Piedmont College Journal, Fall 2016

FALL 2016 | VOLUME 9, NUMBER 1

CYCLISTS CLAIM SIX NATIONAL TITLES

COMPASS: MAKING SUMMERS SAFER BRIAN RICKMAN (’98) NAMED TO GEORGIA COURT OF APPEALS

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Contents 01

President’s Message

02 Programs 08 Students 11

Impact & Outreach

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Fine Arts

16 Athletics 19

Alumni & Friends

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Class Notes

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In Memory

President James F. Mellichamp

Graphic Design Specialist Regina M. Fried

Vice President for Advancement Amy Amason

Associate Director of Development Mary Colston

Director of Public Relations David Price

Associate Director of Alumni Relations Katie Lampl

Coordinator of Development Services Chris Pearce Website Coordinator Brian Carter Published by the Office of Institutional Advancement

Send Address Changes to: Piedmont College Institutional Advancement P.O. Box 429 Demorest, GA 30535 or piedmont.edu/updateinfo

Piedmont College

@PiedmontGA 2

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Building Champions W

e at Piedmont College are proud of our mission to dedicate ourselves to the transformative power of education. In this issue of the Journal, we are delighted to share with you many of the ways we are succeeding in our efforts—helping students to become champions in the pursuit of their academic and extra-curricular goals—and

Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) prestigious national competition. Both are Champions!

Among the more than 860 students in the Class of 2016 are the first Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows. These eleven new graduates are already working as STEM teachers in high schools across north Georgia, thus helping to produce their own champions.

You will also read about Alumnus Brian Rickman (’98), who has been appointed to the Georgia Court of Appeals. A champion of justice, Judge Rickman is making important contributions as a member of the Georgia Bench.

Finally, our college has been singled out by Washington Monthly magazine as offering the “Best Bang for the Buck”— and by U.S. News & World Reports as a “Best Value” among Southeastern Regional Universities. Piedmont College is winning championship events on a regional and national level with distinctive recognitions such as these.

All of us—friends, alumni, trustees, faculty, staff, and students—can take great pride in all that we do to produce Piedmont champions and championship recognition for the transformative experiences in which we all share.

President Mellichamp tries out the new climbing wall at Student Commons.

assisting the institution in becoming increasingly prominent throughout the region and the nation.

In August we welcomed men’s and women’s cycling as a varsity sport for the first time. Now, just one month into the fall semester, our cycling teams have made national history. This issue looks at the incredible feats of our newest Piedmont Champions.

Then there is junior mass communications major Cammie Bagley, who received the distinguished Lanier E. “Lanny” Finch Scholarship from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters. And this July, Cheyanne Osoria—a senior musical theater major—won first place in the National

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German Deputy Consul General Thomas Wülfing (left) presented the German-American Friendship Award to James F. Mellichamp.

Established by the German government in 1981, the Friendship Award is given each year by the German Ambassador to the United States to recognize Americans who have helped foster positive GermanAmerican relations.

The Compass Program is a distinctive graduation requirement that enables students to engage with peers, as well as faculty, staff, and the wider community. These experiences outside the classroom help prepare them for life after graduation.

Compass: Making Summers Safer S

ummer was a little bit safer for a group of Habersham County youths, thanks to the efforts of three Piedmont students who provided them with free swimming lessons.

the sessions, all 10 were able to kick with a board or noodle and keep themselves afloat, and six had learned to free swim.

The lessons were part of a Compass project by sophomores McKenzie Latta of Clayton, Taylor Houston of Clayton, and Maggie Smith of Gainesville. The Compass program allows students to earn recognition on their official transcripts for “experiential learning” outside the classroom.

Smith said that when she heard about the project from Latta, she wanted to get involved right away. “I love teaching and love helping people, and swimming is one of my biggest passions,” Smith said.

“The Compass program is still relatively new at Piedmont, and students are finding a variety of ways to put their skills to work for the community,” said Dr. Perry Rettig, Vice President for Academic Affairs. “The program is designed to increase students’ cultural awareness and social ethics, while giving them opportunities for leadership and creativity,” he said.

“The best part of this Compass project was watching these kids succeed,” Houston said. “Some I thought wouldn’t be able to get in the water. I watched them kick their feet and blow bubbles—all the silly things we teach them—but they are lifesaving things.”

McKenzie Latta, Taylor Houston, and Maggie Smith with a ‘Thank You’ card they received from the students in their swim class.

For Latta, turning her experience as a lifeguard into free swimming lessons was a natural fit for the Compass program. “Not everyone can afford lessons, but it is an essential skill in life,” Latta said. With help from the Piedmont Chaplain’s office, the three students recruited 10 children ages 6–11 from among families the college has sponsored throughout the year. The eight one-hour lessons were taught at the Habersham County Ruby Fulbright Aquatic Center.

Latta said none of the aquatic pupils knew how to swim, and several were terrified to enter the water. By the end of

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PROGRAMS

School of Business Tackles BIG Data “This new business concentration was created for students who are strong in math and computer technology, who also think creatively. It is perfect for the student who wants to work on a dual concentration in business and a minor in mathematics.” —Dean Ed Taylor

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he Walker School of Business is adding a new concentration to its undergraduate business program for students who want to learn how to manage “big data.”

The new concentration will give graduates the ability to use that flood of information in one of the fastest growing areas to gather and process data for modeling analysis.

Called “Data Science for Business,” the concentration will focus on how businesses gather data and create useful business models. While the definition of “big data” continually changes, businesses use the term to refer to any collection of data that is too big to manage with traditional business software, such as spreadsheets.

Piedmont’s Bachelor of Arts program in business currently offers concentrations in accounting, finance, general business, management, and marketing. The new concentration will be especially valuable for students interested in market research, quality management, econometrics, and financial analysis.

PROGRAMS

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E D TAY LO R Harry W. Walker School of Business

JULIA BEHR R.H. Daniel School of Nursing & Health Sciences

NEW VPAF

NEW DEANS

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r. Ed Taylor, formerly associate dean for the Harry W. Walker School of Business, has been named dean of the school; and Dr. Julia Behr, previously assistant dean of the Augusta University College of Nursing at Athens, has been named dean of the R.H. Daniel School of Nursing and Health Sciences.

Dr. Taylor joined Piedmont in 1999 as a professor of business and has served as department chair and director of the MBA program on the Demorest campus. Prior to teaching, he directed management information systems for the State of Kentucky and computer systems for Kuhlman Electric Company. He earned a Ph.D. in management at the University of Kentucky, where he also taught as an assistant professor before coming to Piedmont. He also holds an MBA in management from Morehead State University.

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KENNETH J. JONES Vice President for Administration and Finance

Dr. Behr completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing at the Medical College of Georgia School of Nursing-Athens. She earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the University of Alabama–Birmingham, and as a certified Family Nurse Practitioner has clinical experience in acute care, emergency room care, and in specialty care clinics. Beginning as an instructor for the MCG School of Nursing-Athens in 1992, Dr. Behr served on the faculty for more than 22 years.

“We are extremely fortunate to find someone with Dr. Taylor’s and Dr. Behr’s academic backgrounds and with experiences in the real world of business and nursing, “ said President James F. Mellichamp. “Both schools have an excellent reputation in the Southeast for the quality of their graduates, and I’m sure that will continue under their leadership.”

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ay “college” and most people think of students, professors, and studying. But there is another side to operating a college—the business side—and that is where Kenneth J. Jones comes in as Piedmont’s new Vice President for Administration and Finance.

