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A GLOBAL EXPERIENCE TO SAVOR
Hungry for an international adventure? After these recent COVID-restricted years, you may be ready to venture abroad—whether in person or from your seat in Callaway Auditorium. Either way, join us for the upcoming 3D Journeys series “Taste of Tuscany.” The lectures begin January 23, and our in-person journey to Italy takes off in May. You can find more information on the inside back cover of this magazine.
MARTHA PIRKLE DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS
P.S. And don’t forget: If you’ve been enjoying your own international adventure, send us a photo featuring you in that exotic locale. Email it to alumni@lagrange.edu.
1950s
1957 Dr. Judy Greer H'07 of Oxford was honored by the Wesley Woods Foundation with the Heroes, Saints and Legends Award. The honor is given to leaders who have blazed historic trails and widened paths for others through extensive community leadership.
1960s
1960 Gerald C. Becham of LaGrange was honored by the LaGrange Lions Club with a donation to the LaGrange Memorial Library for his service as Regional Director from 1982-1987.
1960 Dr. Don Murphy, Ph.D., of Atlanta has been elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Psychotherapists.
1968 Omar Lewis Humphrey of Pensacola, Florida, has been named to the 11-member board of directors of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, which supports and promotes the world-renowned National Naval Aviation Museum. He is a former Marine Corps fighter pilot, Vietnam veteran and retired public company financial services EVP.
Georgia Calloway Towns ’49, right, and Susanne Burnside ’62 of Raleigh, North Carolina, display their college spirit at their retirement home.
1970s
1975 Bonnie Funderburk Dudley of LaGrange, a member of LaGrange College's Wisteria Garden Club and Elms and Roses Council President, was named Redbud District CoDirector elect for the coming 2023-25 term.
1975 Marcia Naglee Kates of Quinton, New Jersey, is the co-owner and vice president of Kates Realty LLC.
1977 Brian Page of Atlanta authored the book “The Wright Engineers: Inventing the Airplane.”
1977 Dr. Joseph Hicks of Tokoyo, Japan, has published the book “Senryu - The Modern Senryu Poems of Shouzen Sugiyama in English Translation.”
Gerald C Becham ’60 of LaGrange, right, was honored by the LaGrange Lions Club with a donation to the LaGrange Memorial Library for his service as Regional Director from 1982-1987. He is joined by Lions Club President Shane Frailey, left, and Library Director Keith Schuermann.
1980s
1981 Kathy Reese McCollum M'17 of Macon has been named Chair of the LaGrange College Board of Trustees. She is the first female to hold this role in the history of the college.
1983 Martha Jane Cooley M.Ed.'84 of Marietta has been named to the LaGrange College Board of Trustees.
1984 Lisa Bonner Tunstall of Nashville, Tennessee, has been named to the LaGrange College Board of Trustees.
1986 Michael T. Fay of Miami, Florida, has been named to the LaGrange College Board of Trustees. He was also recognized in the Real Estate Florida 500 as one of Florida's most influential business leaders.
1988 The Rev. Dr. Brian E. Germano of Newnan has been appointed to lead Crossroads United Methodist Church.
1988 Jeffrey Lofton of Washington, D.C., has written a novel, “Red Clay Suzie,” inspired by true events.
1989 Melanie Cummings of Phenix City, Alabama, was cast in “Twisted Tales of Poe,” a Lafayette Theatre Company production.
1990s
1990 Jennifer Beedy Booker of LaGrange has returned to the Hill as the new Alumni and Development Coordinator.
1990 Billy Brady of Atlanta writes under the pseudonym of Foster Campbell. He has published “In Old Pima County” and “Georgia, From the Shadows.”
1991 Melissa Estes Kirkland of LaGrange has retired from the Troup County School system, where she served as the principal of Callaway Middle School. She is now working as a Physics Specialist at Auburn University - College of Sciences and Mathematics with its Science in Motion outreach program.
