she said. “I wanted to be more handson.” Last year, after waiting for the right “responsible corporate citizen to come along,” she joined BASF.

www.flagler.edu/magazine

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Rick Hankey Currently the executive vice president for LifeStream Behavioral Center, Rick Hankey has devoted his career to behavioral health. His work includes behavioral health care, residential and housing programs for homeless and mentally ill individuals, and a myriad of other programs to stabilize individuals experiencing behavioral health issues.

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Rebecca (Wilson) Jackson After earning her master’s in deaf education from Gallaudet University and a Ph.D. in special education from Columbia University, Dr. Rebecca Jackson has gone from classroom to the Minnesota Department of Education. She is a special education workforce specialist and leads innovation efforts to support workforce needs in areas of special education.

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Heidi Jordan The assistant principal of the Deaf Elementary School at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, Dr. Heidi Jordan started her career as a classroom teacher. “My mom was a Kindergarten teacher and my dad is deaf. I always said I wanted to combine them and become a Kindergarten teacher of deaf kids.

That dream came true for me.”

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Scott Lagasse, Jr. A successful racecar driver, Scott Lagasse Jr. has grown Team Scott Lagasse Racing as a business. Racing is his talent and passion, but as a colon cancer survivor, he also gives back through SCREEN YOUR MACHINE™, an initiative to encourage people to get screened for cancer. Lagasse is also an advocate for bicycle and pedestrian safety.

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Robert Hardwick As the chief of police for St. Augustine Beach, public administration grad Robert Hardwick has a decorated career of serving his country and community. As an Army veteran, Hardwick was deployed in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also previously worked as an investigator with the Office of the State Attorney Seventh Judicial Circuit.

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Diane Evia-Lanevi As the creator of The Tomorrow Fund for Hispanic Students, Diane Evia-Lanevi’s nonprofit has awarded more than $1.3 million in scholarships to Latino students in North Carolina since 2009. In addition to her non-profit work in North Carolina, she recently volunteered with asylum-seeking women and children in an immigration detention center in Texas.

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Eileen Hutton American artist Dr. Eileen Hutton developed the MFA and MA in Art and Ecology at Burren College of Art in association with National University of Ireland, Galway. Her work focuses on ecoart and environmental arts, and she has been featured in exhibitions in America, Ireland, Italy and Finland.

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John Krieger As director of campaigns and advocacy for the ACLU of Colorado, John Krieger works to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of all Coloradans. Most recently, he helped produce a documentary about solitary confinement that ultimately led to the state legislature passing a bill banning long-term solitary confinement on prisoners with serious mental illness.

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Ingemar Lanevi Originally from Sweden, Ingemar Lanevi credits Flagler College with helping him find his knack for finance, eventually becoming a Hewlett-Packard treasury analyst after receiving his MBA from Purdue.

Currently he is the vice president of Finance and Capital Markets for LeaseAccelerator, and has enjoyed a career working around the world in finance for tech companies.

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L AU R A N E A L Top of her game at PGA Tour | By Tom Iacuzio, '06

Stuart Lee After completing his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge, Stuart Lee started his career in cyber security. As a chief privacy officer, he works with Fortune 500 companies to design, build and implement global privacy programs.

While a Ph.D. student, Lee was a visiting lecturer at University of Wolverhampton, teaching courses on the “Barbarization of Warfare” and “Understanding Terrorism.”

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PJ Mistry Residing in The Netherlands, PJ Mistry is working for the world’s largest food brand, Knorr, as a brand manager. Mistry recently helped move Breyers ice cream to sustainably-sourced vanilla and free of artificial growth hormones. “When a large company chooses to do the right thing, it can be the driver of the solution.”

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Michelle Mattingly After receiving her master’s degree from Embry-Riddle, Michelle Mattingly embarked on a career as a human factors and ergonomics engineer at the Boeing Company. In that role, Mattingly designed hardware and software for air vehicle systems for the Navy and Air Force. Most recently, she transitioned into an operations program management role with Boeing Corporate at the Boeing Leadership Center.

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aura Neal first picked up the sport of golf as a high school '98 student. Decades later, and now the senior vice president of communications for the PGA Tour, she has yet to put it down.

“My sister and I were on the golf team together and that lured both of my parents to take up the game,” Neal remembers. “We were never very good at it, but it was an incredible family bond that we developed and, looking back, that’s a perfect illustration of why I love the game. It brings all generations, all skill levels together.”

Neal came to Flagler College in 1994 at a time when there was no women’s golf team, though she jokes she wouldn’t have made the team anyway. But it was the sport management program and the now retired Dr. Bernadette Twardy that she credits with her success in the field. day for The Players Championship in “Through that program, I found my 2008, a new employee working with senior-year internship at the LPGA, in PGATOUR.COM was telling me that the Communications Department,” she was planning to start a Twitter acsaid Neal, who graduated in 1998 after count for the tournament. I had to have studying sport management and comher explain to me what Twitter was.” munications/public relations. “I can Neal seems to be handling all these honestly say that I would not be where changes pretty well. She was named a I am today without that curriculum “Top Woman in PR” by PR News in and her encouragement.”

November of 2017.

After graduating, Neal became the “Honestly, it’s a ref lection on the director of public relations at the LPGA, PGA Tour as a whole and on my team, a position she held for nine years before specifically,” said Neal. jumping to the PGA Tour in 2007. And But between her career and her while the game hasn’t changed much two-year-old daughter, Neal says the since she began her career, the way it’s one thing she hasn’t time for, ironipromoted certainly has. cally, is golf. “I haven’t played much “It’s a whole new world now, comsince coming to the PGA Tour, which pared to when I graduated college or surprises a lot of people,” said Neal. even when I started working at the “And since having my daughter, that’s PGA Tour in 2007,” she explained. “I another excuse.” often tell the story about how at media

www.flagler.edu/magazine

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Zach McKenna Conservationist, boat captain,

Patrick Perkins After law school, Patrick Perkins started his marketing career with Microsoft, eventually moving to Amazon where his team helped market the launch of the Kindle.

Currently, Perkins is back at Microsoft as director of marketing in the company’s education division, promoting products like Windows, Surface, Xbox and Office.

Lisa Wallenda Picard From a start as an eleventh generation circus performer, Lisa Wallenda Picard has gone on to become a “Washington insider.” After graduating from Flagler, Picard went to Washington D.C. as a lobbyist for Ringling Bros., but eventually became the chief of staff at the USDA. Currently, she is the senior vice president of Policy, Trade and Regulatory Affairs with the National Turkey Federation.

small business owner, marine mammal researcher — these all describe Zach McKenna’s work as owner of St. Augustine Eco Tours. Life and work for McKenna are inextricable, and dinner is often interrupted by a call to help a dolphin, manatee or sea turtle in distress. McKenna also partners with Flagler’s Coastal Environmental Science students and faculty on local research initiatives.

Distinguished Alumni on Flagler’s Board of Trustees Eight members of Flagler College’s Board of Trustees boast of Flagler diplomas, and continue to serve their alma mater in helping to fulfill the college’s mission and future development.

Viki West Freeman, Class of 1974 Freeman was elected to the Board in 2011. She was enrolled at the college before the reorganization of the institution in 1971, and graduated as a member of the college’s third graduating class. She has spent the last 30 years in community service and fundraising activities in the Atlanta area.

Horace “Bo” Gray, Class of 1988 Gray was elected to the Board in 1999 and is the grandson of Lawrence Lewis Jr., who was one of the founders of Flagler College. He is the owner of Gray Homes, a construction company in Richmond, Virginia.

Richard W. Groux, Jr., Class of 1979 Groux was elected to the Board in 2009. He earned his J.D. degree from George Mason University School of Law, and is a partner in Dominion Construction Group LLC, a firm involved in the planning and constructing of commercial and church-related projects in Maryland and Virginia. He and his wife are also co-owners of Hart Song Farm, a 400-acre organic farm in Iowa.

Nancy E. Rutland, Class of 1980 Rutland was elected to the Board in 2010. She earned her J.D. degree at Stetson University College of Law, and is in private practice in St. Petersburg, Fla. 8

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Robert J. Strang, Class of 1979 Strang was elected to the Board in 2011. He is CEO of Investigative Management Group, one of the world’s leading corporate investigative and security specialists, serving major financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies, large law firms and high net-worth individuals and families.

The Honorable Charles J. Tinlin, Class of 1979 Tinlin was elected to the Board in 2015. He earned his J.D. degree from the California Western School of Law, and was elected as a judge in the Seventh Judicial Circuit in St. Augustine in 1990, where he hears criminal and civil cases.

Mitch Walk, Class of 1979 Walk was elected to the Board in 2011. He is co-founder and president of Retirement Wealth Specialists, a Registered Investment Advisory Firm.

He also served on the Flagler College Alumni Board for 26 years, including 12 years as president.

Brian L. Wilson, Class of 1982 Wilson was elected to the Board in 2005. He is the owner of Jack Wilson Family of Dealerships in St. Augustine, and earned his master’s degree in management from Clemson University.

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PENNY FIELDS Committed to diplomacy and developing relationships around the world | By Bobbie Stewart

Marisa Puthoff The goal set by Marisa Puthoff was ambitious: become a vice president at her public relations agency by her 30th birthday. Puthoff reached that goal, and is now executive vice president and regional client strategist with Edelman South. Puthoff has led communications strategy, corporate identity and branding, crisis communication and media strategy efforts at Fortune 500s and start-ups alike.

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James Scheideman Lieutenant Colonel James Scheideman is a graduate of NATO jet pilot training and a decorated Air Force pilot. Scheideman flew over 420 combat hours in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, and most recently returned from tour in the Middle East as the commander, Dhahran Detachment, for the United States Military Training Mission in Saudi Arabia.