“Looking after the finances and the stability of the college is my ultimate responsibility,” Jones said. And that responsibility covers just about everything on campus that does not deal directly with academics— business office operations, human resources, buildings and maintenance, landscaping, food service, and security at both the Demorest and Athens campuses.

Jones comes to Piedmont with 27 years of finance experience, including 15 years in a similar position at Woodbury University in Burbank, California. While there, he was named the top “Not-for-Profit Chief Financial Officer” by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal and led teams that oversaw more than $42,000,000 worth of construction on campus.

NEW HEALTH SCIENCES PROGRAMS The Daniel School of Nursing & Health Sciences is adding a new undergraduate program for students interested in sports administration, and it is revamping its Athletic Training program as a graduate degree.

Dr. Abbey Dondanville, associate dean of Health Sciences, said the new program, called Sport & Fitness Administration, is designed for students who want to make a career in coaching or athletics administration. “The courses will be about 60 percent health science and 40 percent business classes,” Dondanville said. “After earning their undergraduate degree, students if they want can also earn an MBA degree in about a year,” she said.

The college’s popular Athletic Training program, which has been an undergraduate program, will become a master’s program in the fall of 2017, Dondanville said. “It will become what is known as a 3+2 program in which students can earn both an undergraduate degree in a related field and a master’s degree in Athletic Training,” she said. The new program reflects changes in the board certification requirements for athletic trainers, who must hold a master’s degree after 2022, she said.

PROGRAMS

JANUS INSTITUTE MEETS PIEDMONT Press as one of the top books on the subject. He earned a BA in economics from Emory University and holds a PhD in economics from Northwestern University.

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iedmont College is partnering with the Janus Institute to advance the study of community and economic development.

Robert Pittman, formerly executive director of the Community Development Institute at the University of Central Arkansas, and his wife, Anita, founded the Janus Institute in Rabun County in 2009.

The non-profit company provides economic development consulting to local governments and businesses and each year conducts a series of Janus Forums that attract corporate and economic development leaders from around the country to discuss issues related to the field.

Pittman has more than 30 years’ experience in economic development and business location consulting, and he is the author of Introduction to Community Development, named by Oxford University

Pittman said the primary goal of the Janus Institute is to help communities evaluate their economic assets, such as labor force, to recruit new businesses, retain and expand existing businesses, and help entrepreneurs start home-grown companies.

President James F. Mellichamp said the college will provide administrative assistance and offices to

the Janus Institute, which in turn will be able to involve faculty and students in Janus Institute projects and forums held on campus.

“I look forward to being on campus and reaching out to faculty members to be a resource in what we do,” Pittman said. “There will also be opportunities for students to work with us and learn about community and economic development and careers in the field,” he said.

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‘Rev. Tim’ Joins College as Campus Minister THE REVEREND TIM G A R V I N - L E I G H TO N Campus Minister

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he Rev. Timothy Garvin-Leighton has joined Piedmont as campus minister and assistant professor of religion, taking over from the Rev. Ashley Cleere, who retired in May. Garvin-Leighton was formerly campus minister and executive director of the Cal Aggie Christian Association at the University of California, Davis. He is an ordained United Church of Christ minister and served churches in Florida, Colorado, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Maryland.

President James F. Mellichamp said Garvin-Leighton was the “unanimous choice” of the search committee. “Tim and his wife, Mindy, will be living in the Walter House in order to provide a visible and accessible presence on our residential campus,” he said.

Garvin-Leighton has a Master of Divinity degree from Andover Newton Theological School and said he is “looking forward to the opportunity to shape a progressive and inclusive ministry at Piedmont in an age when humanity’s search for meaning has taken on a greater sense of urgency.”

A former Peace Corps volunteer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Garvin-Leighton has worked on social justice issues, beginning with the U.S. Anti-Apartheid movement in the early 80s, and then worked for affordable housing, LGBTQ rights, healthcare, and, more recently, immigration and the plight of undocumented persons.

“Rev. Tim” is also an avid road cyclist and is “looking forward to exploring the roads of Habersham County and beyond.

Anytime. Any Day. Anywhere.

The Virtual Visit allows prospective students and parents to ramble around the campus and find out “virtually” everything—from where classes meet in the academic buildings to where students spend their off hours in the new Student Commons.

Take your virtual tour today at piedmont.college-tour.com.

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Building a Better World A

s Georgia’s first Woodrow Wilson Fellows graduated from Piedmont College in July, Dr. Arthur Levine, president of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, urged them to help build a better world.

The Wilson Foundation in Princeton, New Jersey, is helping to train teachers in the STEM fields—science, technology, engineering, and math—in Georgia’s high-need areas. Piedmont College is one of five Georgia colleges selected by the Wilson Foundation to participate in the program, and Sunday’s graduation ceremony in Demorest included the first 11 Woodrow Wilson Fellows to receive Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degrees.

Before joining the Wilson Foundation, Dr. Levine served as president and professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University; and he served as chair of the Institute for Educational Management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

“I am a real admirer of Piedmont College,” Levine said. “I think it has created one of the most important teacher education programs in America. This is the first class of Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellows graduating [in Georgia], and we are extraordinarily proud of you.”

“We are living through a period of profound, swift, unseasoned, and unprecedented economic, demographic, technological and global change,” Levine

told the graduates. “Your generation is living simultaneously in two worlds … the world in which most of your parents and professors grew up—and another that is being born—the world that many of you have grown up in. We need you to build this new world to make it a better world than today’s.”

Wilson Fellow Ira Roberts of Smyrna receives his MAT diploma.

S T U D E N T S T AT S

STUDENTS

CL ASS OF 2016

2016 DOC TORAL GRADUATES

CL ASS OF ‘20 FRESHMEN

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CITY OF CORNELIA PARTNERS WITH MASS COMM FOR MARKET STUDY

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s part of a class assignment, nine students in Mass Communications worked with the City of Cornelia to conduct market research, discover a target audience, design a new logo, and develop a creative brief with an integrated marketing campaign to present to the city.

BAGLEY RECEIVES GEORGIA BROADCASTERS’ AWARD The Georgia Association of Broadcasters represents Georgia’s over-the-air radio and television licensees.

Its membership is comprised of more than 500 radio and television broadcasters.

The students worked under the direction of Dr. Dale Van Cantfort and Cornelia’s Community Development Manager Jessie Owensby (’15). “I took that class … so I knew that it would be a perfect fit for what I was looking for,” Owensby said. “We are hoping that it will give us some insight into what residents of Cornelia want and some good ideas to work from going forward in the revitalization efforts for the city.”

The Piedmont College Billy Dilworth Mass Communications Scholarship fund received a $4,000 donation in exchange for the students’ work, and each student also took home a cash donation from the City of Cornelia.

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ammie Bagley, a junior mass communications major from Homer, was one of five students in Georgia to receive the 2016 Lanier E. “Lanny” Finch scholarship from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters. Bagley was awarded the $1,500 scholarship during the association’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held at the University of Georgia Richard B. Russell Special Collections Library. Bagley is the third student from Piedmont College to be granted this award in the past five years. Previous winners include Jessie Owensby, 2014; and Sarah Hill, 2012.

Pictured from left to right: Sam Negron, Lauren Bartlett, Ethan Amason, Haley Hall, Morgan Edelman, Donald Anderson, Dale Van Cantfort, Manyi Eno, Jessie Owensby, Janie Harris, Pearl Oppenheimer, and Cammie Bagley.

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STUDENTS SELECTED FOR SOUTHERN LITERARY FEST ANTHOLOGY The Southern Literary Festival was founded in 1937 to promote Southern literature. Each year a different school hosts the festival and an undergraduate writing conference that offers participants workshops, readings, and master classes in a wide variety of genres, including fiction, poetry, playwriting, and non-fiction.