1992 DeeAnne Fuller of LaGrange is the Accounting Assistant at LaGrange College.
1992 Melissa Daniel Pittman of LaGrange will participate in the 2022-2023 Leadership Troup Class.
1993 Kelly J. Britsky of Americus graduated with a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Leadership and Practice degree from the University of North Georgia.
1994 Jim Thornton of LaGrange will assume the role of Director of Governmental Relations for the Georgia Municipal Association in November 2022. He will resign as Mayor of LaGrange.
1995 Tracy Schuster Fox of Waverly Hall is the Chief Resource Officer for the Troup County School system.
Jim Thornton ’94 of LaGrange, center, was inducted into the Georgia Municipal Association's Government Hall of Fame on June 27 at GMA’s annual convention in Savannah. He was mayor of LaGrange for nine years until Nov. 23, when he assumed the position of Director of Governmental Relations for GMA.
1998 Dr. Vicki T. Pheil M'00 of LaGrange was awarded the Henry H. Hill Laureate Scholarship through the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education for doctoral studies. She successfully defended her dissertation in October, earning her Ed.D. Pheil serves as the Psi Nu Chapter Advisor of Kappa Delta Pi at LaGrange College. Also, she is completing her second year of a twoyear term as president of the Georgia Field Directors Association. Last year, she was awarded the Paul R. Hanna Laureate Scholarship through the Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education.
Executive Director of Get Troup Reading Kim Meyers, left, and April Canada Bartley '00, M'01 presented the 2022 Leadership Troup reading initiative to the LaGrange Lions Club. They are joined by Lions Club President Shane Frailey and Leslie Traylor, Member Engagement Director with the LaGrange-Troup Chamber of Commerce.
Matt ’07, M’09 and Casey Dugas Montgomery ’12, M'14 pause with President Baxter while visiting campus after returning from Albania, where they taught at an international baccalaureate program. They are currently teaching in Doha, Qatar.
Kathy Randall Bryant ‘05 of Salisbury, North Carolina, was ordained as an Elder in Full Connection with the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church at the Annual Conference in June. Pictured with Kathy is her father, Ashley Randall and husband, John Bryant.
2000s
2000 Josh Fenn of Newnan was recognized by the Georgia 500 for Economic Development. He serves as the Executive Director for the Henry County Development Authority.
2003 The Rev. Jennifer Fletcher Anderson of Augusta has been appointed to lead St. John Augusta United Methodist Church.
2003 The Rev. Julie Schendel of Senoia has been appointed to lead Senoia First United Methodist Church.
2004 The Rev. Erik Mays of West Point has been appointed to lead West Point United Methodist Church.
2005 Hanna Andrews Beall M'06 of LaGrange has been named principal of Hogansville Elementary School.
2006 Margaret Bagwell Frazier of Jonesborough, Tennessee, was consecrated a United Methodist Deaconess at United Women in Faith Assembly in Orlando, Florida.
2006 The Rev. Blair Tolbert of Marietta has been appointed to serve Marietta First United Methodist Church.
2006 Tara Stanford Vaughn of LaGrange will participate in the 2022-2023 Leadership Troup Class.
2007 Jon Godfrey of Parrish, Florida, has joined the music faculty at Florida Southern College as an Adjunct Professor of Guitar.
2007 Amy James Laney of LaGrange is a certified family nurse practitioner.
2008 Landon M. Baize of Peachtree City accepted a position as Field Marketing Manager at U.S. Oral Surgery Management.
2008 The Rev. Ashley Fitzpatrick Jenkins of Cartersville has been appointed to lead Trinity at The Well United Methodist Church.
2008 Shannah Meares Mabry M'09 of Pine Mountain is principal at Clearview Elementary School.
LC friends met in LaGrange at Cracker Barrel. They are, clockwise from left, Bryan Basham ’79, M ’94; Chris “Moose” Vreeland ’78; Ron Farr ’77; Derek Bowen ’77, ’97; Ricky “Meatball” Jolly ’77; Steve Cagle ’78; and Randal Parmer ’76.
