Alumni News
April 1, 2006 – January 1, 2008
40’s
Ethelene Dyer Jones (’49) underwent open heart surgery on August 30, 2007, with five artery bypasses at the Middle Georgia Medical Center in Macon. She lives in Milledgeville, GA.
Grover Jones (’49) is a resident of the Memory Support Unit of the Georgia War Veterans’ Home in Milledgeville, GA, suffering from Alzheimer’s disease that has claimed his memory and his cognitive skills.
50’s
Bob J. Porterfield (’53) and Betty McGraw Porterfield (’53) live in Rock Hill, SC, where Bob has retired three times. He spent 32 years as BSU chaplain at Winthrop University, was retired five years, and then became pastor Second Baptist Church, from which he recently retired. The Porterfields are rearing adopted grandson, Ken. They have a total of six grandchildren.
Robert Pickett (’54) has retired as a pastor and public school teacher after many years of pastoring churches and teaching school in Illinois, Florida and Georgia. His wife passed away in April 2006 (see In Memoriam), and Rev. Pickett now lives in Adrian, GA, near his son.
Carl Radford (’56) and Mary Lou Bagby Radford (’57) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 23, 2006, with a reception held in their honor at the First Baptist Church in Flowery Branch, GA, where they live.
- Frank Sailers (’57) and his wife, Peggy, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on December 22, 2007, with a reception held in their honor at Baldwin Baptist Church, their home church.
60’s
Harry L. Werner (’61) was inducted as president of the Georgia Retired Educators Association on May 4, 2006, at the annual convention held in Augusta, GA. He was a member of the TMC basketball team in 1960-61 and continued his education at Georgia Southern College on a basketball scholarship. He served as a teacher and coach in DeKalb, Hall and Henry Counties. He was principal of Locust Grove Elementary School for the last nine years of his career, retiring in 1999 from the Henry County School System.
Jimmy McAdams (’66) retired as president of the Florida Baptist Children’s Homes on May 1, 2007. He and his wife, Connie, moved to Hiawassee, GA.
David Doud (’68) was named 2007 Teacher of the Year for the Baldwin County School System. Doud teaches algebra at Baldwin County High School in Milledgeville, GA.
70’s
Martha Gilham Smith (’70) of Bremen, GA, lost her husband in a tragic car accident in mid-February 2007. Dr. Smith serves as current president of the TMC Alumni Association.
Jim Adkins (’72) owns and operates a private emergency medical service in Georgia and South Carolina. He resides in Evans, GA.
Gail Dixon Mann (’72), is the interim director for the Graceville Extension Center of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in Graceville, FL. A native of Jonesboro, GA, and a graduate of TMC, Wesleyan College and New Orleans Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree, she has served as a Southern Baptist missionary to Brazil. She is the widow of Dr. Nathaniel E. Mann, who was formerly on the faculty of the Baptist College of Florida, and is the mother of three daughters.
Rev. Harris Malcom (’73) assumed his duties on January 15, 2006, at Ministry Resource Consultant for the Southwest Georgia Region for the Georgia Baptist Convention. The Malcoms live in Americus.
Vicki Savage Herron (’74) is an Assistant to the Registrar at Piedmont College, where she has been employed since June 2000. She and her husband, Weldon Herron, celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary in June 2007. They have two adult children, Tim and Carla.
Dr. Peggy Pritchard Kulesz (’75) received the 2007 University of Texas at Arlington Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. She is a faculty member in the UTA English Department.
Jaye Cummings Copeland (’77) and her husband, Bobby, are seen around the TMC campus from time to time visiting their younger son, Zac, who is a sophomore at TMC. The Copelands live in Indianapolis, where Jaye works as Director of Childhood/WMU/Women’s Ministry for the state Baptist convention of Indiana. Their older son, Clyde, is a music education major at Indiana University. (photo)
Martha Lord Meeks (’77), Deanna Chitwood Turner (’77), Amy Hawkins (’77), Debbie Dixon Davis (’77) and Sarah Hartley Starr (’77) got together for a mini-reunion in Cleveland on July 13 and visited the campus. Martha Meeks currently lives in Warner Robins and is a retired teacher; Deanna Turner lives in Athens; Amy Hawkins lives in Alpharetta; Debbie Davis lives in Millen, where she is an elementary school teacher, and has a daughter, Jordan Davis, who is currently a TMC student; and Sarah Starr lives in Stockbridge, where she is a public school teacher.