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ongratulations to Piedmont seniors Sarah Gesualdo of Dacula (left) and Arielle Parker-Trout of Tallulah Falls.

The English majors are winners in the Creative Nonfiction category for this year’s Southern Literary Festival Competition. Sarah’s essay, “The Shed,” won first place, and Arielle’s essay, “Truth,” won third. Both were invited to read

their work at the Festival, and their compositions will be included in the Festival anthology. This year’s annual Southern Literary Festival attracted students from 28 regional colleges and universities and was held in March at Middle Tennessee State University.

The Lillian E. Smith Symposium on Arts and Social Change S A V E T H E D AT E ! M A R C H 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 piedmont.edu/lillian-smith-center

STUDENTS

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LILLIAN SMITH CENTER WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Lisa Hodgens (left), Margaret Rose Gladney (right).

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haven for artists and writers for many years, Piedmont’s Lillian E. Smith Center near Clayton is now a sanctuary for wildlife as well.

The college formally designated about 30 acres of the 150-acre site as a wildlife sanctuary in April, said director Craig Amason. “The area will be managed specifically as a wildlife habitat, which means that invasive plants will be controlled, with limited use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, in order to maintain and preserve current thriving ecosystems,” he said.

Piedmont biology professor Dr. Tim Menzel has been developing a trail system through the property. “Bird populations are severely limited by available habitat during nesting and migration, and the woods at the LES Center have the necessary ingredients to support multiple species during both seasons,” Dr. Menzel said.

“Protecting and managing this forest for wildlife is a valuable contribution that we can make to protecting biodiversity and natural beauty in our area.”

The trails are currently open to visitors by appointment by contacting Amason at 706-894-4204 or camason@ piedmont.edu.

Dr. Tim Menzel leads a nature walk at the LES Center.

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A LILLIAN SMITH READER Hodgens and Gladney co-edit new book.

Bringing together short stories, lectures, essays, oped pieces, interviews, and excerpts from her longer fiction and nonfiction, A Lillian Smith Reader offers the first comprehensive collection of Smith’s work and is a compelling introduction to one of the South’s most important writers.

The book was edited by Dr. Lisa Hodgens, who retired in May as a professor of English at Piedmont, and Dr. Margaret Rose Gladney of Alabama, professor emerita of American Studies at the University of Alabama and the editor of How Am I to Be Heard: Letters of Lillian Smith.

Published by The University of Georgia Press and presented during the Sept. 30 special “Lillian Smith Day” at the Demorest Campus, the book is available in hardback and paperback. A webpage accompanying the book features photographs, audio recordings, important links, and other resources to assist in research and study about the life and work of Lillian Smith (www.piedmont. edu/lilliansmith-resources).

From her home on Old Screamer Mountain near Clayton, now the Piedmont College Lillian E. Smith Center, Smith wrote against racism, segregation, and Jim Crow laws in the earliest days of the civil rights era. “Our book invites readers to journey through a sampling of her writing … from the 1930s to the 1960s,” Hodgens said. “It can be used in the classroom, but it is intended for the general reader.”

I M PAC T & O U T R E AC H

PERC 2016

MICHAEL MANSFIELD CEO Mansfield Energy Corporation

NEW TRUSTEE

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ichael Mansfield (’09) was named to the Piedmont Board of Trustees in April.

Mansfield is CEO of Mansfield Energy Corporation of Gainesville, which provides services in all 50 states and employs more than 500 workers in the U.S. and Canada.

Founded in 1957, Mansfield Oil sells traditional petroleum products, synthetic fuels, biofuels, propane, and natural gas. The company’s headquarters are in Gainesville, and it has offices in Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Los Angeles, Houston, Bloomington, and Calgary.

Mansfield earned a BA in Business at the Piedmont Athens campus in 2009.

“Having someone with Mike’s business experience on the Board, who also knows Piedmont from the inside as a graduate, will be a real plus for the college,” said President James F. Mellichamp. “

I M PAC T & O U T R E AC H

Piedmont Educator Renewal Conference (PERC) examines creative instruction.

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ducators and education students in northeast Georgia gathered for a one-day conference in March at the Athens Campus to focus on timely issues and trends in education.

Dr. Angela Brown, Coordinator of the Secondary Education Program in Athens, talks with teachers attending the Piedmont Educator Renewal Conference (PERC), held this year at the Athens campus.

The Piedmont Educator Renewal Conference (PERC), titled “Sparking Adventures in Teaching: Learning, and Leading,” allowed educators to share information on innovative as well as effective practices and recent research in education, said Dr. Don Gnecco, Dean of the Piedmont College School of Education.

TRUSTEES EMERITI

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iedmont Chairman of the Board of Trustees Thomas A. “Gus” Arrendale III, left, is pictured with two long-time members of the Board who were named Trustees Emeriti at the board’s spring meeting. Dr. Betty Siegel taught at the University of Florida and Western Carolina University before being named President of Kennesaw University, a post she held for 25 years. Dr. Siegel has served on the Piedmont Board of Trustees since 2002.

John Foster of Cornelia, a member of the Class of 1969, has served on the Board of Trustees since 1987. Foster is a former Georgia state senator and with his wife, Bobbie, is co-owner of Habersham Broadcasting Company.

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FINE ARTS UPCOMING EVENTS

NOVEMBER Mark your calendar for a variety of shows coming up in the visual arts, music and theatre.

MASON-SCHARFENSTEIN MUSEUM OF ART An exhibit by Moon Jung Jang, assistant professor of graphic design at the University of Georgia Lamar Dodd School of Art, is on display now through Nov. 8. Her work includes identity, book, and poster design.

Photographs by Shannon Johnstone, whose book, Landfill Dogs, has been featured by ABC News and CNN, will be displayed Jan. 18–Feb. 25, with an artist talk and reception at 5 p.m., Jan. 19. Johnstone is an associate professor at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.

THEATRE PRODUCTIONS The Fall Season opened with Chicago the Musical in late September and will be followed by Seussical Nov. 17–20 in the Swanson Center Black Box Theatre.

Make plans to see The Foreigner by Larry Shue on the Mainstage Feb. 9–12, 2017. The award-winning comedy is set in a rural Georgia fishing lodge.

Still Life with Iris by Stephen Dietz comes to the Black Box Theatre April 6–9. This fantastical adventure centers on a little girl’s search for home in a land without memories.

MUSIC EVENTS From chamber ensembles, to pop, to the great choral works, music of

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every description will fill the Chapel in upcoming concerts.

Student concerts include Piedmont Cantabile, which has concerts scheduled for 5 p.m., Oct. 27 and April 4 in Brooks Hall. Cantabile performs works from the 15th century to modern pop. The 40-voice Piedmont Singers will present concerts of sacred and secular choral music at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 3 and March 28. On Nov. 5 and April 29 at 7:30 p.m., the Instrumental Chamber Ensembles will perform works for percussion, brass, and woodwinds in the Chapel.

The Wind Ensemble Partnership will also perform at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 15 and April 27, 2017. And you won’t want to miss the 28th Annual Service of Lessons and Carols, one of the region’s most beloved Christmas events, scheduled for 7:30 p.m., Dec. 2–3 in the Chapel.

Mark Pacoe, director of music at St. Malachy’s Catholic Church in New York, will perform a concert on the Sewell Organ at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 11.