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Captain Donald Simmons, III Upon graduation from Flagler, Captain Donald Simmons III began his career in the Navy in 1989 as a Naval Flight Officer. Since then, he has served in various roles, and is currently at Naval Air Systems Command as the executive director for Logistics and Industrial Operations.

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enny Fields was studying French in the African nation '87 Zaire — now the Democratic Republic of Congo — when she picked up a book that would transform the trajectory of her life.

Philip Gourevitch’s book, “We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families,” detailed survivors’ stories of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

“It was heart-wrenching,” she said. “There were so many issues of culpability — of living next to people that would be slaughtered. We knew of it, but didn’t do anything.”

The book did more than tug at her heartstrings. It triggered a visceral reaction for justice.

“I wanted to work on the Rwandan war crimes tribunals,” she said, “to hold people accountable for the crimes they committed.”

She served as the country’s senior repreSoon after, she enrolled in law sentative for all operations and strategic school at the University of Washington, engagement. At the end of her term, she and her desire for justice became even directed the development of the Peace more evident when she fell in love with Corps program in Myanmar.

Contract Law, a tough course that most Now, the Flagler alumna is back in law students loathed. After law school, Cambodia, not with the Peace Corps she worked as an attorney for a top law (employment is limited to five-year terms), firm in Seattle, where she successfully but with the U.S. Department of State represented abused children seeking as the American Citizen Services Chief asylum and worked with state and local for the U.S. Embassy. There, she helps organizations on child protection and Americans traveling or working in the women’s advocacy issues. country by providing emergency assis“It was the basis of everything I tance, passports and citizenship guidance believed in,” she said. “When someone and local resources for various needs. In breaks a promise, how do you hold them August of 2019, her next tour with the responsible? I’m a passionate believer in State Department will take her and her the rule of law.” family — wife Allison and sons Soren But she yearned to return overseas, and Micah — to Bern, Switzerland. where in the past she represented the “I believe in the power of diploAmerican ideals of justice and equality macy and developing relationships with in places like Gabon, Niger, Banglapeople from around the world,” she desh and Poland for the Peace Corps. said. “I’m committed to representing In 2015, her wish came true. She was our country, the people of America and hired as the Country Director for the the rule of law.” organization’s Cambodia operations. www.flagler.edu/magazine 9

Mignonne Pollard

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From small town beginnings, Pollard continues to build bridges for the disadvantaged | Bobbie Stewart From the very beginning, growing up in west St. Augustine, Mignonne Pollard wanted more. “My motivation from day one was to travel the world,” she said. “I had dreams of the things I’d do and the places I’d see.” That insatiable desire has carried her across the world from to Spain, South Korea and Zimbabwe, seen her work in the U.S. Office of the President during the Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush years, and now with the California Department of Education where she is an education programs consultant. There she interprets policy and provides federal grant monitoring for after-school programs that link disadvantaged students with resources to help them grow and thrive. Prior to that, she taught people how to best support LGBT youth in foster care, worked with education leaders at Brown University to address discrimination and reviewed legislation for the Americans with Disabilities Act. Pollard is an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow in Public Policy from the University of Minnesota, and also completed the doctoral program in administration, planning and social policy at Harvard University.

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Gareth Paul Cox As the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ filmmaker, Cox has worked for HBO and won an Emmy | Tom Iacuzio, ‘06 Gareth Paul Cox, ’07, has had a chance to dabble in a bit of it all as a freelance filmmaker. He’s shot documentaries, worked on commercials for Honda and Subway, television for MTV and HBO and had a feature film premiering this fall at the Los Angeles Film Festival. Cox says it’s that “Swiss Army knife”-style that keeps him busy. “I’ve basically been traveling and shooting non-stop,” said Cox, who recently wrapped up shooting the second season of MTV’s “Siesta Key.” Alongside NFL Films, he has worked on their “Hard Knocks” series for HBO, following the Rams on their transition from St. Louis to their new home in Los Angeles. His team would go on to a win an Emmy for outstanding camera work. When asked if he preferred working in television, film or commercials, Cox said that he believes it’s the fact that he works across all of them that makes him the filmmaker he is.

Joshua Ariza A career out of creating graphic design trends, not following them Kara Pound, '06 Color, humor and authenticity. These are the three words that Joshua Ariza uses to describe his work. “Sure, school stopped. But you don’t ever stop learning,” explained Ariza, an award-winning, multidisciplinary designer who has worked with some of the most iconic brands in the world including Facebook, Nike, Disney and Taco Bell. “You need to keep making, keep doing and keep putting things out in the world that you want to see.” Upon graduation, former Professor Randy Taylor helped Ariza secure a job at Billabong and off he went to California to become an apparel designer. Four years later, Ariza worked at Nike for another four years in apparel design, and then headed out on his own to try his hand at professional freelancing. Over the past few tears, Ariza has started his own surf and skate apparel brand called CHOMP. He’s the co-founder of Connecting Things, a monthly speaker series that promotes ideas, collaborations and creative knowledge, and is also a devoted husband and father. Learn more at joshuaariza.com

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Linda Stoughton As the director of Emergency Management for St. Johns County, Fla., public administration alumna Linda Stoughton is tasked with response and recovery for disasters impacting her community — including hurricanes. Stoughton successfully led St. Johns County’s response to Hurricanes Matthew and Irma.

Jessica Talbert For Jessica Talbert, an internship her junior year with Flagler graduate Michael Barnes helped establish her career path. Talbert, now the Director of Federal Advocacy for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, has a law degree from George Mason University, and says integrity and ethics is central to her work in politics, "It is better to speak up and do the right thing."

MICHAEL BARNES Putting skills learned at Flagler to work in public policy and corporate responsibility | By Jake Martin

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ichael C. Barnes, '96, says the things he’s doing today he learned to love at Flagler College. And he’s doing a lot.

A managing partner at DCBA Law & Policy in Washington, D.C, Barnes provides strategic counsel on matters related to public policy, corporate responsibility and regulatory compliance, particularly in the areas of health care and drug safety.

“We work on some of the biggest issues in the United States right now,” Barnes said. “I think these are issues that are at the tops of the minds of Americans and policymakers at state and federal levels.”

He has become a leading advocate for individual rights and innovative responses to issues such as the opioid crisis, health care reform, criminal justice reform and privacy.

Barnes can often be found at speaking engagements around the country, tackling some of the

Greg Teisan After a 32-year career in the Army, Greg Teisan is currently a colonel in the Medical Service Corp of the National Guard. Teisan has been a medical training mentor for the Afghan National Army and was recognized for leadership in humanitarian missions to provide medical care to local villages in the Kabul area. Teisan also has worked successfully with Merck & Company in sales.

toughest topics in policymaking. If you can’t catch him at your nearest convention center you can try your television. Barnes regularly provides legal and political analysis for FOX Business, as well as other networks.

"I love the challenge of communicating in a way that makes sense and is clear and accessible on topics that can otherwise be pretty complex,” he said.

He’s found a “comfortable place” on FOX Business, which he says is more focused on economics and policy rather than pure politics.

Barnes, who obtained his J.D. degree from George Mason University School of Law, was also a political appointee under President George W. Bush, having served as confidential counsel in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

He is also chairman of the Center for U.S. Policy, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing health, safety and opportunity for Americans. “Law is something that I think enables me to employ my greater knowledge and skills to really do what I want to do, which is more on the policy side,” Barnes said. www.flagler.edu/magazine

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A passion for tennis atop one of the world’s most famous clubs | By Tom Iacuzio, ‘06 Amy (Waers) Thompson Currently Head

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Shopper and Partner Activation for Google Play, Amy Thompson got her start in retail through SIFE (now Enactus) at Flagler. Through SIFE, Thompson was offered an opportunity with Walmart Headquarters, where she spent 7 years as a buyer. Now at Google, Thompson has helped bring the Google Play gift card business into 32 countries in 800,000+ locations.

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hings have been busy for Mar t in Guntr ip lately.

On top of being a recent inductee into the Flagler College Athletic Hall of Fame and selection as an Alumni of Distinction, he’s also overseen the recent 150th anniversary of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where he’s worked since 2005.

If that name doesn’t sound familiar, you might know it as the home of Wimbledon.

Guntrip, who graduated from Flagler in 1981, now serves as the club’s director, a position he says he jumped at.

“I’ve been a member of this club for 30 years and when the opportunity to work here around a sport that I have a passion in arose, I took it and haven’t looked back,” he said. “My job really is to look after the club as a members club 50 weeks out of the year, and then for two weeks make sure we can run the championships in terms of the facilities, the catering, the courts, the buildings and the players.”

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mark since its inception in 1868, Guntrip says the club walks a fine line between keeping true to the traditions of Wimbledon’s rich history while also forging a path to the future of tennis.

“I think Wimbledon is seen sometimes as a little middle-aged, blazer and tie,” said Guntrip. “But we’re working more now towards bringing in a younger generation.”

Guntrip notes that many of the distinctions of Wimbledon remain the same: matches are still played on grass, players still compete in white clothing, the court is still clean of any overt sponsorship banners.

“A photograph of the action is instantly recognizable as Wimbledon,” he said. “However, we embrace change, technology and have developed and improved our facilities immensely. We recognize the need to innovate and invest both short and long-term.”

FLAGLER COLLEGE Magazine

Bill Walter In 1983, Bill Walter started working at the St. Augustine Center for Living (SACL), a facility that provides both residential and day services to adults with developmental disabilities.

Walter held many positions there — houseparent, weekend supervisor, qualified intellectual disabilities professional and administrator – prior to purchasing SACL with his wife and Flagler alumna, Karen Higdon Walter, in 2008.

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Abby Wendle A producer for NPR’s Invisibilia, Abby Wendle focuses on long-form radio features that weave storytelling and social science research.