Regina Shultz (’77) is a care coordinator for the Floyd County Board of Health in Rome. Her residence is in Cedartown, GA.
David Stovall (’77), president and CEO of Habersham Bancorp, was named one of Georgia’s top-performing CEOs by The Atlanta Business Chronicle. The report lists the CEOs of Georgia’s public companies who produced the greatest stockholder return over the past five years. Stovall was listed at No. 13 of the CEO Top Performer list for companies with annual revenue of $99 million or less.
Rebekah (Becky) Russell Collier (’78) lives in Woodstock, GA, with her husband, Robert, and their four children: David, 21; Isaac, 19; Catherine, 12; and Ian, 10. She was a public school teacher for several years and for the past 14 years has homeschooled her children. She also works as the office manager for Woodstock School of Ballet and Cherokee Ballet Theatre, where her daughter is a company dancer.
Wesley and Teresa (Terri) Burns Harris (’79) have relocated their residence from Ringgold, GA, to Royston, GA, where Wes works with his brother. They participate in numerous mission trips—recently to Honduras and Nepal. They have two more planned for spring 2008—in February a medical evangelism mission trip to Ethiopia and in March a soccer evangelism trip to Honduras. Wes and Terri are the parents of three children: Heidi, Travis and Tim. Heidi is married and has their two grandchildren: Isabel, 3, and Carson, 1.
80’s
- Kelley Hall, head women’s basketball coach at Truett-McConnell during most of the 1980s, was named the new head coach of the women’s basketball program at the University of Cincinnati in early April 2007. Hall is now considered one of the top recruiters in the nation and brings with him a career record of 290 wins and 118 losses, or a winning percentage of .711.
Lt. Col. Mark London, US Army, (’83) returned in June 2006 from a tour of duty in Iraq with a collection of medals for bravery and valor. He was awarded the Bronze Star for Meritorious Service, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the National Defense Medal (his second), and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal (his second). He personally led 93 combat missions, surviving several attacks by improvised explosives devices and small arms on his combat patrols, not receiving any injuries.
Mary Boger Mali (’84) graduated from Oglethorpe University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree after leaving TMC. She was inducted there into Alpha Chi Honor Society. She moved from Decatur, GA, to Kew Gardens, NY, during the late fall of 2006.
Russell Kirby (’85) lives at 3055 Barnwood Crossing, Duluth, GA 30097, and teaches sixth grade social studies at River Trail Middle School in John’s Creek (North Fulton County). He has been teaching since 1994 in the Athens area until the current school year. His e-mail address is kirbyr@fultonschools.org.
Brenda Neal Sapp (’85) lives in Warner Robins and teaches at the Methodist Children’s Home in Macon, GA.
LaCresia Glass Borden (’88) is owner of a full-service travel agency, Personal Touch Tours Travel Agency, located in Hapeville, GA, near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. She says that her agency makes plans for everything from family reunions to honeymoon tours.
Andrea Folsom Gray (’88) and her husband, Johnathan Gray (’94) announce the birth of their son, Landon Wayne Overton Gray, on June 26, 2007. Landon weighed 10 lbs. 8½ oz. Landon joins three sisters; the Gray family lives in Sharpsburg, GA.
Linda Wood (’89) was named Teacher of the Year in the Hart County School System for the 2006-07 school year. She is a language arts teacher at Hart County Middle School.
90’s
Jeannie Peters Barden (’90) serves as the Language Arts Department Chair for the Georgia Virtual School and, in addition, works full-time as a developer and teacher of on-line courses for Cobb County’s E-high School, a virtual school. Her husband is a high school athletic director/AP history teacher; they have one small child.
Larry Stell (’90) is employed at Telfair State Prison in Helena, GA, as a corrections officer. He has been a corrections officer for seven years, including the last five years with the Georgia Department of Corrections. He and his wife, Paula, along with their dogs, cats, and rabbits reside in Helena, GA.
Chris Wade (attended 1990-1992) was named men’s basketball coach at Miami Dade College in September 2006, coming from a successful five-year stint as men’s basketball coach at South Georgia Technical College in Americus, GA. He played basketball at Truett-McConnell in 1990-1992. During his five years of coaching at South Georgia Technical College, he posted a 102-57 record, led his team to three state and one region championship and was selected GJCAA Coach of the Year for the past three seasons. Congratulations to Chris!