Upcoming faculty recitals include tenor Dr. Jonathan Pilkington at 7:30 p.m., Jan. 17; pianist Dr. Jeri-Mae G. Astolfi at 4 p.m., Jan. 29; soprano Dr. Andrea Price, with pianist Benji Stegner at 7:30 p.m., Feb. 21; and organist Dr. James F. Mellichamp at 7:30 p.m., April 22.

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PIEDMONT COLLEGE SINGERS A concert of sacred and secular choral music from the Renaissance to the present. Nov. 3 & March 28

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A.G.O. Atlanta Chapter, American Guild of Organists Concert. Mark Pacoe, Organist

WIND ENSEMBLE PARTNERSHIP Combines with the finest high school players in the region to perform in the Piedmont College Chapel

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SEUSSICAL Seussical the musical is a fun-filled show for all ages.

DECEMBER 2-3

ANNUAL SERVICE OF LESSONS & CAROLS Piedmont Chorale, Brass Choir, Sewell Organ, and a visiting high school chorus combine for this beloved holiday event.

JANUARY 18+

SHANNON JOHNSTONE: LANDFILL DOGS Photographic work with themes that reclaim the discarded and make visible that which is hidden. Jan. 18-Feb. 25

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FACULTY RECITAL Dr. Jonathon Pilkington performs a recital for tenor and guitar with worldrenowned guitarist Nicolas Deuson.

FACULTY RECITAL Dr. Jeri-Mae G. Astolfi, Artist-in-Residence and internationally acclaimed pianist, presents a concert of piano music.

Visit www.piedmont.edu/fa for a full schedule.

THREE FOR THE SHOW

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The Piedmont College Music Department made a splash this summer at national and international events.

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enior Cheyanne Osoria took home a first-place award from the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Student Auditions, while music professor Dr. Wallace Hinson studied conducting in Prague, and President James F. Mellichamp gave an organ concert in the fabled Westminster Abbey in London.

N AT S T O P P R I Z E A musical theatre major, Osoria studies voice with Dr. Andrea Price and is a member of the And they called the Piedmont Singers.

She earned a trip to second name and it the NATS convention wasn’t me—so I froze. in Chicago after taking second place Then it hit me and I in the regional started to cry—I’m competition.

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getting teary just thinking about it.

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Accompanied

by Benji Stegner, instructor of music,

Osoria performed four songs for the judges and an audience of singing instructors from across the country. After the final competition, the judges announced the three winners in reverse order. “They called the third-place name, and it wasn’t me,” Osoria said. “And they called the second name and it wasn’t me—so I froze. Then it hit me and I started to cry—I’m getting teary just thinking about it,” she said.

A CO N D U C T O R I N P R A G U E For Dr. Hinson, the opportunity to conduct in Prague after a month of study with renowned conductor Hynek Farkač at the Prague Conservatory was “one of the highlights of my career.”

That is saying a lot. Hinson came to Piedmont in 1993 and has conducted hundreds of choirs and orchestras over the years. “But this was the first time conducting a group of musicians who all do this for a living,” he said. “It was very intense.”

Hinson spent a month in Prague taking conducting

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classes with Farkač for two hours a day and spent more than six hours each day practicing. That work led to a onehour concert with the 25-voice Prague It was an amazing Radio Choir, some experience, and to of the country’s top instumentalists conduct in such a worldwith the Virtuosi Pragenses chamber famous hall was beyond orchestra, and my wildest dreams. soloists with the Prague National Theatre Opera. The group performed several works, including Mozart’s “Requiem,” before an audience of about 400 people in the celebrated Smetana Hall.

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“That was kind of daunting,” Hinson said. “But it was great— we had four curtain calls, and the people kept calling us back to the stage and bringing flowers. It was an amazing experience, and to conduct in such a world-famous hall was beyond my wildest dreams.”

WESTMINSTER FOR THE PRESIDENT Dr. Mellichamp said it was also a “dream come true” when he performed an organ concert July 10 in Westminster Abbey. “Playing at the Abbey has been a dream of mine since I heard one of my organ teachers perform there exactly 40 years ago,” Mellichamp said. The Abbey’s Harrison and Harrison organ was installed for the Coronation of King George VI in 1937 and includes original pipes from the previous instrument built by William Hill in 1848.

Mellichamp has performed concerts across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, including solo recitals at the Washington Cathedral, Berlin Cathedral, and the Cathedral of Notre Playing at the Abbey Dame in Paris. A has been a dream of member of the music faculty at mine since I heard one Piedmont since of my organ teachers 1982, he continues perform there exactly 40 to teach student organists every years ago. semester.

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(Top) Dr. Wallace Hinson collects bouquets and applause after conduciting a choir and orchestra of Czech musicians. (Above) President James F. Mellichamp at the console of the famous Harrison & Harrison organ at Westminster Abbey.

FINE ARTS

ATHLETICS ALANA HALL

Alana Hall of Seabrook, Texas, earned the women’s Academic Award for graduating student-athletes with the highest GPA. Hall joined the inaugural women’s lacrosse team in 2013 and helped lead the team to two undefeated seasons in four years.

She was named to the USA South Academic AllConference team in each of her four years.

KENNETH HEARN

Kenneth Hearn of McDonough earned the men’s Academic Award. Hearn leaves Piedmont as a four-time Academic AllConference honoree for his work in the classroom and was named the program’s first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree this past fall. As a goalkeeper, Hearn made 70 starts for the soccer team, the most since any player in the NCAA era, and is in the top five for goals-against average at just over two.

ABBY SMITH

Abby Smith of Washington was named the female Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete. Smith helped the team to a USA South tournament championship, three regular season championships, and two NCAA Regional appearances. She earned a .397 batting average, playing in 138 games in four years. Smith was also a Capital One Academic All-American in her junior year and All-District in her senior year.

HONORING SENIOR STUDENTATHLETES

ALLEN TOKARZ

Allen Tokarz of Snellville was named the male Outstanding Senior Student-Athlete. Tokarz made 90 appearances on the mound for the Lions, winning 16 games in 2016. His bullpen performances led the USA South ERA standings at 2.17 and is the second lowest among Piedmont pitchers in the NCAA era. His .213 opponentbatting average is also a record for the Lions.

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Keep up with all of our sports news, schedules, and scores at www.piedmontlions.com

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JUSTIN SCALI

Justin Scali, formerly an assistant baseball coach, takes over the head coaching spot from Jim Peeples, who moved up to athletic director last year. Scali has 12 years of coaching experience with the Lions. As a lefthanded pitcher for Methodist University, he helped the team win three conference championships and earn a #1 NCAA D-III national ranking. Scali holds a BA in sports management, and he earned an MBA from Piedmont in 2005.

JAMIE MCCORMICK

J amie McCormick takes over on the volleyball court as head coach following the retirement of Sid Feldman, who led the Lady Lions for seven seasons. The Mobile, Alabama, native was an assistant coach at Huntington College, where she was a three-time All-Conference player. She earned a BA in psychology from Huntington, graduating cum laude in 2007.

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LAURA PATTON

L aura Patton has been named the new women’s lacrosse coach, taking over from the program’s founding coach, Emily Jacquette.

Patton comes to Piedmont after five years as head coach at Division III King's College in WilkesBarre, Pennsylvania.

She was a three-year starter at Ursinus College, where she was twice named Most Valuable Player.

Patton earned a BA in psychology from Ursinus in 2008 and a master’s in health care administration in 2015.

WELCOME NEW COACHES!