Wendle has a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Columbia University, and has previously worked as a farm reporter for Harvest Public Media and produced radio for This Land Press.

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Jennifer White Despite an accomplished career as a lawyer, Jennifer White had a vision to bring a new event space to downtown St. Augustine. After renovations to her family’s property at 1 King St., The White Room was born. White gave up practicing law to operate The White Room, and has built it into a premier Northeast Florida wedding and event venue.

Carl Williams As an author of three books

Jenny Zorn As provost and vice president

in the field of deaf education, Dr. Carl Williams has devoted his professional life to deaf education. Williams has received a Schultz Grant, as well as been named the Student Government Association Faculty Member of the Year twice since 1988, when he started his current position as a Deaf Education professor at Flagler College.

for Academic Affairs at California State University, Bakersfield, Dr. Jenny Zorn is responsible for a $62 million budget, 11,000 students, and over 50 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. As a Flagler student, Zorn was on both the volleyball and basketball teams, earning her a place in Flagler’s Inaugural Class of the Athletics Hall of Fame.

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V I V H E LW I G An entrepreneurial spirit with family at its heart | By Kara Pound, '06

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s a young kid, Viv Helwig watched his mother exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit as a single mom, raising two boys and working three jobs.

“She’s a really hard worker, and has always inspired me,” Helwig explains. “When I was in high school, she got her real estate license and then opened her own brokerage firm. I saw firsthand the benefits of owning your own business and working for yourself.”

Born in Jamaica, Helwig moved to the U.S. at the age of seven and grew up in Palm Bay, Florida. Today, the 2008 Business Administration graduate of Flagler is the president of Vested Metals International, a specialty metals raw material distribution company he founded in 2014.

The company, which is headquartered in St. Augustine, focuses on sourcing hard-to-find alloys, grades and sizes for niche applications and markets such as aerospace, medical, automotive and

power generation. As the president and business development manager, Helwig’s work takes him on the road and to the sky quite often.

“My wife’s been the greatest support,” Helwig said of splitting his time between family man and businessman. “We have three kids; ages four, three and eight months.

My wife has always been unfailing in her support of the family and the challenges that come with me being an entrepreneur.”

Starting a metal distribution company was not necessarily what Helwig envisioned for his future.

After graduating high school, he came to Flagler College for the school’s sport management program. It wasn’t long before he changed his major to business administration and started following in his mom’s footsteps.

“Being involved in the Society for Advancement of Management for four years and spending my junior and senior year as the president of the organization – we won a couple of national competitions – was a big part of my college career,” Helwig said of the organization that develops and promotes new management ideas across a variety of disciplines. www.flagler.edu/magazine

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MARK ZAPPONE Focused on giving back and helping others | By Jordan Puyear, '17

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ollowing a long line of Flagler College graduates in the family, Mark Zappone, '93, enrolled at Flagler College partly because of the college’s proximity to the ocean and intracoastal. Wanting to advance his critical thinking skills, Zappone found himself pursuing a degree in psychology, philosophy and religion. “(Flagler) definitely had an inf luence in helping me choose my vocation in life,” Zappone said. “The College instilled a true love for learning in me, and, as a result, I went on beyond Flagler to obtain a number of graduate degrees to hone my skills as a human service professional.”

After his time at Flagler, Zappone worked at several human service agencies including homeless shelters, hospitals and international peace/environmental camps. He even served as an adjunct faculty member for Flagler over a number

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of semesters.

Zappone’s charitable interests led him to his work with the Dean Randazzo Cancer Foundation, a non-prof it organization in New Jersey providing financial assistance for those who have been diagnosed with cancer.

Not only does the foundation assist individuals in need, but also donates funds to local cancer centers and national organizations such as the American Cancer Society. The funds are used for better diagnostic equipment, preventive measures and more in-depth research for efficacious treatment. As the volunteer president, he oversees fundraising, board meetings, officer and trustee hiring, and the overall management of the foundation.

Zappone is a board-certified psychiatric professional by trade and is currently finishing his dissertation for his Ph.D.

Valeta Cameron Using law to lift up others and improve communities | Jordan Puyear, ‘17 Like many high school juniors, Valeta Cameron, ‘06, didn’t know where she wanted to go to college, but she did know she wanted to study law. After talking with a representative from Flagler College who explained the pre-law program and shared information on the success of past graduates, Cameron knew Flagler was the right place for her. After graduating from Flagler, Cameron earned her J.D. degree from Florida A&M University College of Law. Upon passing the Bar, she volunteered at Brevard County Legal Aid Inc., a non-profit organization that provides free or low-cost legal representation for those who cannot afford it. There she served as a pro bono attorney for three years advocating for victims of domestic violence. In 2016, she became a professional staff attorney handling domestic violence, dependency and family law matters. Not only does Cameron work in the public interest, but she also volunteers at various non-profit organizations. “As a community supporter, I devote time, resources and efforts to organizations that share (my) same vision and purpose of improving conditions in the community,” Cameron said.

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Sara Pedigo Creative challenges from the canvas to the classroom | Tonya Creamer Sara Pedigo’s paintings and drawings record the seemingly insignificant moments of everyday life. She finds a large part of her inspiration from within, through her own “revelation of life’s fragility,” and expressed in her body of work through the ways in which light interacts in our world. Her unique and nostalgic works have landed her in exhibitions throughout the United States from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery to the Cummer Museum in Jacksonville. She’s currently exhibiting her work at four different galleries, and on top of that busy creative schedule, she is department chair and associate professor of fine arts at Flagler. “Teaching has its own set of creative challenges and I find inspiration from my colleagues and student enthusiasm,” she said. She credits Flagler faculty for helping to guide her on that journey, and now finds herself in the same position as she provides the same guidance to her students.

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Antonio Puente A parent’s health issue leads to a life focused on helping others | Jake Martin Dr. Antonio N. Puente, ‘07, thinks a lot about the way we think. He is a clinical neuropsychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences in Washington, D.C. “It was a slow and evolving process that really started with my love of psychology,” Puente said of his career path. “I love the study of human behavior and what makes us do what we do. I think that’s something that Flagler College really instilled in me.” Puente’s primary interest is in helping people. His mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when he was 11 years old. “That has also shaped my life in understanding how we function, and it’s an illustration of how the brain can affect behavior in a very personal way,” he said. Puente conducts neuropsychological evaluations of patients with psychiatric and neurological disorders — such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury and ADHD. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Flagler, Puente received his doctoral degree from the University of Georgia. He then completed his postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Jean Rahner

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A love for the stage that carries on today | Tonya Creamer Jean Rahner is one of Flagler’s oldest alum. Her time at Flagler began with a Spanish class in the summer of 1968. She raised two kids while working in many capacities on campus: as a bookkeeper in the Business Services Office, at what was then the “front desk” of the college, and finally in the Library.

She was finally convinced to take on a full-time class schedule, and in 1974, she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts. Until recently, she gave back by teaching and directing in the same department from which she graduated, and she has also taught speech and communications classes. Rahner went on to star in the official state play of Florida – “Cross and Sword” – while managing the Monson Dinner Theatre. In 1993, she co-founded Limelight Theatre, Inc. to replace the dinner theatre. When she retired as artistic director from Limelight Theatre in 2005, she immediately jumped into another project and founded A Classic Theatre, the second semi-professional theatre company in St. Augustine.

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F A C U LT Y S P O T L I G H T

REMEMBERING THE E A R LY Y E A R S Faculty and staff look back on the college’s beginning, and its strong sense of family TONYA CREAMER | PHOTOS FROM FLAGLER COLLEGE ARCHIVES

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ne of Robert Carberry’s earliest memories of Flagler College is a campus in “shambles.” The unaccredited, upstart college was in an attractive setting, with its terracotta tiles, ornate murals and the Spanish Renaissance architecture of the former Hotel Ponce de Leon.

But the Ponce was also in need of major maintenance and restoration work, and the college that had only been open for two years was still unaccredited and suffering as much from termites as a need for new students.

Carberry, who had been invited to interview as dean in 1970, also saw something else on his visit that would ultimately convince him to take the position: family.

Memories were made together. Kids of faculty and staff were being raised alongside one another. Not only were the employees working together during the day, but socializing together on the weekends and after work.

“If these people are here, then it must be worth staying,” Carberry told himself after meeting early faculty like Robert Hall, Phyllis Gibbs, and Tom and Jean Rahner, who like many others, became pivotal in the success of the college. “It clicked,” he said.

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ABOVE A student speaks with a faculty member in the Dining Hall of Ponce Hall.

BELOW Faculty meet in the Solarium of Ponce Hall.

OPPOSITE PAGE Flagler students during an early graduation ceremony, which took place across the street at Memorial Presbyterian Church.

uted to a sense of camaraderie and connection that existed between faculty, staff and even students from the very founding of the institution.

Many, like now-retired Theatre Department Chair Phyllis Gibbs, spent their entire careers at the college.

“The Flagler of old ... its faculty, administration and students all contributed to what is now a rich heritage and foundation on which rests the college of today,” said Gibbs, who spent 45 years at Flagler.

The college was founded during rocky times. Theater professor Tom Rahner called it “the worst of times.” The year 1968 was a tumultuous one marked by war, race riots and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. The f ledgling college in St. Augustine, Florida, had its own hurdles to climb. But what others might have seen as insurmountable, Rahner and his colleagues saw as an opportunity.

Many describe the decision to come to Flagler in those formative years as something ak in to a calling: a mission to make something great out of nothing. Dr. Tom Graham, Professor Emeritus of History, also described it as naiveté.

“A big element was ignorance” he said, noting many people didn’t even think to ask about the college’s accreditation status before signing on.