John Barlowe (TMC baseball coach 1991-1994) was named head baseball coach of Lambuth University in Jackson, TN, in June 2007. His experience, in addition to his stint at TMC, includes eight years as assistant coach at Vanderbilt, seven summers as coach in the Cape Cod League, which boasts some of the nation’s top college talent, and one season as manager of the Edmonton Cracker Cats, an independent baseball team in Canada.
Robert Anderson (’91) received his BA in history from Georgia State University in 2002 and spent the years from 2002 to 2005 teaching English in Japan as part of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme. He resides in Cumming, GA.
Matt Paul (’91) has joined the staff of Financial Supermarkets, Inc., on the client support/training team. His role is to provide support in the form of business development, sales training and relationship coaching for in-store financial institutions located in the Southeastern United States. Matt and his wife, Alyson Rainwater Paul (’95), live near Clarkesville, GA, and are the parents of two sons, Sawyer and Brighton.
Joan Dorsey Prance (’91) is a kindergarten teacher in Arab, AL, where she lives with her husband, Paul Prance, and their daughter, Annabelle Grace, born on February 15, 2006.
Joy Johnson Phillips (’92) and her husband, Mark, announce the birth of their third child, Ryan Lee Phillips, born April 27, 2007 Ryan joins big sister, Madison (7), and big brother, Andrew (5). The Phillips family lives in Flintstone, GA.
Kory Burel (’93) is pastor of Bemiston Baptist Church in Talladega, AL.
Christopher Coggins (’93) became bus minister at Corinth Baptist Church in Loganville, GA, in June 2007.
Olu Quaity Menjay (’93) is principal of the Ricks Institute, a private boarding school near Monrovia, Liberia, founded by Baptist missionaries in 1887. The once prestigious boarding school suffered extensive damage during the 14 years of civil war in Liberia in the 1980s and 1990s, and Menjay took the position as principal in 2005 to help the school in its slow recovery from the disaster. The school now enrolls about 330 children.
Sebastian Muah (’93-’94) returned to his native Monrovia, Liberia, in early December 2006 to work for a year as Country Response Information Systems Manager, working under the aegis of the Office of the President of Liberia to help implement a national program to fight HIV/AIDS. When he returns to the United States in a year, he will begin the highly-selective Master of Science in Information Technology degree program at Carnegie Mellon University.
James Kelley Timms (’93) was recently promoted to Vice President of Marketing with First Generation Inc., Athens, GA, a manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of parts for classic muscle cars. He has worked with the firm since 1992, when he began a part-time job to help with his college expenses.
Alison Burrell Brown (’94) and her husband, Rocky Shane Brown, announce the birth of their first child, Addison Kay Brown, on November 22, 2006. Alison works in the Georgia Department of Transportation office in Cleveland. The Browns live in Cleveland.
Keisha Mincey Dixon (’94) was married to Derek Dixon on April 3, 2004. They welcomed their first child, Ashlyn Renea Dixon, born on December 28, 2006. The family resides in Woodstock, GA.
Robin Lorina Fonclara (’94) was married to Timothy Harrison on March 12, 2006. The couple resides in Jefferson, GA, where Robin is elementary music teacher at Jefferson Elementary School. She was chosen Teacher of the Year at the school for the 2005-06 school year.
Jeremy Gates (’94) is senior pastor of Westside Baptist Church in Titusville, FL (where the space shuttles are launched). He and his wife, Kristin Heindel Gates (’99), have a four-year-old daughter, Miranda and live in Titusville.
Stacy Lee Wade (’94-’95) was ordained as a priest of the Eucharistic Catholic Church on February 13, 2006, in Sparta, TN. The Eucharistic Catholic Church is an independent Catholic group not under the jurisdiction of Roman Catholicism. Father Wade is a member of the Franciscans of the Annunciation and was ordained to the Hermitical priesthood.
