CLASS NOTES
the site directors for an orphanage and have applied for residency. Along with their children Josie and Gabriel, they have started a new life as missionaries. She chronicles her experiences in a blog, which can be found on Weebly. In August, they initiated one of their first projects, called Village Values of Be Responsible, Obedient, Loving, and Honest. Laura Cunningham ’96 was named Stars of Industry’s Lodging Employee of the Year by the Tennessee Hospitality Association. She has been accepted into the prestigious concierge organization, Les Clefs d’Or. The worldwide association has approximately 3,800 members in 50 countries, with 600 in the U.S. and only two in Tennessee. Laura has been at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville for five years and is now their Chef Concierge. Scott Gelinas ’96 served for 11 years with the U.S. Army, departing in 2013 with the rank of Sergeant First Class. His final assignment was on Okinawa, Japan. He works as a government contractor in the Washington, D.C. area and has returned to school for a master’s degree in international relations. He lives in Virginia with his wife, Susan. Richard Lodge ’97 wrote, “My partner of nine years and I were married in a small ceremony in Los Angeles on November 1, 2013. SAS alumni attending were Sierra Schneider ’97 and Marianna Madico ’97. I currently work as the tax director for a small family office in Beverly Hills. My husband, also named Richard, and I are very happy and raising our two cats.” Maggie Shults ’99 is pictured with Michael Benjamin ’04 and former faculty member Rebecca Nelson when they met in April for an impromptu round of beer and tacos in Dallas, Texas. Maggie has been drafted by her classmates to organize their next reunion in 2019. She lives in Dallas and is a field consultant with 7-Eleven. Rebecca is Head of Middle School at St. John’s Episcopal School, also in Dallas. Michael was traveling in the area.
2000s Joel Petrilla ’00 is acting and filmmaking. His new short comedy, reConception won the Grand Prize for Best Experimental Short Film at the 2014 Rhode Island Film Festival. The film, about a hellbent bunch of boys who break into an abandoned cargo trailer and are interrupted by the unexpected return of the owner, was written and directed by Joel. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., with his wife, Tara. He is the older brother of Ally Petrilla ’05 and Addy Petrilla ’06, who both live in Colorado.
Drew Batkin ’00 graduated in May with a BS from Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn., and owns Revival Woodcraft, a small custom woodwork and renovations business. He married Cristina Gordon in May 2013 in Charleston, S.C., with his father The Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Batkin officiating. Drew’s family now includes two 11-year-old twin stepdaughters, and an older stepdaughter who is 17. They live in Chattanooga. Dubravka Colic Ritter ’02 is a senior industry specialist at the Federal Reserve Bank in Philadelphia, Penn., where she lives with her husband, Moritz, and their 15-month old daughter, Lena. Moritz is a professor at Temple University. Alex Hill ’03 was a graduate student at Penn State University between 2008 and 2014, receiving an MS and PhD in biological anthropology with research focusing on sexual selection in humans and nonhuman primates. He celebrated graduation with a trip to New Zealand for a Hill family reunion and is pictured with his cousin at the top of Mt. Eden in Auckland. Alex is currently a postdoctoral research associate in the Penn State Department of Anthropology. Richard Newman ’04 announced his call to be the Director of Music for Grace Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Va. He moved from Michigan to start his new position on August 31. Richard received his doctorate in music from The University of Michigan and was the organ scholar at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Detroit.
Jade McBee Barry ’04 and husband Brandon Barry ’03 welcomed their son, Stratton Fin Barry, on Sept. 13, 2014. Jade is pictured at a summer baby shower with SAS alumni Tori Smith Counts ’98, Hallie Gladstone Barrett ’04, Lydia Orr Barry ’04, and Nichole Hidalgo Jordan ’04. She is a clinical dietician at the Health Center at Standifer Place in Chattanooga. Brandon is an engineer at US Stove. Stratton is the couple’s first child. Grace Brooks ’04 married Kenny Ratchford at her family home in Lookout Mountain, Tenn., on Oct. 4, 2014. In addition to Grace’s family members, mother, Susan Lawrence Brooks StA ’78; brother, David Brooks ’02; and uncle, Stephen Lawrence StA ’80; other SAS alumni present were Whitney Able ’01, Vivian Gray Ramsey ’02, and Jill Burfete ’01. The couple lives in Chattanooga where Grace is a yoga therapist. Francesca Penner ’05 moved from San Francisco to Nashville, Tenn., to finish work on a master’s degree in education with Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. She serves with Charlie Shrader ’05 and Anneke Skidmore ’05 as co-reunion leaders for their 10th year reunion in June. Ally Petrilla ’05 moved from Atlanta to Denver, Colo., where she is both a professional trainer and professional musician. She is certified by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America and the American College of Sports and Medicine, and has completed work on a master’s in public health from Emory University. With her band, Royal Hills, she opened for Grammy award winning artist Macy Gray at the Marquis Theater in Denver on September 23. She wrote, “Our band met very serendipitously and our writing chemistry has been amazing. We submitted numerous original songs and did not expect much since the demos were recorded acoustically in a basement. Macy Gray’s touring manager liked them enough to invite us to open for her at the Marquis.” Ally and her sister Addy Petrilla ’06 completed the 70.3 Ironman Augusta competition in September.