For him, the alternative to working at Flagler was to acquire a teaching position in the junior state college system. “But here, you knew you were getting in on the ground floor of something,” he said, adding that he wanted to be a part of that.

Current Chancellor and former President Dr. William L. Proctor, who joined

of April Fool’s hijinks, where faculty switched classes to confuse students, bring to life the stories of a lighthearted and playful campus that made the hardships easier to bear.

Graham remembered the excitement for new classroom space when Kenan Hall was f inally opened. Rahner remembers cans used for lighting in the theater. Don Martin, retired professor of Fine Arts, recalled primitive facilities. He said that because of everyone’s perception of shared struggles, a spirit of ingenuity emerged to make things work.

“Each year things got a little better,” he said.

It also gave faculty the chance to work closely with students, fostering the college’s reputation for a personalized education focused on students.

“We lived in the dorms, spent so much time with the students and we were very much a family ... eating together and participating in all events together,” said Gibbs.

“The art studios were quite makeshift,” remembered sculptor and professor Enzo Torcoletti. “But the small number of students was a big deal to me, because it allowed for one-on-one teaching. So I was challenged and took the bait.”

Graham admits that he was never “the warm and fuzzy type,” but he and other faculty took to heart a belief that personalized student attention, combined with showing a genuine interest, yielded a better student experience.

And student experience was always the heart of Flagler’s mission. Carberry echoed that sentiment, reflecting on the general enthusiasm for launching a new college: “We were gonna’ sink or swim based on our own efforts.”

Many describe the decision to come to

Flagler in those formative years as something akin to a calling: a mission to make something great out of nothing. the college in 1971 during its reorganization, had a similar sentiment: “Why did I do it? In my career I’ve learned you only take something at the bottom because there’s nowhere to go but up,” he said.

Carberry stressed that there were definitely growing pains, whether it was the bumpy times that led up to the reorganization of the college in 1971 or the more basic need for adequate classrooms.

“We all felt we were in the same boat and determined to make a success of the institution,” said Rahner. His stories

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Amazing Mace Carried at all formal academic functions. The original was made by retired Professor Tom Rahner from a fireplace poker and a doorknob. The College’s current mace, also designed by Rahner, was made by a master woodcarver. Rahner presented the new mace to the College to commemorate Flagler’s 25th Anniversary.

Amazingly, the original still exists, but it has unceremoniously been retired.

OBJ ECT S T H AT SH A PED OU R H ISTORY

To commemorate Flagler College’s 50th Anniversary, we selected the 50 people, places and things that are an important part of the college’s unique history. Here are a few highlights from the collection. See the complete list at https://50.flagler.edu

Hotel Ponce de Leon Gargoyle

Gargoyles line the courtyard of the former Hotel Ponce de Leon and inspired the name of Flagler’s student newspaper. The Gargoyle is our online-only college newspaper that has won more than 112 awards including Society of Professional Journalists National Mark of Excellence awards. The newspaper serves as a living-classroom for journalism students. Visit gargoyle.flagler.edu

On Track

In the fall of each year, a railroad spike is handed to every incomThe spike is the symbol of Henry Flagler’s legacy as the founder of the Florida the student’s college education as the first spike in their own life's legacy. It Your Legacy which is designed to ensure all first-year students begin

ing freshman at the college’s Convocation Ceremony.

East Coast Railway. The spike is meant to represent is part of a larger Flagler College program called Building with a solid foundation for their college career.

Chain of Command

A bronze medallion on a chain is passed from leader to leader of Flagler College, and is a tradition at most institutions of higher education. Dr. William L. Proctor presented the Chain of Office to Dr. William T. Abare, Jr. who presented the ceremonial chain to the college’s fourth President, Dr. Joseph G. Joyner.

Dig It This is not just a shovel, it’s a key to finding our roots locked deep beneath our city. Flagler College’s anthropology and ar-

chaeology programs are literally digging their ancient surroundings. St. Augustine is a natural laboratory for historical archaeology because it’s the oldest continually occupied city in the country. Students can’t turn over a shovel of soil without encountering some form of archaeological resource. Flagler College is also home to the Florida Public Archaeology Network’s (FPAN) Northeast Florida Regional Center. FPAN protects our cultural resources and involves students and the public in the study of our rich history.

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Footseps to History

These bronze footsteps meAugustine. In September 2013, Flagler College unveiled the Civil ing the St. Augustine civil rights movement and including Young’s

morialize Ambassador Andrew Young’s historic civil rights visit to St. Rights Library of St. Augustine – a multimedia archive documentdonated interviews from his documentary, “Crossing St. Augustine.”

Fan Club

In 1902, William Carrier, a junior engineer for a furnace company, invented the air conditioner. Nearly 100 years later, air conditioning was installed in Flagler College’s Ponce Hall. The biggest fans of this cool, new system were the hundreds of students who had depended on the simple, little room fan for comfort.

Toadally Awesome

The iconic frog fountain at the entrance to Ponce Hall is more than 125 years old and the frogs still haven’t croaked. These immortal frogs are part of what makes the Flagler College campus unique and unforgettable. The College is filled with awesome and intricate architectural detail from the gilded age. It is a special place to live, study and visit. Today, the former Hotel Ponce de Leon is a National Historic Landmark.

Sweet Racquet

The Flagler men’s tennis program has claimed 2 national titles and the women’s program has won 5 national titles. In 2009, Flagler joined NCAA Division II Peach Belt Conference. This has continued the College’s long tradition of athletic excellence and takes Flagler’s many sports programs to the next level. NCAA membership is the pinnacle for collegiate athletic programs.

Radio with a Reason

The reason is education, inWFCF 88.5 FM, is just one of the many examples of living classrooms ing equipment. More than 800 students and volunteers have partici-

formation and entertainment. Launched in 1993, Flagler College Radio, offering students on the job experience using state-of-the-art digital recordpated in station operations, which reach nearly 50,000 listeners weekly.

Breakfast of Champions

It isn’t every day that that you get your picture on a box of cereal, but Flagler’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team did it. Landing on boxes of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies and Eggo Waffles after winning the SIFE National Championship in 2004. They also landed in Barcelona, Spain, representing the U.S. in the SIFE World Cup and finishing second in the world. What’s even more remarkable is what they had to do to get there. Competing against over 800 colleges, including institutions like Carnegie Mellon, Boston College and the University of Florida in a grueling series of presentations judged by the top business executives in the country. They have since won two additional national titles and 20 regional competitions. SIFE, today called Enactus, joins another award-winning Flagler student organization, SAM (Society for the Advancement of Management) which has won an unprecedented 10 national championships, which no other university or college has achieved.

Home Run

Henry Flagler had Albert design the first baseball stadium in St. Augustine as well as entertainment for hotel guests. Over tradition of Flagler baseball under the lights at Complex which opened in 2009.

G. Spaulding of sporting goods manufacturing fame in 1890 for workers building the Hotel Ponce de Leon, 100 years later, the Flagler College Saints carry on the Drysdale Field which is part of the Flagler Field Sports

Past Perfect

In 2006, Ponce Hall was designated a National Historic Landmark, joining a select group of buildings and historic places around the country having federal landmark status. A landmark in the nation’s oldest city, the Ponce houses the largest assemblage of Tiffany stained glass still in its original location. It is the first large multi-story building in the United States constructed of concrete, and is one of the first hotels to have electric power. Distinguished guests included: Will Rodgers, Gary Cooper, Mark Twain, and U.S. Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland and Warren G. Harding.

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FIRST CLASS STORIES Flagler’s charter class looks back on 50 years KARA P OUND, ‘06 | PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALUMNI

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hen Dr. Beverly Copeland Carmichael came to St. Augustine in 1968, she was a small town girl from Athens, Ala., looking to expand her horizon. As one of the original members of the graduating class of Flagler College, Carmichael said her biggest draw to the school was its proximity to the surf and the sand.

“I asked if there was a beach nearby,” Carmichael remembers of meeting Dr. Ed Carlson while she was visiting her sister at Mount Ida College. “He said, ‘Yes, St. Augustine is on a beach.’

I said, ‘That’s where I want to go.’”

Carlson was a founder and vice president of Flagler, and Carmichael one of the very first students to step foot on the grounds of the former Hotel Ponce de Leon – graduating with the charter class of 35 students in 1972. Flagler was founded in 1968 as a women’s college, but would go co-educational in 1972.

“I was one of 12 girls asked to come to the school early to help set up the first Student Government Association,” said Carmichael, who recently retired as Flagler’s vice president for Institutional Advancement. “Our first official vote was that we should become co-ed. We started as an all-girls school and it 20

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didn’t take us long to figure out that there wasn’t a lot going on in St. Augustine.”

Sally Cowin Glei shared a similar story. She came to Flagler on a riding scholarship and was roommates with Carmichael.

Glei also chose St. Augustine for the warm weather and nostalgia of visiting her grandparents in Florida as a young child.

Unfortunately, Glei found out that there wasn’t an equestrian program when she arrived and had to send her thoroughbred horse back home to New Jersey.

“It was exciting to be in such a small school,” Glei said of Flagler’s early days. “I came from a small town and small high school, so I liked the fact that you got to know everybody. Everybody knew everybody. We spent so much time together. It was close-knit.”

The women’s accommodations, spacious former hotel rooms filled with antiques, were a welcome home away from home.

And because the school was entirely female at the time, Glei

“I came from a small town and small high school, so I liked the fact that you got to know everybody. Everybody knew everybody. We spent so much time together.

It was close-knit.” - Sally Cowin Glei, '72 and her peers looked to other colleges and universities for dating opportunities. In fact, she’s been married to her husband of 46 years whom she met as a student at Flagler (he attended school in South Florida).

“We visited St. Augustine last winter and toured the school,” Glei said. “It’s grown quite a bit, but the rotunda and dining area all looked familiar. I’m proud to see the school is doing so well. You go through life and take different paths. I couldn’t be happier that I went to Flagler, met my husband and had three beautiful children.”