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JOHN PAUL ‘JP’ KIRCHER

J ohn Paul “JP” Kircher is the new director of golf and head men’s golf coach. The New York native comes to Piedmont following a four-year playing career at Huntingdon College. He takes over for Michael McMunn, who led Piedmont men’s and women’s golf for the previous four seasons. As a player for Huntingdon, Kircher helped the team to a third-place finish in the 2010 NCAA D-III National Championship.

At Huntingdon he earned a BA in communications studies.

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SUSAN MARTIN

Susan Martin, who earned back-to-back individual national titles as a player at Methodist University, has been named head coach of the women’s golf team.

Martin was a fourtime All-America player and was the national Freshman of the year in 2007. She was also a four-time All-America Scholar Athlete. She played professional golf on the Symetra and National Women’s Golf Association tours for four years.

Martin earned a BA in business administration at Methodist.

PEDAL POWER I

n just their third official meet, the new Piedmont cycling team collected six gold medals at the 2016 USA Cycling Collegiate Track National Championships, held at the Giordana Velodrome in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Sept 15-17.

while Andrew Guelzo was 35th. In combined scoring, the team took fifth place overall in the varsity college

Coach Jame Carney said one of the most inspiring performances of the meet was Piedmont’s effort in the Co-ed Team Sprint, a relay race that usually involves six riders. Using just four riders—Allar, Cantrell, Guelzo, and Joseph Marshall—the Lions eked out a second place finish.

Piedmont’s Erica Allar and Jessica Prinner combined to claim all five of the women’s individual events, and the pair finished in that order for gold and silver in the “Omnium” (best overall rider standings).

With the cycling track season behind them, Carney said the team will now compete in road racing, mountain biking, and cyclocross events.

“We know we have very good track Piedmont’s Erica Allar, Joseph Marshall, Andrew Guelzo, and Dylan Cantrell compete in the riders, and I expect Team Sprint race at the 2016 USA Cycling National Championships. we’ll do well in road racing. This was a great start.

The main objective was category among the 25 teams and to get the school name out there— 133 riders from the across the country Prinner got the gold medals rolling and show that we have the coolest at the competition. on the first day of the meet, taking uniforms! Mission accomplished!” a national championship title in the Points Race. On the second day she added the Individual Pursuit title in the morning and Allar added the third individual championship title that evening in the Match Sprints.

On the third day, Allar took two more titles in the Scratch Race and the 500-meter Time Trial. The combination of wins put the two Piedmont riders on the Omnium podium in gold and silver position, as Allar collected a total of 500 points and Prinner 422.

On the men’s side, Dylan Cantrell finished 18th in the men’s Omnium,

Cycling team rides in style in van donated by Springer Mountain Farms.

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Three New Hall-of-Famers The Piedmont College Sports Hall of Fame includes 143 members, with the first members inducted in 1981.

(For the complete list, visit the Piedmont Athletics website at www.piedmontlions.com.)

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he P-Club inducted three new members into the Sports Hall of Fame April 9 during Alumni Weekend activities held in Demorest. This year’s class includes head softball coach Terry Martin of Toccoa; tennis player Lindsey Hughes (’06) of Lexington, South Carolina; and baseball player Mike Santowski (’06) of Cumming.

Now in his 18th season, Martin sports an overall record of 415-267-1, and his teams have won four conference

TERRY MARTIN Softball Coach

Tennis standout Lindsey Hughes was an All-Conference performer in each of her four seasons, playing number one

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Santowski was a member of Coach Jim Peeples’ first baseball team in 2003 and was one of the most feared offensive players in the NCAA era. He holds the all-time

LINDSEY HUGHES, ’06 Tennis

championships and eight regular season championships.

Martin has been selected Conference Coach of the Year six times.

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or number two singles and doubles each year. In 2006, Hughes was an NCCAA All-American in both singles and doubles. She is currently the Assistant Athletic Director for Academic Affairs, serving as the eligibility and compliance coordinator for Columbia College in South Carolina.

M I K E S A N TO W S K I , ’ 0 6 Baseball

record for slugging percentage, runs batted in, intentional walks, chances, putouts, and double plays turned. He holds the season record for runs batted in, intentional walks, doubles, and sacrifice flies. Santowski serves on the College Alumni Association Board of Directors and is a member of the Piedmont Board of Trustees.

A LU M N I & F R I E N D S

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s one of the newest judges to sit on the Georgia Court of Appeals, Brian Rickman (’98) says his career path changed dramatically when he enrolled at Piedmont College.

Rickman, who had served as District Attorney for the Mountain Judicial Circuit, was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to fill one of three new positions on the 15-member Court of Appeals and took office in January 2016.

But a judgeship on the state’s second highest court is no surprise to members of the Piedmont Alumni Association, who recognized Rickman with a Pacesetter Award in 2008. The annual award spotlights alumni who exhibit outstanding leadership early in their careers.

PIEDMONT SETS THE PATH Rickman says it all started back in 1996 when he enrolled at Piedmont to earn a degree in sociology to advance his career as an investigator with the Banks County District Attorney’s office. “I came here to get a piece of paper and go on to something else,” Rickman said.

“But as I was here, my goals changed— what I wanted to do in life changed.”

THE STORY OF A JUDGE

Rickman said he had planned to continue in police work, but Piedmont “expanded my horizons and I started thinking about law school.” He said that English classes he took from Dr. Stephanie Almagno and anthropology courses with Dr. Max White particularly stood out. “Dr. Almagno really took an interest in my future and what I was there to do,” Rickman said. “That had a large impact on me. And Dr. White, he was from a small town like me and had gone on to do graduate work and teach. That had a huge impact as well.”

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Dr. Almagno recalled that she first recognized Rickman’s “boundless intellectual curiosity” after he chosese to research Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall for a first-year assignment. “That’s not the usual fare for a Freshman 102 paper,” she said.

Rickman graduated cum laude from Piedmont in the summer of 1998 and two weeks later began classes at the University of Georgia, studying for his law degree. Having worked in the district attorney’s office, Rickman said he was drawn early on toward the courtroom and was active on the UGA mock trial team.

After graduating UGA in 2001, Rickman worked as an assistant district attorney in the Clayton office. From 2004 to 2008 he entered into private law practice with Stockton & Stockton, later Stockton & Rickman in Clayton. “My whole family is from Rabun County, although I grew up and finished high school in Madison County,” he said. “My dad worked for Georgia Power, and we lived in Danielsville, but Rabun is always home.”

In 2008, Gov. Sonny Perdue named Rickman to fill the term of retiring Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney Mike Crawford, and he was reelected to the post twice. The circuit includes Rabun, Habersham, and Stephens counties. During his time as DA, Rickman prosecuted thousands of cases, including 15 murder cases, and was twice appointed to prosecute ethics charges against two Georgia judges.

“Being district attorney was such a rewarding job—part of me will always miss it,” Rickman said. As a DA, he said, he was an advocate for the state and

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Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Brian Rickman with administrative assistant Johnnie Eller.

emotionally attached to the outcome of each case. “As a judge, the cases are just as serious, but you are able to have a little more emotional distance. I like the analogy to a referee—my job is to call it fair,” he said.

The Georgia Court of Appeals is located in the State Judicial Building, directly across the street from the gold dome of the capitol. It is a far cry from tiny Tiger, Georgia, where Rickman lives with his wife, Maggie, and their two children. Rickman said a typical day will find him meeting with staff attorneys, researching and discussing cases, and drafting opinions. He serves on a panel with two fellow Appeals Court Judges, Michael Boggs and Anne Barnes, who meet for oral arguments and to vote on cases. The new position is more conducive to family life, Rickman said.