Alumni gathered at the home of Ron ’77 and Cheryl Rhyne Farr ’77. They are, front row, from left, Karen Thompson ’80, Louise Wynne Smith ’79, Connie Jarrell, Susan Knight Walton ’77, back row, Scott Price ‘78, Sherryl Stephens Myrick ’78, Kerry Myrick, Jerome ’74 and Della Adsit Ridley ’75, Ron Farr ’77 and Reggie Jarrell ’75.
Mary Pauley ’94, right, and Mellody Hartelius-Reaves, center, of LaGrange were given a campus tour by Jennifer Beedy Booker ‘90, Alumni and Development Coordinator.
Abby Noble ’06 of Macon, left, returned to campus with her niece, Sydney Hudson, and sister, Ami Hudson, for an Admission tour.
Kenyetta Alexander ’99 of Coral Springs, Florida, is a partner at Osherow, PLLC, law firm.
2010s
2010 Andrew Lowery is the facilities director for National Management Resources Corporation at LaGrange College.
2010 Wesley Meares of North Augusta, South Carolina, was selected as the recipient of the 2022 Augusta University Program Teaching Excellence Award, Master of Public Administration.
2011 Britt Gaylor M'13 of LaGrange accepted the boys basketball coach position at LaGrange Academy.
2011 George B. Lankford, Ph.D., of Herndon, Virginia, has been named to the LaGrange College Board of Trustees.
2011 The Rev. Kaylen Short has been appointed to lead Pine Mountain United Methodist Church.
2011 Caitlin Vest of New Bedford, Massachusetts, is the program director for ASPIRE, a substance abuse prevention program for middle school students. She has worked for a nonprofit mental health agency for five years.
2012 Cody Furse of Kennesaw is the Program Coordinator for the Office of Executive Programs for Terry College of Business, a division of the University of Georgia.
2012 Nick Griffin of LaGrange will participate in the 2022-2023 Leadership Troup Class. He was also recognized with the Gail Hendricks Volunteerism Award at the ASPIRE Awards for his work with the West Georgia Wolverines, an adapted sports team that plays wheelchair handball, basketball and football.
2012 Gerald Lancaster of Temple is assistant aerial port manager in the U.S. Air Force at Dobbins Air Force Base.
2013 Austin Burns of New Bedford, Massachusetts, is the music minister at Pilgrim United Church of Christ and activities assistant at a skilled care facility in Middletown, Rhode Island. He teaches voice, piano and guitar and regularly performs his music at private events throughout New England.
2014 Meg Westbrook of Tucker is the executive and physician recruitment coordinator at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
2015 Leah Foster Chapman of LaGrange is the youth minister at LaGrange First United Methodist Church.
2015 Caleb Cunningham of Glendale, California, earned a Master of Divinity from The Master's Seminary.
2015 Loishirl Hall of LaGrange is in a fellowship at DC Affordable Law Firm (DCALF), which provides affordable and accessible legal services to modest and lower income D.C. residents. As part of the fellowship, 2022 graduates will receive a no-cost LL.M. in Advocacy from Georgetown University Law Center while working with DCALF.
2015 Lindsey Cole Robinson of LaGrange and her business, The Local Chiropractic, are in their second successful year of hosting "The Season of Giving.” The food drive's goal is to provide holiday food boxes for 100 families in Troup County.
2016 Teresa Lee Foshee of Sharpsburg was selected as the Newnan-Coweta June artist of the month in the Newnan Times-Herald.
2016 Shelby Holcomb Goins MAT'21 of LaGrange is entering her sixth year at Callaway High School teaching graphic design. She won Teacher of the year for the 2021/2022 school year and serves as the student council advisor and head volleyball coach.
2016 Mary Kate Nix of LaGrange was promoted to Operations Manager at Sweetland Amphitheatre.
2016 Keith Sims of Columbus was awarded the Rising Star award by the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Columbus and the Valley Magazine for his community contribution at the MercyMed Farm.