Kathryn Trillas, another member of the 1972 graduating class at Flagler, was born in New York City and grew up in Texas. She came to the Oldest City to study art and takes pleasure in remembering her unique college experience.

“I knew during the first year that it was not a proper college you might say,” she said of Flagler’s fledgling years. “All of the girl’s rooms were on the second floor of the main building and everybody was open and welcoming. If there’s a party, come. We even had Lynyrd Skynyrd come down from Jacksonville and play a few of our parties.”

Aside from the social life, the women took academic life seriously, too. Trillas says that the students and teachers became a tight-knit group, oftentimes eating lunch together.

“While I’m now retired, I owe Flagler for my professional success,” said Cathy Forson Rhoten, a St. Augustine native and another of the first students at the school. “I went on to get my master’s in deaf education and a second master’s in educational administration. I worked with deaf children for more than 40

IMAGES Early images of students at Flagler College from Sally Cowin Glei, class of 1972, and the Flagler College Archives.

years. I know that the school now offers a master’s component in deaf education and that makes me very proud.”

Rhoten said that some of her favorite Flagler memories include the school going co-ed, meeting Dr. Proctor and Dr. Abare, and their work saving the school and going to Ketterlinus Gymnasium on Orange Street to play on the basketball team.

“Another thing that always makes me smile is that when someone would have a date, that date would enter the main building downstairs and a call was placed upstairs to where we all lived,” she remembered. “The dates could look upstairs and see many girls hanging over the railings to check him out.” www.flagler.edu/magazine 21

Influencers THE

The 50-year history of Flagler College is one filled with many key influencers who were pivotal in its founding, development and continued growth.

William R. Kenan Jr.

Lawrence Lewis Jr.

Dr. William L. Proctor

William R. Kenan Jr. was Henry Flagler’s brotherin-law and a long-time business associate. Following Flagler’s death in 1913, he assumed major leadership roles in Flagler enterprises. He was a strong believer in the value of education and left a substantial part of his estate for the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust. Much of the development of Flagler College may be attributed to the generosity of the Kenan Charitable Trust, including funding for the renovation of the college’s first academic building, Kenan Hall, in the 1980s, to grants for endowed scholarships and program funds.

Lawrence Lewis Jr. spent his childhood years in St. Augustine where his mother, Louise Wise Lewis, inherited Henry Flagler’s home, Kirkside, after the death of her sister and Flagler’s widow, Mary Lily.

Lewis went on to become president of the Flagler System. The company’s primary property in St. Augustine was the Hotel Ponce de Leon, and Lewis set in place the plan for the historic hotel to become a college under the leadership of educators led by Dr. F. Roy Carlson. In 1970, Lewis stepped in to save the institution, establishing a new Board of Trustees that he chaired, and announcing that the Flagler System would forgive the $1 million mortgage on the Ponce. He would serve as board chair for 20 years.

President (1971-2001), Chancellor

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Dr. William L. Proctor had been Dean of Men and Assistant to the Vice President for Student Affairs at what is today University of Central Florida when he was picked as the second president of Flagler College, tasked with overseeing the re-organization of the college in 1971. Under his leadership, Flagler would become co-educational, achieve accreditation in 1973, grow enrollment from 161 students to 2,000 students, invest more than $20 million in restoration efforts, build an endowment approaching $30 million and expand the footprint of the campus.

Molly Lewis Wiley Molly Lewis Wiley was sister of Lawrence Lewis Jr. and a partner in his philanthropic initiatives as a co-trustee of the Flagler Foundation, which was dedicated to preserving St. Augustine’s Spanish heritage. Wiley, both as an individual donor and as a trustee of the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust, supported the college’s many restoration efforts, the Proctor Library, and more recently, the Cedar Street Residence Hall, the Ringhaver Student Center and the Molly Wiley Art Building.

Dr. F. Roy Carlson President (1968-1970)

Dr. F. Roy Carlson, president of Mount Ida Junior College, led a group of educators who purchased the Hotel Ponce de Leon for what would become Flagler College, a private, non-denominational, liberal arts college for women. Flagler opened in 1968, and Carlson was the first president of the college.

Dr. William T. Abare Jr. President (2001-2017), President Emeritus

Dr. William T. Abare Jr. began his career at Flagler as Director of Admissions in 1971, and throughout his long career at the college served in almost every facet of college administration before assuming the presidency in 2001. As president, Flagler continued to grow, adding major additions to campus like the Ringhaver Student Center and former Florida East Coast Railway buildings, expanding academic programs, increasing its endowment to almost $50 million, moving to NCAA for athletics and launching its first master’s program.

Dr. Joseph G. Joyner President (2017-present)

Dr. Joseph G. Joyner was selected as Flagler College’s fourth president by the Board of Trustees in 2016 and will lead the college into a new era. Joyner had previously served as a Flagler College Trustee and Superintendent of Schools for the St. Johns County School District in St. Augustine. There he oversaw a budget of $633 million and a district that was recognized as the highest achieving of Florida’s 67 school districts.

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T H E B R E E Z E W AY

FL AG LER THROUGH

“These are some of my favorite images, representing student life in Flagler's early years.”

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T HE YE ARS

PHOTOS FROM FLAGER COLLEGE ARCHIVES

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he 50th anniversary of Flagler College has meant big things for the college’s archives and its archivist Jolene Dubray. It moved to a larger space in the Proctor Library with a reading room, research area and space for classes, and began seeing an increase in donations as a result. So in honor of the college’s 50th, we asked Dubray about the most intriguing items and photos she has come across, especially as she moved into her new space.

ABOVE Flagler College Archivist Jolene Dubray picked out some of her favorite photos of Flagler College throughout the years, representing different time periods, but always focused on the people. “It’s not the images or objects themselves ... it’s the college life they represent – the early years at Flagler,” she said.

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LEFT Flagler College Archivist Jolene Dubray said one of her favorite photos from the Archives is young Henry Flagler in his top hat. "He looks so dapper and I think we often forget he was young once,” she said.

RIGHT Other images Dubray picked as favorites from the early years of the college.

A Storied 50 Years for Flagler Athletics Flagler College’s athletics teams started play in the early 1970s, but it didn’t take long for the fledgling program to begin to make a name for itself. Women’s basketball debuted ahead of Title IX, and in 1970 only lost one game on its way to a state championship. They followed suit in 1971, and won three more state titles between 1975-77.

Volleyball debuted in 1971 and in 1972 took a state title of their own. Slow-pitch softball dominated from the start winning six consecutive state titles beginning in 1972, and the 1975 team had an undefeated regular season before taking two-of-three in the state final series against Florida State University.

In 1977, Flagler’s athletic programs became members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Flagler went on to win five NAIA national titles in women’s tennis (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991). The men’s tennis program claimed the NAIA national title in 1977 and 1986.

The men’s basketball teams competed in the NAIA national tournament three times (2003, 2004 and 2005). The Saints were ranked in the NAIA Top 25 at least once every year from 19952006, except for 1999. The women’s basketball team appeared in two NAIA national tournaments (1999 and 2000).

In 2006, Flagler made the move to NCAA Div. II and later joined the Peach Belt Conference. Since then, teams have continued to excel, whether it was the women’s golf team becoming 26

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the first program in the NCAA Div. II-era to be ranked number one in the country in 2015 or volleyball winning the 2011 Southeast Regional and advancing all the way to the national quarterfinals.

For Flagler baseball, 19 players have been drafted into the Major Leagues, and in 2006 Chris Barnwell became the first player to play in the majors with the Milwaukee Brewers.

ABOVE The 1977 Flagler College Men's Tennis NAIA National

Championship team.

After 50 Years, Flagler Has An Alma Mater It was written by Assistant Professor of English Craig Woelfel and Assistant Professor of Musical Theatre and Voice Kip Taisey. Their inspiration came from the poem Associate Professor of English Liz Robbins wrote in celebration of President Joseph G. Joyner’s inauguration in the spring of 2018. Watch a video of the Flagler College Choir performing the alma mater at: www.Flagler.edu/Magazine

H E R E W E STA N D, T O GE T H E R Here we stand, together,

And love our bridge between.

Where sands meet with the sea.

Our legacy is building

And pasts meet with the future

The Flagler family.

In old St. Augustine.

Here we stand, together,

Here we stand together,

Where Henry Flagler stood,

To make this promise true:

To hail our alma mater,

To strive, to seek, to serve,

To seek the common good.

To build, and to renew.

We hail our alma mater,

Hope is our track forward.

And seek the common good. www.flagler.edu/magazine

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A T R A DI T ION OF GEN EROSI T Y The Kenan name has become synonymous with Flagler College, gracing some of the most recognized buildings on campus and stretching back to the very earliest years of the college.

BY BRIAN THOMP SON, '95 | PHOTOS FROM FLAGLER COLLEGE ARCHIVES

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ore than any other single individual or organization, the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust has been a key partner throughout the college’s 50-year history, giving nearly $20 million to Flagler.

“The long-time support of the Kenan family and the Kenan Charitable Trust has been instrumental in the development of the college, from our beautiful campus to the strength of our academic programs,” said Flagler President Joseph G. Joyner. “We owe them a debt of gratitude for being instrumental in keeping the college open in the early years, stabilizing the institution as it grew and

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continuing to provide substantial opportunities for our students, faculty and staff.”

Major projects have been possible thanks to Kenan Trust support: funding for the renovation of the college’s first academic building, Kenan Hall, in the 1980s; a multi-million dollar gift in the 1990s for the Proctor Library; the renovation of the Molly Wiley Art Studio; and the Kenan Challenge grant for endowed scholarships and program funds.

But it hasn’t just been support for campus improvements and buildings.

