s s a l C tes � N ’89 ’71 ’87
NANCY JACK, B.S. in agriculture, was honored
by the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science at the University of Arkansas. The department established the Nancy Jack Award for Equine Excellence. Jack was an associate professor of animal science at Arkansas for 15 years. In addition to her degree from Tarleton, Jack received her master’s and doctorate from New Mexico State University.
HARRY SAVIO, B.A. in government, has joined
Walton Development and Management in Austin as the company’s senior planning and development manager. Prior to taking the position, Savio worked as the vice president of government relations for the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin for more than 25 years.
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MIKE PENRY, B.S. in agricultural business, was
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MIKE LEESE, M.A. in educational administration,
re-elected to a second term on the Cleveland city council. Penry has been the vice president of First Bank and Trust in Cleveland since 2000. He is an officer in the local Lions Club as well as a board member for the Cleveland Senior Citizens Center and Austin Memorial Library.
has been promoted to Associate Vice President for Student Life at Tarleton. Prior to returning to Tarleton in 2012, Leese worked at Texas A&M University and later served as associate vice president and dean of students at Southwestern University in Georgetown. In addition, Leese earned his bachelor’s from Tarleton in government and earned his doctorate in higher education administration from Texas A&M.
BOB WHITNEY, B.S. in agricultural education, is teaching
agriculture on a worldwide scale, with his next assignment located in Tunisia in North Africa. He spent 28 years with Texas AgriLife Extension and retired in 2010. After retiring, Whitney has continued sharing his agricultural knowledge in places like Honduras, Iraq and South Africa.
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RONDA RIBBLE, B.S. in elementary education,
was named Educator of the Year by the Springtown Chamber of Commerce. Ribble has dedicated her 31-year professional career to the middle and high school students, teachers and administration of the Springtown Independent School District. She has served as a high school assistant principal, director of the Alternative Learning Campus and is the assistant principal at Springtown Middle School. In addition to her degree from Tarleton, Ribble received her master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University.
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SHARON HAYES, B.S. in biology, has been
appointed as the city manager of Weatherford. Prior to the position, Hayes served as assistant city manager. She started with the city in 1985. In addition to her Tarleton degree, Hayes earned a master’s degree in environmental science from Texas Christian University and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of North Texas.
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KRISTINE KLINE, B.B.A. in accounting, was
selected as the new principal of Laura Bush Elementary in the Leander Independent School District. Kline previously served as the lower school principal at Hill Country Christian School. In addition to her degree from Tarleton, she earned her master’s degree from Texas State University.
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JERRY BLAISDELL, B.A.A. in criminal justice,
retired from serving as city manager of Weatherford. Prior to being appointed to the position in 2009, Blaisdell served as assistant city manager and police chief. He is certified as a master peace officer as well as a member of the FBI’s National Academy Associates, Inc., International Association of Chiefs of Police, Rotary International, Texas Police Association, Texas Police Chief’s Association and Parker County Sheriff Posse.
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LANCE CROSBY, B.B.A. in management, was
chosen as the keynote speaker for Penton’s HostingCon Global, which is the premier conference and trade show for hosting and cloud providers. Crosby is the founder and visionary behind SoftLayer, an IBM Company. In addition to his degree from Tarleton, Crosby earned his juris doctor from Texas Wesleyan School of Law. He is a licensed attorney in the state of Texas and is an active member of the State Bar of Texas.
KAREN MUNOZ, B.S. in interdisciplinary studies, served as
the keynote speaker for the Hispanic Seniors Recognition Banquet in Abilene. Munoz is the principal at Cooper High School. In addition to her degree from Tarleton, Munoz also received her master’s from Abilene Christian University and doctorate from Texas Tech University.
JAMES RICH, B.A. in English, received the Spirit of a
Champion Award from Duncanville Independent School District, for demonstrating expertise and leadership for the betterment of students. Rich teaches journalism and oversees all the publications for the high school. In addition to his degree from Tarleton, Rich earned his master’s from the University of North Texas.
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ALAN KUNST JR., B.B.A. in interdisciplinary business, and RALPH MATTISON JR., M.ED. in
physical education, opened a Sloan & Williams Winery together in 2013. The venture has done so well that the duo has opened a second location in Grapevine. Kunst and Mattison met in the ROTC while at Tarleton and both went on to serve in the military.