“Fortunately I can work from home several days a week. “ GIVING BACK AS TRUSTEE Rickman has served as a trustee of Piedmont College since 2009 and

said he plans to continue in that role.

“They’ll probably have to run me off,” he said. “Piedmont College has been incredibly good to me, and I’d be happy to give back for years and years.”

As a trustee, he said he has been most involved in areas of Student Affairs with Dean of Student Engagement Emily Pettit. “I’ve been particularly impressed with the resources available to students for occupational support,” he said. “There’s a lot done to retain students in that regard and I’ve gotten to see a lot of that first hand.”

“Piedmont College for me was life changing,” Rickman said. “Piedmont prepared me for law school and the bar examination. I tell students, there is nothing you can’t do with a Piedmont degree; there is nowhere else you can get a degree that is going to mean your choices are more open than they are at Piedmont, and I am certainly living proof of that.”

A LU M N I & F R I E N D S

2016 Alumni Association Awards The Alumni Association presented awards to four graduates at a special dinner held at the Demorest campus during Alumni Weekend.

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he late Michael Barden of Cornelia, a member of the Class of 1977, was posthumously awarded the group’s Distinguished Alumni Award, and Laura Lord Boswell (EDS ’03) of Maysville earned the Excellence in Education Award.

Michael Williams (’91) of Danielsville was honored with the Alumni Service Award, and Bryan Schroeder (’03) of Atlanta took home the Pacesetter Award, presented to young alumni who exhibit outstanding achievement early in their careers.

Barden served on the Executive Board of the Northeast Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts and was a longtime supporter of Habersham Central High School Athletics, serving as treasurer of the Touchdown Club and helping to create the Ring of Honor award.

Excellence in Education award winner Laura Lord Boswell recently completed her 28th year with the Jackson County School System and serves as the Work Based Learning (WBL) Coordinator for both county high schools. She is also a State Advisory WBL Board Member and Secretary, out-going Chair of the Northeast Georgia WBL Region, and chair of the Education Committee for the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce. She was named 2015 WBL Coordinator of the Year and 2015 Georgia Association for Career and Technical Education (GACTE) Teacher of the Year.

Piedmont College Alumni Association award recipients include, from left, Bryan Schroeder, Pacesetter; Laura Lord Boswell, Excellence in Education; Mike Williams, Alumni Service; Janice Barden, who accepted the Distinguished Alumni Award for her late husband, Michael Barden; with Lisa Black, emcee and a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors; and Piedmont President Dr. James F. Mellichamp.

Barden was a longtime member and president of the Alumni Association when he died Jan. 16, 2015. He also served as a member of the Piedmont Board of Trustees since 2013.

Barden earned a BA in Business at Piedmont and worked for the Georgia Pacific Corporation, Orbit Industries, Community Bank & Trust, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in Atlanta, and as Finance Director for Habersham County.

A LU M N I & F R I E N D S

Alumni Service award winner Michael Williams is the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction for the Madison County School District. He has served as P-Club President from 2002 to the present, overseeing the P-Club Hall of Fame.

Pacesetter winner Bryan Schroeder is Director of Stewardship and Outreach for the Georgia Conservancy, a position that involves everything from organizing trips to Georgia’s endangered seashores and rivers, to increasing the diversity of the Conservancy’s membership, to recruiting and educating the next generation of conservationists.

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lumni “On-the-Move” events are coming to a town near you! In recent weeks, the Alumni Association held a “Last Roar” party (top) in Athens for graduating seniors, and more than 125 alumni gathered Aug. 19 for an Atlanta G-Braves game (middle). In May some 30 alums gathered at TopGolf Midtown (below) for an afternoon of fun and fellowship.

On-the-Move events coming up include an Athens Campus Reunion Nov. 11, 2016, at Rogers Hall, and a second TopGolf event May 21, 2017. For more information about these and other planned events, visit www.piedmont. edu/alumni-events.

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Pictured (from left) is the first-place team of Jeff and Nick Lowry of Mt. Airy, with team sponsor Rex Poole (’60) of Demorest; and Tommy Lowry and Tom Sexton, both of Gainesville.

COACH CAVE GOLF TOURNEY WINNERS

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or the 28th year, players teed off in the annual Coach Cave Memorial Golf Tournament, held at The Orchard Golf and Country Club June 10.

Finishing in first place with a score of 53 in the best-ball tournament was a team sponsored by Rex Poole (’60) of Demorest. They were Jeff Lowry of Mt. Airy, Nick Lowry of Mt. Airy, Tommy Lowry of Gainesville, and Tom Sexton of Gainesville. The second place team, also with a score of 53, included Chris Deitzel of Monroe, Kent Feolamerio of Loganville, Ryan Kersey of Dacula, and Mike Roeser of Flowery Branch.

THANKYOU DONORS! Without the gifts of alumni, friends, businesses, churches, and foundations, it would be impossible to offer the high-quality education our students receive at an affordable price.

Joe Ingram of Gainesville made a hole-in-one—his career seventh—to win one of four closest-to-the-hole prizes.

Other closest-to-the-hole winners were Robert Baker, Tommy Lowry, and Kevin Allen.

The tournament is named for the late Leon O’Neal Cave, who served as a coach and athletic director at Piedmont from 1948 to 1983. All proceeds go to the Coach Cave Scholarship and general funding for athletics.

A big “thank you!” to all the generous donors of Piedmont College. Because of you, we are able to provide an affordable education to all students. As a private institution, we rely on your support in order to fund new academic programs, scholarships, and campus upgrades. We are appreciative of each gift we receive and are proud to recognize all donors each year in the Honor Roll of Donors, which can be found at www.piedmont.edu/donor-recognition.

If you would like to be included in the Honor Roll of Donors for 2017 (July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017), please visit our giving page (www.piedmont.edu/giving) or mail a donation to Piedmont College | PO Box 429 | Demorest, GA 30535.

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Class Note Class Notes

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1950s

Elliot Eggleston (’56) and his wife, Jeanne, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in June. Eggleston recalled that his whole family drove down from Rhode Island to see him graduate on Sunday, June 3, 1956.

After graduation, the family “packed up and drove to Birmingham” for his wedding on June 5. Elliot and Jeanne have three daughters. “I am proud to be a Piedmont graduate and am especially proud to see the progress being made in the physical plant of the college as well as the academic achievements of the students,” Eggleston wrote. “I couldn’t be more proud of ‘my college.’”

1970s

[1] Dock Sisk (’72) of Homer has been named the Naismith Women’s College Official of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. The award recognizes individuals who display character, integrity and dignity and have contributed to the growth, success and viability of college basketball. Dock is not the first Sisk to win the award. His wife, Nan, won the award in 2009. Officiating basketball is their passion—they run several officiating camps and lend their expertise to conferences throughout the country.

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1980s

Kim Brown Staples (’83) of Clarkesville received a Georgia High School Musical Theatre Schuler Award for costume design in a production she also directed of Jekyll and Hyde at Buford High School, where she teaches theatre. The BHS Theatre Department won the Showstopper Award and performed “Murder, Murder” from Jekyll & Hyde on the GPTV broadcast of the event.

1990s

[2] Fila Martinez (Emiro MartínezOsorio) (’99) is an associate professor of Colonial Latin American Literature at York University in Toronto. His book, Authority, Piracy, and Captivity in Colonial Spanish American Writing: Juan de Castellanos’s Elegies of Illustrious Men of the Indies, was recently published by Rowman & Littlefield.

Fila was the first Piedmont graduate to receive a Philosophy & Religion degree.