This past year, four Flagler College professors were selected as recipients

of the college’s Kenan Distinguished Professorships — endowed positions that recognize excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. Those professors are Dr. Michael Butler, Patrick Moser, Dr. Allison Roberts and Dr. John Young.

The professorships were funded through a $1 million endowment. The Trust has also established numerous student scholarships including the Lewis-Wiley Scholarships, the William R. Kenan, Jr. Scholarship in Honor of Mary Lily Flagler Wiley, and the Dr. William C. Friday Scholarship.

A Legacy of Giving

William R. Kenan Jr. was brother of Mary Lily Kenan, who married Henry Flagler, a co-founder of Standard Oil Trust, railroad magnate and namesake of Flagler College. By the end of 1917, both Henry and Mary Lily had passed away, leaving Kenan and his two surviving sisters as heirs to one of the nation’s largest fortunes.

When Kenan and his advisers began preparing his will decades later, he reportedly told his longtime secretary, “I feel this money has been given to me as a trust. I have got to preserve it and make sure it does something worthwhile.”

He put about $95 million of his $161 million estate into es-

“I feel this money has been given to me as a trust. I have got to preserve it and make sure it does something worthwhile.”

-William R. Kenan Jr. tablishing a trust for educational purposes, and after his death, the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust started its formal grant-making program. After distributing more than 800 grants worth nearly $500 million, the Trust has a market value today in excess of $650 million.

The Trust has focused efforts on initiatives improving literacy and college preparedness, community-building and economic vitality, and inspiring a sense of collective purpose and shared humanity.

In recent years, the Trust has focused more on project-based grants dealing with causes like eradicating poverty and homelessness, enhancing creativity and innovation, strengthening early childhood through college education and improving access to healthcare.

The Importance of Education

One of the Trust’s earliest initiatives was the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professorships, first established at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The fully-endowed professorships recognize and reward accomplished scholar-teachers who exemplify a commitment to teaching and undergraduate student learning.

From an initial focus on excellence in teaching at the university level, the Trust has expanded its scope to the entire educational pipeline, making significant investments to enhance the quality of primary through professional school programs, including early childhood literacy, innovations in K-12 pedagogy, and strengthening collaborations between business and private enterprise.

The work of the Trust has been shaped by the vision of Kenan family members who continue to serve as Trustees. Thomas S. Kenan III has combined his years of business experience with

ABOVE Portrait of William R. Kenan Jr. BELOW Flagler President Joseph G. Joyner with Thomas S. Kenan III. TOP LEFT William R. Kenan Jr. seated behind desk.

a love for philanthropy, the arts and historic preservation. He has worked closely on a number of historic preservation projects throughout North Carolina and Florida.

Mary Lily Flagler Wiley, who went by Molly, served as Trustee for the Kenan Trust from 1996 until her death in 2010.

Reared in St. Augustine, she was instrumental in focusing investments on historic preservation and education, as well as helped guide the transformation of the Hotel Ponce de Leon into Flagler College. www.flagler.edu/magazine 29

I N S T I T U T I O N A L A D VA N C E M E N T

FOSTER CONTINUES STRONG COMMITMENT TO FLAGLER Establishes new scholarship to benefit students with financial need KARA P OUND, '06

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ouise Foster has been visiting St. Augustine since she was 16 years old. It was a time when only remnants of Henry Flagler’s Gilded Age remained, and she looks back at those days with humor and a sense of bewilderment.

“My great-grandmother had a suite at the Ponce de Leon Hotel,” she said. “She and Uncle William were the last people that they kept the hotel open for. I would come down during my spring vacation and stay with them. There were only five of us in the dining room. It was comical and a bit ridiculous.”

Fast-forward more than 60 years and Foster is still connected to the former luxury hotel, but today it is in support of Flagler College.

The daughter of Lawrence Lewis Jr., one of the college’s founders, and Janice Patton Lewis, Foster has aided in the contribution of upwards of $15 million to Flagler. She is a Trustee Emerita – having served on the Board of Trustees from 19801999 and 2004-2010 – and recently donated a major gift of $100,000 in the form of the Foster Family Endowed Scholarship.

“It’s a broad, open scholarship for students demonstrating financial need with a 3.5 minimum GPA,” Foster explained. “I have three family members that have graduated from Flagler, and with my involvement with the school, I thought that it was very appropriate for us to have a family scholarship.”

A resident of High Point, N.C., for the past 40 years, Foster has six children. Two of her sons, Horace “Bo” Gray and Charles “Chuck” B. Foster, graduated from Flagler College, as well as her daughter-in-law, Carol Gordon Gray. Foster’s husband, John Foster, worked for 3M Corporation as a sales rep and then later owned a furniture business. He passed in 2014.

“As the daughter of Lawrence Lewis Jr., who made it possible for the school to stay open in the early turbulent times, Foster has a great knowledge of the college and how it was run,” said Dr. Beverly Copeland Carmichael, Flagler’s recently-retired vice president for Institutional Advancement, and a ’72 graduate. “She has been supportive of the college since it first opened.”

After Lewis’ passing in 1995, Foster took over for her father as the president of the Flagler Foundation and served as the president of the board of directors of the Flagler College Endowment Fund.

“I was the only woman on the board until he died,” Foster said. “The fact that I was a woman and on the board was a big deal at the time. I would come down there about three times a 30 Winter 2019 FLAGLER COLLEGE Magazine

year and I always loved visiting St. Augustine.”

A longtime volunteer and philanthropist, Foster’s long-term support and commitment as one of the top three donors of Flagler College is ingrained in her as much as is being a mother.

A registered nurse, she helped found Hospice of the Piedmont, the only community-based hospice in the Charlottesville, N.C., region, and currently works with indigent children in the public school system – tutoring them in reading and writing.

She says she still enjoys watching Flagler’s success, even if it is from afar.

“The most impressive thing for me is to see how much it’s grown,” she said. “The school means so much to so many people, as it does to me and my family.”

JOHN BAILEY IN MEMORIUM Flagler says goodbye to one of its earliest and longest-serving Trustees

F

lagler College lost two of its earliest supporters this year with the passing of John D. Bailey Sr. in August, and his wife, Peggy, in November. John Bailey had been an instrumental member of the college’s Board of Trustees, and was involved with Flagler since its founding.

He served on the board beginning with the reorganization in 1971 through his retirement in 2010 when he was named Trustee Emeritus for the college.

Bailey also served as chairman of the Board from 1988 to 1992.

Both he and his wife were tremendous supporters of the college, and impacted the lives of former, current and future Flagler students by establishing the John D. and Peggy Bailey Endowed Scholarship. In 2005, they funded the

Bailey Lounge in the Ringhaver Student Center, an area used daily by students.

A graduate of the University of Georgia, Mr. Bailey was the founding executive of The Bailey Group Insurance and Financial Services. He also served as Mayor of St. Augustine from 1965 to 1967 and as a member of the St. Augustine City Commission from 1963-1967. He is the recipient of both Flagler College’s Flagler Medallion and the Champion of Higher Independent Education in Florida Award, presented by the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida.

Peggy also attended the University of Georgia, where she met John. They were married in 1948 and celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in June 2018.

ALUMNI Weekend C ELEB R ATI NG F L AGL ER COL L EGE’ S

5 0 T H A N N I V E R S A RY

Events include:

• Alumni Art Show • • Luncheon celebrating Flagler’s Charter Classes • • Markland Reception • • Hugh Shaw Memorial Longboard Classic • • Breakfast with President Joyner • • Special Saturday Evening Event •

www.flagler.edu/alumni

FUND FUTURES Annual giving is the foundation of a fundraising program for any college or university, and our annual fund, named the Flagler Fund, is our highest priority.

Give the Gift of Education Gifts to the Flagler Fund support current operations and impact every aspect of a student’s life at Flagler. Your gift to the Flagler Fund sustains all aspects of college life and helps to create an exceptional experience for students, faculty and staff.

Have you made your gift to the Flagler Fund?

Visit Flagler.Edu/Giving

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Nick De Bonis’s fourth book, “The Bridge Between-Race, Rage and Reconciliation in 1960s Iowa,” was published in June 2018. It is a true story about high school students in a Midwestern town during the height of the Civil Rights movement and how 100 years of school segregation unraveled around them, affecting their educational experiences and adult lives. The book is available on Amazon.com.

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was recently selected to serve on the Florida Municipal Communicators Association founding board of directors. FMCA is a professional network of individuals providing communication leadership and support in Florida’s cities, towns and villages. It offers communication professionals opportunities to learn, share and develop innovative solutions to the municipalities they serve.

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Ethan, 15, and Alex, 13. They have owned Florida Wine & Spirits, a beverage brokerage company, for 20 years doing business in multiple states with both domestic and international brands. Additionally, Ellen is a social media and brand influencer through her blog “Family around the Table.” She also owns Yumgoggle, a social sharing site.

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Tony and Sue (Modzelewski), ‘83, Harroun’s, daughter, Katie, married Chris Doyle in Lake Tahoe, Calif., on July 21, 2018.

Andrew McRae enjoyed Alumni Weekend 2018 as always, especially the dedication of the new Alumni House. Many members of the “Good Old Days at Flagler” Facebook page attended and posed for a photo on the Rotunda stairs.

Robin (Aronson) Rothman’s daughter, Erika Rothman, ‘17, graduated and moved to Perth, Western Australia. Erika is working in marketing for a large engineering company and is enjoying life there. Erika and her boyfriend came back to the United States to visit and went on a family cruise on Harmony of the Seas and had a blast. Robin encourages any alumni in the Tampa area to attend the local alumni events. There is an active alumni group that meets regularly.

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Guy Smith left a position as executive vice president in the corporate world to pursue his passion as an artist. His webpage is thesmithfactor.com.