2016 Nick Stavrow of Cohutta is an Actuary at Alliant Health Plans.
2017 Michael Barcena of LaGrange is an account executive in the therapy school division of Soliant.
Margaret Bagwell Frazier ’06 of Jonesborough, Tennessee, with her husband, Caleb, and their children Ruby and Everett at her consecration ceremony as a United Methodist Deaconess
Joe Montgomery M’20 of Rome pauses with President Susanna Baxter at the Leadership Georgia Gala.
Keith Sims ’16 of Columbus received the Rising Star award from the Greater Columbus Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Columbus Valley magazine for his community contributions at the MercyMed Farm. He is shown here with, from left, his mother, Kathy Sims; wife, Anna Sims; and father, Dr. Mike Sims.
Nick Griffin ’12 of LaGrange received the Gail Hendricks Volunteerism Award at the ASPIRE Awards for his work with the West Georgia Wolverines, an adapted sports team that plays wheelchair handball, basketball and football.
2017 Marc A. Barnes, Ph.D., M'17 of New Orleans, Louisiana, has joined the United Negro College Fund as the first senior vice president, principal gifts officer.
2017 Kyle Gutowski of Atlanta became a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society.
2017 Alison Jiles of Carrollton joined LifeLink as a Family Care Coordinator.
2017 Tyler Langston of Tampa, Florida, is the business development manager at The Identity Tampa Bay, part of the Vinik Sports Group.
2017 Anthony Scolapio of Ponte Verde Beach, Florida, has rejoined the PGA Tour as the yield management specialist in the revenue operations group.
2018 The Rev. Garrett Wallace has been appointed as associate pastor at Dunwoody United Methodist Church.
2019 The Rev. John Dale Giefing of Knoxville, Tennessee, has been appointed to the Holston Conference of East Tennessee of the United Methodist Church.
2019 Seth Golden of Macon and a Mercer Law Graduate passed the bar exam.
2019 Eli Grant of Auburn, Alabama, has accepted the position of theatre teacher at East Sanford School.
2019 Carolyn Harkness of Jackson is the head coach of the Troup County Comprehensive High School girls soccer team in LaGrange.
2019 C.J. Lord of Atlanta has been appointed as youth director at Oak Grove United Methodist Church.
2019 Mary Elizabeth Loftus Olson of LaGrange is the assistant district attorney for the Coweta Judicial Circuit.
2019 Carson Powell of McDonough is an associate scientist at Loxo Oncology at Lilly, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Company.
2020s
2020 Nathan Brown of LaGrange with Gay & Joseph, CPA, P.C., will participate in the 2022-2023 Leadership Troup Class.
2020 Melanie Bartlett Chambers of LaGrange was awarded licensed professional counselor association student of the year for 2022. She passed the national counselor examination.
2020 Kelton Hunt of LaGrange is an Adjunct Professor in the Music Department at LaGrange College. He was also in “Twisted Tales of Poe,” a Lafayette Theatre Company production.
Kortney Jennings '16 of LaGrange designed the 2022 Christmas seal for the Kappa Delta Foundation, which helps raise funds for scholarships, internships, educational opportunities and leadership training for KD members.
Leah Foster Chapman ’15, center, is the youth minister at LaGrange First United Methodist Church.
During the 3D Journeys trip to Boston, President Susanna Baxter and First Gentleman Mark Huffman hosted a group of LC alumni living in the Boston area. Shown here are, from left, Rebecca Roth Nicks, Vice President for Advancement; Patrick Reynolds '15; Layla Zeitouni '17; President Baxter; James McGehee '10; Mark Huffman; and Martha Pirkle, Director of Alumni and Community Relations.
2020 Ratoya Mason of LaGrange is the Interim Director of Counseling and Career Services at LaGrange College.
2020 Jair Portillo of Gainesville earned a master's degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Valdosta State University. He will continue his work with DCI Consulting.