He earned a Master’s Degree in Romance Languages at UGA and a PhD in Spanish Literature at the University of Texas in Austin. Fila and his wife, Heather, live in Oakville, Ontario with their two children.

2000s

Tony McCullers (’00) of Monroe has been named principal of Colham Ferry Elementary School in Oconee County.

McCullers has worked for Oconee County

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Schools since 2005 and served as assistant principal of Oconee County Elementary School. He taught at North Oconee High School as an instructional technology specialist. Prior to joining OCS, he worked five years as a teacher for Newton County Schools. In 2010, McCullers was named the Teacher of the Year at NOHS. Elisa Brown (MA ’01, EDS ’03) of Duluth has been named principal at Stripling Elementary School. She previously was assistant principal at Minor Elementary School since 2012. Brown taught Spanish at Simpson Elementary School and was an assistant principal at Hopkins Elementary.

She also worked with TeachGwinnett, and has taught in Dougherty County, Onslow County, North Carolina; and the Republic of Panama.

Terry Hill (’01) of Tallahassee, Florida, has been elected to the National Association of Bar Executives (NABE) Board of Directors as the State Bar Director. The NABE, an affiliate of the American Bar Association, was founded in 1941 to serve the management staff of bar associations and law-related organizations.

F. Michelle Mclellen (’01) co-authored a report in the journal Reproductive Toxicology on the status of ongoing safety studies

Class Notes

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of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used in the production of numerous consumer products. The study is being conducted by the National Toxicology Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Mclellen works as a chemist for the FDA at the National Center for Toxicological Research in Jefferson, Arkansas.

Mary Grace Livesay Andrews (’03) and Jonas E. Andrews of Grove Hill, Alabama, were married July 18, 2015. In April 2016 they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Mary has a new position with Wells Fargo bank as loan administration manager.

She has been with Wells Fargo for more than 12 years.

Heather Malick Clift (’03) of Marietta and husband Brian announce the birth of a daughter, Madelyn Eve Clift, born Dec. 15, 2015.

Nick Kastner (’03, MBA ’06) of Gainesville received a University of North Georgia Presidential Innovation Award to study agile project management and its applications in marketing. Kastner is the marketing manager for the College of Business at UNG. [3] Cindy Williams (’04) has been named CEO of the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce. She was formerly

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president and CEO of the Blairsville-Union County Chamber of Commerce.

Dr. Josh Cuevas (MAT ’05) of Dawsonville has been named an associate professor of education at the University of North Georgia. He previously taught high school for seven years and earned a PhD in educational psychology at Georgia State University. He has been on the faculty at UNG since 2011.

Frank Daniels (EDS ’05) of Bogart has been named principal of Rockdale County High School. Daniels has worked in the Rockdale School System for 20 years as assistant principal at Rockdale Career Academy, high school director for the school system’s summer school program, and as assistant principal at Open Campus.

Kristen Oster (’05) has been promoted to Major in the U.S. Air Force and is assigned to RAF Lakenheath in England as a Disease Management Nurse. Oster has had assignments in Texas, Colorado, and Afghanistan. She and her husband, Matt, have three daughters.

Natalie Crawford (’06, MBA ’12) of Mt. Airy was elected by the Habersham County Commissioners to serve as Commission Chair in January 2016. Crawford has served on the Commission since 2013,

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representing District 4. She also has been named vice chair of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia’s Group Health Benefits Board of Directors.

Beau McLaurin Davis (’06) of Brookhaven has been named priest-in-charge of the Anglican Church of Our Redeemer in Marietta.

Sara Sarrett Lewis (‘06, MA ‘08) of Denver, Colorado, is teaching fourth and fifth grade at Joe Shoemaker School in Denver. “This summer I summited my first 14er (a word I didn’t learn until moving to Colorado), Mt. Uncompahgre, which stands at 14,309 feet!” Lewis writes. “I plan on hiking many more in the future! I am enjoying connecting with Georgia folks way out here in Colorado and am feeling more and more at home here every day! I thank Piedmont for my amazing education and my time in Demorest for helping me cultivate a love for mountain life!”

[4] Candice Felice (’07, MBA ’11) received the Piedmont College Mass Communications Alumni Award for outstanding journalism in radio. Felice has been programming director for Piedmont’s Georgia Public Broadcasting station, WPPR (88.3 FM), for eight years and host of Community Life in Northeast Georgia and other local programming.

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Class Notes

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[5] Tessa Heaton (MA ’09, EDS ’13) of Buford has been named athletic director at Duluth High School. Heaton has been a soccer coach at Duluth since 2009 and last year was named head women’s coach, leading the team to the state playoffs in Region 7-AAAAAA. She was the goalkeeper coach at Piedmont while studying for her master’s degree.

[6] Jennifer Gathercoal Kimbro (’09) of Snellville and husband Nathaniel announce the birth of a daughter, Carolyn Elizabeth, born Oct. 21, 2015.

Abby White (’09, MBA ’10) and Zac Stein (’10, MBA ’12) of Toccoa were married May 4, 2016, in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Abby is assistant director of human resources at Stephens County Hospital, and Zac is an accountant with Argos.

2010s

Maghan Holmes (’10, MAT ’12, EDS ’16) of Madison was named Teacher of the Year at Morgan County Elementary School, where she teaches music.

Sean Maguire (’10, MBA ’12) and Rebecca Maguire (‘12, MBA ‘14) were married Sept. 26, 2015 at in Snellville.

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Jennifer Adams (EDS ’11) of Bishop has been named principal of Oconee County Primary School. Adams has worked for OCS since 1998 and served as assistant principal of Oconee County Middle School.

She taught for 11 years at Malcom Bridge Elementary and Rocky Branch Elementary before becoming assistant principal of High Shoals Elementary, where she worked five years before transferring to OCMS in 2014.

Adams was named Teacher of the Year for Rocky Branch in 2007 and was selected as the district-level Teacher of the Year. Before joining OCS, Adams worked four years as a teacher for the Madison County School System.

[7] Dr. Aimee Cribbs (EDS ’11, EDD ’13), an adjunct professor of education at Piedmont and a teacher at Ellijay Elementary School, received national recognition from the Austin, Texas-based “Inspired2Educate,” which encourages educators to honor the teachers who inspired them to embrace education as a career. You can find out more and watch Cribbs’ video at insp2ed.org.

[8] Steven King (MA ’12, EDS ’13), a science specialist at Whit Davis Elementary School in Athens, was named by President Obama as a recipient of the $10,000 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching from

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the National Science Foundation. King was one of 213 teachers in the U.S. to receive the award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 8. King also won a Jenny Penney Oliver General Classroom Grant of $1,000 for his program “Geology Rocks!” and has been awarded a grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Nongame Conservation Section to help teach students about nature and wildlife.

Haley M. Cawthon (’13) of Atlanta graduated in May with a Master of Divinity degree from the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, where she received the Academic Achievement in Writing & Research Award and the Outstanding Scholar Award.

Jeremy Douylliez (’13, MBA ’15) is the new public relations and digital marketing manager for the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia. The ASC is noted for performing Shakespeare’s works under their original staging conditions.

[9] Brianna Foley (’13) of Sugar Hill and Taylor Greer were married April 2, 2016.

They both teach high school chorus in the Gwinnett County School System.

Class Notes

Seven members of the Piedmont family who retired this year were celebrated at the annual Trustees luncheon. Pictured with President James F. Mellichamp (left) and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Petty Rettig (right) are William S. Loyd (’12), Director of Special Projects and Community Relations; Dr. Lisa Hodgens (’88), Professor of English; Lores M. Hauck (’05), Assistant Professor of Spanish; Dr. Ellen C. Briggs (’91), Professor of Education; Dr. Donna G. Andrews (’96) Professor of Education; and Vicki D. Herron (’00), Accounting Assistant. Inset: The Rev. Dr. Ashley M. Cook Cleere (’99), Chaplain and Associate Professor of Religion and Philosophy.