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Mollie Malloy changed careers a year ago to focus more on social causes. She now works at K9s for Warriors, a non-profit in Ponte Vedra, Fla., that is the nation’s leading provider of service dogs for American veterans struggling with PTSD. Mollie is ecstatic to use her English and philosophy degrees from Flagler as she serves as the organization’s grant writer and looks forward to many years of life-saving work.

Tammy (Singer) Fox lives in Orlando, Fla., with her husband and three kids, and is a virtual school teacher.

Joan Noeldechen married John McGee and is a published writer.

Her most recent works include “Icons,” “The Barren Woods,” “The Apache Dancer,” “Cinders & Brooms” and “The Loon.”

Paul Williamson, the City of St. Augustine’s Public Affairs Director,

Deanna (Kerrigan) Mitchell was part of a 14-person kidney donation chain in April 2018 and is now training for the Marine Corps Marathon, which will be her 12th full marathon. She also adopted rescue dog, Stella. Stella is part Labrador and part cocker spaniel.

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Bob Bruno and his girlfriend, Lisa, recently purchased a vacation home in St. Augustine and have been enjoying getting it fixed up. They look forward to spending more time near his alma mater.

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Amy (Stockwell) Downey and her husband, Kevin, and son, Tyler, moved to northern California outside of San Francisco. Amy is a senior vice president, group manager in compliance for Bank of the West, a BNP Paribas company.

The family is enjoying hiking and exploring their new city.

Tyler and Molly (Senderling) Harding celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in April 2018.

Tyler is an attorney in Boca Raton, Fla. and Molly is a fifth grade science teacher. They have five children.

C L A S S O F 1980

Linda (Hall) Mignon can still be seen acting at Limelight Theatre after a 30-year career teaching drama.

Her newest venture is as a stylist for Carlisle-Etcetera LLC, a high-end clothing company based in New York City. She also offers her time as a member of the Flagler College Women of Vision fundraising committee, on the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital committee and as a Limelight Theatre board member. Linda has two sons and three grandsons. She is very proud to be one of the early “pioneer alumni” of Flagler College.

Christian, will be a freshman in high school.

Ellen (Miller) Folkman and husband, Carl, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in April 2018. They currently live in the Tampa area with their two boys,

FLAGLER COLLEGE Magazine

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Brian Johnston was hired as the onsite fitness coach for employee wellness at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite Hospital.

Laura (Vizdos) Tomas earned her master’s degree in mathematics education from the University of Florida in August 2017. Laura and husband, Pedro, ‘10, celebrated their 22nd anniversary in July 2018.

August 2018 marked the start of Laura’s 27th year teaching in Palm Beach County in Florida. Their son,

Lisa Wallenda Picard was recently promoted to senior vice president for trade and regulatory affairs at the National Turkey Federation. However, she is most excited about her other new title, parent of a Flagler College student.

Her daughter, Cassie, is a member of the Class of 2022 and will study coastal environmental science.

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Shelley (Popson) Ardis was honored in January 2018 with the Making IT Happen award from her peers statewide in the Florida Council for Instructional Technology Leaders Association.

Shelley is the executive director of technology services at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.

the Present Tense.” The sequel to that book, “Past Imperfect,” came out on Aug. 9, 2018.

state psychiatric hospital in Brown Mills, N.J.

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Brian and Nancy (Demato) Thompson celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in the spring of 2018. The two met as sophomores at Flagler College in 1992. They have a daughter, Amelie, who turns 13 this December.

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Christina (Pruett) Bolinger and husband, Drew, are expecting their fifth child in September 2018.

They recently visited St. Augustine.

James Lyons on Oct. 21, 2017 at the Greensboro Arboretum in Greensboro, N.C. Alumnae in attendance were Katie (Ambrose) Roberts, ‘04, and Erin Acton, ‘04.

Heather works as the Teachers’ Choice Awards manager for Learning magazine, a resource guide for pre-K through grade 6 educators. She also serves on the board of directors of Greensboro Beautiful, a local non-profit dedicated to funding public gardens in the city. James works for UNCGreensboro as a technology support analyst.

Anita (Moore) Bennett and husband, Mark, welcomed their first child, Kingsley James-David Bennett, on April 16, 2018.

Melissa (Machaj) Abbs welcomed her fourth child, Aria Rose, on Oct. 10, 2017. Aria joins big siblings Josephina, 9, Chloe, 7, and Cohen, 4.

Eli Bortz was appointed editorin-chief of the University of Notre Dame Press in April 2018, after two years as their senior acquisitions editor.

Dawn (Zeidler) George started her 20th year of teaching Spanish in South Carolina. Her daughter starts high school this year and Dawn proudly wears her Flagler alumni shirt while on vacations.

Nikki (Fralick) Sutton accepted a position as business manager at WJXT in Jacksonville, Fla., in June 2018. She is responsible for all aspects of the station’s finance, human resources and business operations.

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Carrie (Pack) Chowske’s novel “Grrrls on the Side” won 2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Bronze Award for young adult fiction. This is her second INDIES award. Last year she won the same award for science fiction with “In

Kristen (Hicks) Barry was chosen to be the campus coordinator for her church. She has been in her role close to a year. She is also blessed with two amazing kids.

C L A S S O F 20 04

Heather Crews married

Michelle Olson-Rogers recently celebrated the fourth anniversary of her Boca Raton, Fla., parenting and lifestyle blog, ModernBocaMom. com, which reaches over 30,000 parents every month. Michelle has worked with top companies like Walt Disney World, Godiva, Kleenex and OshKosh as a digital partner. Her husband, Andrew Rogers, ‘07, is now a commercial property manager in Boca Raton at Eckols Ltd. and continues to freelance on film and video projects.

Their daughter, Avery Elizabeth, turned five on May 1, 2018 and is entering kindergarten this fall. They wish Flagler College all the best as the school turns 50 this year.

C L A S S O F 20 0 5

Cherina Dean is a rehabilitation counselor of mental health at a

Valeta Cameron was recently elected to the Brevard County Bar Association’s board of directors.

Valeta is a staff attorney at Brevard County Legal Aid Inc., as an advocate for victims of domestic violence, children with disabilities in foster care and other family law matters. She has been a part of the Legal Aid program since 2013 and a member of the Brevard County Bar Association.

Sara Hansen recently opened her own online marketing firm, Phoenix Online Innovations. She previously worked for a large online marketing company in Jacksonville for over five years and became an expert in search engine optimization. She and her wife fulfilled another dream and moved along with their three dogs to Nosara, Costa Rica, where they are living and working abroad.

She also enjoys teaching English online to students in Beijing.

Dan Meyers was named the 2018 Volunteer of the Year for the Golden Isles in Georgia for the second year in a row. The company he works for, Sea Island Company, also received

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A LU M N I N OT E S four Forbes Five-Stars for the 10th year in a row – it's the only resort in the world to receive this honor.

identified her as a Florida High Impact Teacher. She has also been nominated for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

She was recently promoted to elementary braille specialist at FSDB. Heather Smith married Andy Gosendi on April 15, 2016. They welcomed son, Oliver Andres Gosendi, on April 11, 2018.

in higher education administration from Northeastern University in Boston.

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C L A S S O F 20 08 Jessica Minch married Charles Badrov on Dec. 27, 2017 at the Treasury on the Plaza in St. Augustine, Fla. The wedding was a Flagler alumni-filled event with Amy (Waers) Thompson, ‘06, as maid of honor, Taylor (Danson) Roden, ‘06, as bridesmaid, and Andrew Rogers, ‘07, serving as officiant. The flower girl was Avery Rogers, daughter of Andrew and Michelle Olson-Rogers, ‘04. Donna Delorenzo and Barry Sand attended the nuptials and celebrated the mini reunion of the 2004 Enactus (formerly SIFE) championship team.

The couple currently reside in Fort Wayne, Ind., where Jessica works for Vera Bradley as a merchandise planner. They honeymooned in Paris over the New Year.

Julie (Milo) Evener completed an education doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Walden University. She is currently the director of library services for the University of St. Augustine for Health Services.

Megan Hintzen married Ashley Kephart on April 15, 2018 at the Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg, Fla. They currently work and live in Tampa.

Derek Pomaranski and girlfriend, Ashley McClelland, welcomed daughter, Lorelei Edithlynn Pomaranski, in May 2017. They reside in Wheeling, W.V., with daughters, Aubrielle, 6, and Lorelei, 1, where Derek is a six-year member of the Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 1149.

He currently works for Precision Pipeline/EnRec as an environmental remediation specialist on natural gas pipeline projects in the Upper Ohio Valley. He plans to pursue a master’s degree in archaeology.

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Sean Costigan started in July 2018 as a senior internal auditor in the Audit & Compliance Services department for MaineHealth in Portland, Maine. MaineHealth is the largest non-profit healthcare network in Maine.

Craig Shoup was named chief of staff for the Jacksonville Bar Association in December 2017.

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Kaitlyn Edwards married John Hahn on May 19, 2018 in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. Flagler alumnae Kelly (Lawson) Bridgeman, ‘09, and Meredith (Beykirch) Jarvis, ‘09, were in the wedding party.

Beau Gordon and fiancée, Amanda English, welcomed their baby boy, Torin Michael Gordon, on April 3, 2018. He weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces and measured 21 inches long. He loves to smile and dance.

Megan Tommasi married Greg Sausen in Chicago in September 2017.

April (Vanderwal) Wallace is the 2018 FSDB District Teacher of the Year and received the 2017 Macy’s Magic of Believing Award. She was also awarded the Governor’s Shine Award. The Florida Department of Education

FLAGLER COLLEGE Magazine

Joshua Wilson is the owner and publisher of FloridaHSFootball. com, one of the leading high school sports websites in Florida and in the nation, specializing in 11-man tackle football and girls flag football coverage. Joshua launched the website in early 2010, and he has developed strategic relationships with the Florida High School Athletic Association where he also serves as a member on the screening committee of the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He currently resides in Gainesville, Fla.