2021 Savanna Hicks Hunt of LaGrange is the Lower School Drama Teacher at LaGrange Academy. She was also cast in “Twisted Tales of Poe,” a Lafayette Theatre Company production.
2022 Riley Hammet of Atlanta started as a Sales Associate with Ryan Transportation Services.
2022 Sarah Brooks Powell of LaGrange will participate in the 2022-2023 Leadership Troup Class.
Chad Daniel ‘12, left, Head Football Coach at West Jackson Middle School; and Evan Conway, son of the late Joel Conway M’02 and grandson of Tom Conway ’69, celebrate an undefeated football season and championship for Northeast Georgia Regional Middle School 7th/8th grades.
Births
To Jase Crenshaw '08, M'09 and Brantley Cole Crenshaw M'17, a son, Hudson Crawford, on March 17, 2022
To Amy Hartman Harder '10 and her husband, Christopher, a son, Callan Anderson on May 10, 2022
To Rebekah Ralph M'10, Ed.S.'15 and her husband, William, a son, Weston Grant, on May 9, 2022
To Caitlin Vest-Burns '11 and Austin Burns '13, a son, Julian Kieran, on March 7, 2022
To Glenn L. Gantner '11 and his wife, April, a son, Kai Obi, on October 25, 2022
To Michael May '13 and Taylor Dixon May '14, a daughter, Anniston Beth, on March 16, 2022
To Conrad Clevenger '14 and his wife, Abigail Anne, a son, Landon Everett, on April 27, 2022
To Alyese Wilkerson Cross '14 and her husband, Jeremy, a daughter, River Lee, on January 18, 2022
To Katie Anderson Kent '14, M'17 and her husband, Zach, a daughter, Ruth Morgan, on June 17, 2022
To Elizabeth Pittman White '14 and her husband, Taylor, a son, Maxton, on March 14, 2022
To Samantha Murrah Simonton '16 and her husband, Christopher, a son, Luke James, on June 3, 2022
To Clayton Simon '17 and Rachael Thomas Simon '18, a son, Rome Clayton, on August 6, 2022
To Chris '18 and Delani White Smith '18, a daughter, Lucy Jeanne, on May 7, 2022
To Dustey Reeves Meadows '21 and her husband, Nate, a daughter, Everett Kate, on November 11, 2022
Austin ’13 and Caitlin Vest Burns '11 of New Bedford, Massachusetts, with their son, Julian Kieran
Nina Wyman Bradford ’18 and her husband, Jack, of LaGrange with their children, Robert and Isla.
Lauren Gledhill Gann ‘12 was inducted as the 2022-2023 President of the Carrollton Dawnbeakers Rotary Club. Pictured with Lauren is her husband, Curtis, and daughter, Amelia.