Analilia Gowan (’13, MAT ’15) of Demorest and husband Brannon announce the birth of a son, Aiden William, born April 17, 2016. Analilia is an admissions advisor at Piedmont College.

Jessica Hollis (’13, MBA ’14) of Flowery Branch and Bret Sweeney were married June 4, 2016.

Sonya Leckman Loso (’13) and Jens Loso were married March 13, 2016. They both work at the LeTourneau Christian Center in Rushville, New York.

Kenneth F. Hearn (’16) of McDonough has been accepted into the medical program at Augusta University. Hearn graduated summa cum laude in April with a double degree in biology and chemistry.

As a senior, Hearn started in goal for the Lions soccer team all 17 games, with five shutouts.

Laura Carter (’16) of Locust Grove has been accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at Brenau University.

Alana Hall (’16) of Seabrook, Texas, has been accepted to the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, where she is pursuing a DVM degree.

Billy Beguhn (’16) of Dacula was accepted into the Mercer University College of Pharmacy in Atlanta. Beguhn graduated in April with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology.

FACULTY

Dr. Jeri-Mae Astolfi, artist-in-residence, has released a new album of solo piano recordings featuring the compositions of North Carolina composer Betty Wishart.

Piano Sonorities includes 24 works by Wishart that explore the traditional and non-traditional sounds of the piano.

Monika Schulte, associate professor of German and International Office coordinator at Piedmont, was named Professor of the Year in May by the Georgia chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German.

Dr. Perry Rettig, vice president for academic affairs and professor of education, has a new book, Reframing Decision Making in Education, published July 2016 by Rowman & Littlefield.

Faculty on the Piedmont Spelling Bee team raised more than $1,000 for the AthensClarke County Literacy Council. Congrats to Clay Crowder, Isabelle Crowder, Casey Nixon, and coach Teresa Secules, who all represented the smaragdine and aureate well, but alas crashed on the word “espial.”

Dr. Don Gnecco, Dean of the School of Education, has released an album of original songs titled What Next?, sung

by Lydie Koffi (’14, MAT ’16). The album includes 12 inspirational songs and is the fourth album Gnecco has produced.

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In Memory Carl Gilbert Darnell (’42-43) of Perry, Georgia, died April 3, 2015. He was 93. He was a member of the Lions basketball team and a member of the J.S. Green society. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and worked for Kraft Foods for 35 years.

Virginia Garrison Leone (’43) of Northampton, Massachusetts, died April 6, 2016. She taught English and worked at Boston University Medical School and Boston City Hospital. Survivors include her husband, Dr. Louis A. Leone, and a sister, Sarah Garrison Heindel.

William “Wicky” Loy Loudermilk Sr. (’49) of Cleveland, Georgia, died July 27, 2016. He was 96. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. At Piedmont, he played baseball, basketball, and tennis and was inducted into the Piedmont Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982.

He taught and coached at Clarkesville High School, North Georgia Technical College, Toccoa High School, Nacoochee High School, and White County High School.

Ralph E. White (’49) of Alto, Georgia, died Sept. 12, 2016. He was 95. He was a veteran of World War II. He began his long teaching career at Hickory Flat School in 1951 and retired as assistant principal at Banks County High School. White is the father of Piedmont professor Dr. Max White and grandfather of David White (’03) of Dayton, Tennessee.

Conny H. Shirley (’55) of Clarkesville, Georgia, died May 2, 2016. He was 85.

Born in Rabun County, he was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War. Shirley served as a teacher, counselor, and principal in the Rabun County School System. He was dean of students and later vice president of student affairs at North Georgia Technical College for more than 25 years.

James MacDonald Day (’56) of Arlington, Virginia, died May 24, 2013. He was 82. Day was a member of the Airborne Rangers and worked for the CIA from 1956–60. He graduated from the Washington College of Law and in 1969 was appointed director of

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the Office of Hearings and Appeals at the Department of Interior. He established the Oil and Natural Energy course at Washington College and taught as an adjunct professor from 1984 to 2013. Survivors include his wife Carolyn Payne Day (’56), and their son and daughter.

Martha Ann Jones Holcomb (’56) of Clarkesville, Georgia, died June 6, 2016.

She was 79. She was secretary of her senior class and the Student Association, a member of Theta Zeta Phi, and a member of The Yonahian yearbook staff. She was the nursery director at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Clarkesville for more than 40 years.

Billy Earl “Bill” Murray (’56–57) of Lavonia, Georgia, died Thursday, Dec. 24, 2015. He was 84. Murray was retired from the South Carolina Department of Education as finance officer and was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Martin.

Kim Helseth (’58) of Dade City, Florida, died Jan. 7, 2016. He was 78. Born in Minnesota, he was a member of the Protropian Literary Society at Piedmont.

He earned an MBA at Minnesota State University and was a software quality analyst.

Ruby Ione Allen Reid (’58) of Cleveland, Georgia, died Feb. 20, 2016. She was 87. Born in White County, she taught for 32 years with the White County School System. She was a longtime member of Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church, where she was involved in the choir and taught Sunday School.

Mary Lenora Faver (’66–67) of Demorest, Georgia, died June 12, 2015. She was 92.

Faver was retired from the DeKalb County Health Department and worked many years as a Summer School secretary at Emory University. Survivors include her daughter, Liat Faver (’10) of Demorest.

Maletta Jewell Collins Bond (’75) of Seneca, South Carolina, died July 21, 2016.

She was 64. Born in Oconee County, South Carolina, she worked as a property manager for the South Carolina Regional Housing Authority.

Mary Theresa Mays-Albanese (MA ’00) of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, died Feb. 23, 2016. She taught art for more than 20 years at Wesleyan School in Norcross and at the Georgia Walton Academy in Monroe. She was inducted into the Fine Arts Circle of Honor at Wesleyan School in Spring 2015.

Candace Emily Byers Simmons (MAT ’01) of Jefferson, Georgia, died May 2, 2016.

She was 40. A graduate of Perry High School, she taught at Commerce High School and Jefferson Middle School.

Justin Bishop Poole (’07) of Commerce died March 23, 2016. He was 31. Born in Stephens County, he worked for Magnolia Doors and Windows. He was a member of Line Baptist Church where he served as a sound technician.

Alison Brock Mastin Crossman (EDS ’10) of Lawrenceville, Georgia, died April 16, 2016. Born in Winchester, Kentucky, she taught choral music in Gwinnett County schools for 28 years, the last 19 at her alma mater, Berkmar High School.

FRIENDS

Joan Titus of Cornwall, Connecticut, died March 5, 2016. She was 85. Born in Bronxville, New York, Titus was a real estate broker in Cornwall for more than 40 years.

She previously worked as a reporter for Time-Life Broadcasting and Time magazine, and she conducted extensive research on the life of Lillian Smith.

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ALUMNI WEEKEND APRIL 7-9 2017

Reconnect and reunite with the classmates, the faculty, and the campus that made your Piedmont experience so powerful. Alumni Weekend is your opportunity to relive your favorite memories while learning about today's Piedmont and its bold new direction for tomorrow.

Visit us online for a list of the weekend’s events, and be sure to contact Katie Lampl if you are interested in hosting a reunion or volunteering for an event on campus.

piedmont.edu/alumni-weekend