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Sarah Deagle successfully defended her dissertation on social media and the first year student in July 2018. She will receive her doctorate

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Christina Arzapalo recently celebrated her fifth year at LRP Publications in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. She works in the conferences division as a VIP concierge.

Jacquline Ely recently completed her first year of graduate school at Emerson College in Boston. She is working towards a master’s degree in communication sciences

A LU M N I N OT E S and disorders which she hopes to complete in May 2019 and then begin a career as a speech-language pathologist.

Lauren Kelly married Chris Shields on Sunset Beach in Cape May, N.J. on May 4, 2018. Two fellow Flagler alumnae, Heather Benson, ‘11, and Cortney Benson, ‘11, were in the wedding party.

he will graduate from Harding University with a master’s degree in teaching and accomplished a 4.0 grade point average and high honors. His daughter Ellie, 3, and wife, Laura (Tomko), ‘12, could not be more proud of his hard work and dedication to his family.

Margaret Rudd obtained a master’s degree in applied behavioral analysis, as well as a certification as a board certified behavior analyst.

She moved to Florida last year to continue her career with Florida Autism Center.

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Teresa (Brabham) Morris accepted a new position as the assistant director of admissions for the Adult Education Center at Saint Leo University.

degree in global development and social justice in 2014 from St. John’s University in New York City, Sarah has been working to apply her background in the corporate world to make it a more inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds.

Additionally, she is a member of the board of directors for the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra in Fort Myers, Fla., where she leads development and planning efforts for fundraising.

Heather (Brakebill) Szcepanski and husband, Nicholas, welcomed their first child, Dakota Madison Szczepanski, on Feb. 13, 2017. Heather was recently promoted from her sixth grade teaching position to be the K-12 social studies and health facilitator for Renton School District in Renton, Wash.

C L A S S O F 2013 Allison (Bryan) Bankston and husband, Caleb, welcomed their son, Torsten, in January 2017 and are now expecting daughter, Astrid, to arrive in October 2018.

Kevin Partel and wife, Erica (Carothers) Partel, ‘12, are celebrating their second wedding anniversary in October 2018. They are grateful to Flagler for introducing them to one another.

Adam Remillard accepted his first teaching position as a seventh and eighth grade math teacher and interventionist for the Decatur Public School District in Arkansas.

In addition to teaching, he will also be pursuing his passion for coaching football as Decatur’s varsity offensive coordinator and junior varsity head coach. In December 2018,

Elizabeth (Hawkins) Flostrand started a counseling private practice, Waves of Change Counseling, PLLC, in the World Golf Village in St. Augustine.

Elizabeth is a licensed mental health counselor and a registered play therapist. She offers individual, family and play therapy sessions, and specializes in working with children, adolescents and young adults.

Sarah (Kirgis) Spinelli is currently leading program management and development of Gartner, Inc.’s inclusion and engagement initiative for talent acquisition.

After receiving a Master of Arts

Mountains of Catawba, Va.

Savannah Faircloth married college sweetheart, Zackery Burkholder, on June 2, 2018 in Bradenton, Fla. Several Flagler College alumni were in attendance including Maria (Helfrich) Laird, ‘12; Mandy Marconi, ‘13; Keith Comley, ‘14; Micah Laird, ‘14; and Samantha Stump, ‘14. The couple went on a two-week European honeymoon to Spain, Italy and France.

They currently reside in Memphis, Tenn.

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Rachel Brown married Eric Wilson in Tampa, Fla. on May 31, 2017. The couple took a cruise to Mexico for their honeymoon and currently reside in Tampa.

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Nicole Cascone married Jacob McLemore on March 24, 2018 in Byron, Ga. Fellow alumna, Gina Pepino, ‘14, was the maid of honor.

Nicole and her husband reside in Rome, Ga., where she works for the Georgia School for the Deaf.

Rachael Clark is celebrating her engagement to fiancée, Jessica Moss.

Rachael proposed on March 3, 2018, and they plan to get married in October 2019 in the Blue Ridge

Dan Swiedals married Murphy Stidham, ‘16, on Jan. 20, 2018 in St. Augustine. Murphy was also the recipient of a successful double lung transplant on March 27, 2018.

Alumni at the wedding included C.J. Garris, ’14; Carson Sailor, ’14; AnnaRuth Bernhardt, ’15; Patrick Burke, ’15; Daniel Diaz, ’15; Hailey Fletcher, ’15; Paul Khan, ’15; J.P. Ortiz, ’15; Riley (Smithey) Sailor, ’15; Kiara Sanchez, ’15; Zach Tax, ’15; Emily DeMerchant, ’16; Colin Goodman, ’16; and Kristina Robertson, ‘16.

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Donn Garby recently graduated with a Master of Science in education from Old Dominion University and has been accepted in the doctoral program in education at Rowan University. He will be studying postsecondary education and his research focus will be on

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A LU M N I N OT E S REMEMBERING ALU M N I

student success and equity in college accessibility.

Emily Wright is an educational outreach coordinator for the Center for Education Integration Science Math Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology. Emily coordinated a partnership for a summer program that she works on at Georgia Tech with Flagler College professor Dr. Joanna Krajewski. Dr. Krajewski worked for two days with a group of 24 Atlanta high school students to help them learn how to communicate science to a targeted audience.

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Winter 2019

Emily Gilmer accepted a job as a graphic designer for 3N2 Sports in Orlando, Fla. She also continues to grow her own company, Geeky Girl Fashions, as well as her successful cosplay career.

John S. Stroney, ‘80, passed away on April 2, 2018. John attended Flagler from 1976-1980 and majored in secondary education/ social sciences. He was editor on the yearbook staff, member of the Deaf Education Club and a Student Government Association representative. John also attended Daytona Beach College for photography. He worked for three years as a photographer on the cruise ship, Atlantis.

John then worked for Lake Medical Imaging in Leesburg, Fla., for the last 26 years. He is survived by his wife of 19 years, Barbara Stroney, and many other family members.

Most people remember John with his 1963 blue Dodge Dart, which he had until the day he passed.

Cassandra (Honour) Kelly and husband, Ryan, welcomed baby girl, Lillian Dorthea Kelly, on May 8, 2018 in Portsmouth, Va. She weighed 6 pounds 7 ounces and was 19 inches long.

Sierra Aitken was hired as the annual giving officer in the Office of Institutional Advancement at Flagler College in April 2018. She is using her creative marketing and public relations skills to fundraise for scholarships and other initiatives, which is within her field of study.

She has already made great progress and friends at the office.

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Robert Dorfman accepted his first full-time position in the sports industry as an account executive for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp baseball club.

Erika Rothman moved to Perth, Western Australia, with her significant other. She has been working as a marketing coordinator for a construction and engineering company called Civmec.

C L A S S O F 2018

Logan LaFleche relocated to Boston after graduation and is now working as an assistant paralegal at Fragomen, an international immigration firm.

FLAGLER COLLEGE Magazine

Ronald McKinley, Jr., ‘86, passed away suddenly on May 31, 2018. He earned his degree from Flagler in history. He was working for the Mercer County Social Services as an investigator for welfare fraud in Mercer County, N.J.

REMEMBERING FAC U LT Y Flagler College lost two retired faculty members from the English Department this past summer: Owene Weber passed away in July. For seven years, she was a beloved professor, a faculty leader who helped create the Women’s Studies program, pioneered the establishment of the National English Honors Society (Sigma Tau Delta) on campus, and coached our women’s cross country team to two district championships.

Gail Compton also passed away in July. Many people will remember Gail for her many contributions in the English Department, as well as for her wild bird activism and creative writing work about nature, all during her retirement years.

Sharon (White) Crutchfield, ‘81, passed away on April 24, 2018 in Santa Fe, N.M. She served as a sign language interpreter in Santa Fe and Albuquerque, N.M. Sharon was the loving wife of Professor Emeritus Paul Crutchfield.

Want to share your news? Please email us at alumni@flagler.edu.

ALUMNI EVENTS

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NEAR Jumbo Shrimp Game

Despite a two-hour rain delay, we had nearly 100 alumni attend the Jumbo Shrimp baseball game in Jacksonville for some hot summer fun on June 14.

Atlanta Gathering

On June 27, Flagler alumni in Atlanta met up at The Southern Gentleman to network and mingle.

Public Administration Picnic

Public Administration graduates enjoyed a picnic at the Alumni House on June 9.

Local graduates enjoyed reconnecting with the PAD faculty and one another.

Tampa Event

Almost 50 alumni convened at Cooper’s Hawk Winery in Tampa on Oct. 3.

Move In Day

Alumni Volunteers get it done! Thank you to all our volunteers who helped move in the 50th class to start at Flagler College on Aug. 25.

Alumni Epilogues

The First Year Book for Flagler freshman, “American War” by Omar El Akkad, was the subject of discussion with Flagler instructor and Director of the First Year Experience, Jill Dawson, on Sept. 13. Next discussion will be with Dr. Art Vanden Houten in January, as this new series will meet three times a year to discuss books being taught in current Flagler classes.

Alumni Board Dinner

Current and former board members were invited to the annual Alumni Board Dinner on Oct. 5. This year the guests received a special treat: dinner in the historic Flagler Room!

Chesapeake Event

It was a lively night in Old Town Alexandria. Nearly 50 alumni attended Virtue Feed & Grain to meet with Dr. and Mrs. Joyner, and network with one another. www.flagler.edu/magazine

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Students read in the library, originally located in the Flagler Room in Ponce Hall. The library was moved to the Proctor Library in 1996.