Engagements
Agrlin Fredrick Braxton '20 to Shania Reeves on May 30, 2022
Colby Ryan Heath '20 to Sandra E. Henson '22 on September 15, 2021
Maura Helena Webb '20 to Salvatore Catalano M'20 on May 29, 2022
Trenton Michael Cook '21 to Alanna Evelyn Martin '20 on April 24, 2022
DeMarcus J. Formbly '22 to Alexis Simmons '22 on March 29, 2022
Weddings
Jennifer Miller Allgood '95 to Eric Pitts '97 on May 20, 2022
Sarah Elizabeth Decker '02 to Benjamin Halpern on October 30, 2022
Alison “Alie” Mary Jones ’10 to Charles Terry on June 5, 2022
Precious Sewell White '11 to Ashley Elizabeth Bragg on August 27, 2022
Blake Thomas Schuck '16 to Ashton Pike on October 14, 2022
Jessica Ann Morton '17 to Zack Bias on May 14, 2022
Jesse Jaymes Stermer '17 to Summer Brooks on October 15, 2022
Andrew D. Vanderbrook '17 to Lauren Olivia Johnson '18 on September 18, 2022
Emily Catherine Barrs '18 to Amber Johns on March 19, 2022
Christopher Daniel Jones '18 to Rebekah Jamison Lee '18 on November 4, 2022
Justyn Elwood Olson '18, M'21 and Mary Elizabeth Loftus '19 on May 2022
Jacob Cyrus Richards '18 to Katie Nicole Jacobsen '19 on November 5, 2022
Bonny Katherine Woods '18 to Justin Gunn on March 27, 2021
Lauren Michelle Sanders '19 to Evan Gresham on October 15, 2022
Elizabeth “Libby” Alden Compton '20, M'22 to Joseph Hastings on June 18, 2022
Kelton Davon Hunt '20 to Savanna Nicole Hicks '21 on June 18, 2022
Evan Phillip Johnson '21 to Heavyn Brantley on May 21, 2022
Whitney Moore '21 to Logan Wright on October 1, 2022
Joely Grace Peterman '21 to Nicolas Coker on August 13, 2022
Savannah DeeAnn Stephens '21 to Dale Thornhill on December 10, 2022
Jordan Christopher Barnes '22 to Dilyn Mckenzi Harrington '22 on June 18, 2022
Whitney Moore ’21 wed Logan Wright on October 1, 2022.
Kelton Hunt '20 and Savanna Hicks '21 married on June 18, 2022.
Alumni and friends attended the wedding of Kelton Hunt '20 and Savanna Hicks '21 on June 18, 2022.
Sarah Decker '02 wed Benjamin Halpern on Oct. 30, 2022
Colby Ryan Heath '20 and Sandra E. Henson '22 were engaged on Sept. 15, 2021.
In Memoriam
Mrs. Marjorie "Mardrie" Turner Fackler '41
Mrs. Ellen Walker Johnson '44
Mrs. Carol Maxwell Collins '48
Mrs. Bonnie Garver McCash '48
Mr. Horace Luther Carter Jr. '54
Mr. Brian Allen Hester '54
Mrs. Frances Brady Butler '55
Mrs. Virginia Fort Bailey '57
Ms. Virginia Turner Clifton '57
Mrs. Margaret Chang Chi '58
Mr. Elroyce Malone Dodson '59
Mrs. Mary Ruth King Phillips '59
Mrs. Rose Elliott Watson '59
Mr. Richard Frank Dennis '60
Ms. Elaine Veronica Hopper '62
Mrs. Sarah Carolyn Jones Madaris '62
Mr. Hiram Andrew Owen Jr. '62
Mr. William Hugh Smith '64
Mr. Lowell Daniel Morgan '66
Mr. Andrew Armstrong Hunt Jr. '67
Mr. Robert Edmund Eble '73
Mrs. Ruth Sutton McBride M'75
Mrs. Amelia Denicke Lasater '76
Mr. Donald Ross Stone Jr. '77
Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Cagle Carlisle '80
Ms. Darby Wilson Norman '84
Mrs. Carnice “Connie” Parker Olinger M'84
Mrs. Kim Smith Shirah '84
Mr. Thomas Perry Lee '87
Mrs. Mary Ellen Dailey Parkins '92
Mr. Jeffrey Shannon Smith '97
Mr. Vaden Stanley Horne '00
The Rev. Joseph Charles White Sr. '09
Mr. Mark Douglas Veon Ed.S.'11
Mr. Matthew Joshua Norton '14
Mr. Stephen Matthew Bartolotta '25
Mr. Jacob Lloyd Brown '25
Dr. Sybil Robison Allen, former faculty
Mrs. Martha Morris Estes, former faculty
Mrs. Dorothy Fowler, former staff
Mr. John Paul Illges III, former trustee
Mr. Forrest Clark Johnson III, former faculty
Dr. William Winfield Price, former faculty
Mr. Thomas W. Sheffield, former Leadership Council
Ms. Emily Glenda Turner, former staff