Brian Anderson (’95) was named head men’s basketball coach at Grayson High School in mid-May 2007. He served as assistant coach at Truett-McConnell from 1998 to 2002 and then spent the years from 2002-2007 as an assistant coach at Habersham Central High School, as well as a teacher of health/PE at Habersham Ninth Grade Academy. Taking over the helm of the Grayson Rams basketball program will be a challenge because the school competes in Georgia’s largest athletic class and is a member of Region 8-AAAAA. Said Anderson: “This is a tough region to cut your teeth in.”
Suzanne Olmstead (’95) was married to George Stephen Crissey on August 26, 2006, in the chapel of the First Baptist Church of Marietta, GA.
Trent Alexander (’97) and his wife, Stephanie, announce the birth of a son, William Brayden Alexander, on July 19, 2006. They Alexanders live in Bethlehem, GA, where Trent is pursuing a master’s degree in education from Piedmont College.
Andrea Harper (’98) and Jason Brown (’99) were married on June 17, 2006, at Palmetto Baptist Church. The couple lives in Carrollton, GA.
Tim Cotten (’98) and Amy Jones Cotten (’97) have moved to Inman, SC, where Tim is minister of music at Lake Bowen Baptist Church. Tim completed a Master of Divinity in Worship Leadership degree from New Orleans Seminary at the end of 2006. The Cottens are preparing for the birth of their first child in August 2007.
Gregory Charles Hyde (’98) was married to Candi Hubbard of Rome, GA, on June 5, 2004. Greg is a minister of youth/outreach at Shorter Avenue Baptist Church in Rome. Candi is a middle school special education teacher. The couple lives in Armuchee.
Craig Cantrell (’99) was named Teacher of the Year at East Hall High School in 2006. He has taught there four years and is band director and chairman of the school’s fine arts department. He also teaches Advanced Placement music theory. After earning his Associate in Music degree from TMC, he attended Kennesaw State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education degree.
Mark Fiddie (’99) is a teacher of music in the Walton County School System at the Atha Road Elementary School near Monroe. He teaches both instrumental, choral and general music and conducts a chorus of 165 students and a band of 55 students. In addition, he coordinates the music program for two churches and is putting together a demo CD of spirituals to be recorded in a studio in New York later this year.
Christina Lynn Wallis (attended ’99-’02) was married to Jason Shelton on March 27, 2004. On September 17, 2005, their son Russell Thomas Shelton was born. The family lives in Auburn, GA.
00’s
Chris J. Armstrong (’00) graduated from the law school of Catholic University in 2005, where he served as vice president of the student body and an editor of the Law Review. He is currently investigative counsel to the Senate Finance Committee, working under Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.
Kelly Cockrell (’00) and Tom Young (’98-’99) were married on April 24, 2004, in Cartersville, GA. The couple now lives in Duluth, GA.
Kyle Langley (’00) married Sara Allyson Henson of Aiken, SC, on June 24, 2006. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina Aiken with a degree in marketing and is employed with Verizon Wireless.
Ryan Nichols (’00) was married in January 2006 to Daniela Ciliberti. The couple resides in Nashville, TN, with their Black Lab mix named Bruno. Ryan still plays drums and sells software, while Daniela is a teacher.
Molly Speir (’02) was married to Josh Jordan Owens on June 16, 2007, at the Baptist Student Center at North Georgia College and State University in Dahlonega.
Sarah Louise Stewart (’02) teaches kindergarten (five-year-olds) and first grade at Jackson Trail Christian School in Jefferson, GA.
Jennifer Atkins (’03) works in special events and photography at Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom. She has been employed for three years by the Walt Disney Company in Florida.
Shannon Horn (’03) was married on July 29, 2006, to Stephen James Tribble of Cumming. Shannon is a first-grade teacher at Daves Creek Elementary School in Forsyth County.
Brenden Bergin (’04) of Cleveland and Kimberly Ann Townsend of Chatsworth were married on June 16, 2007, at the Berry College Chapel in Rome, GA. The couple resides in Rome.
Jessica Galusha (’04) married Hill Driggers on July 3, 2006. They live in Dallas, GA. She received her Bachelor of Science in Communication degree from Kennesaw State University and is presently employed by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust as communications specialist for The Anne Frank Exhibit.
Kelli Nicole Stamey (’04) and Kyle Thomas Edwards (attended ’02-’03) were married on September 9, 2006, in Providence Baptist Church, Clarkesville, GA. Kelli graduated from North Georgia College and State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and is employed by Christopher B. Smith, CPA, in Cumming. Kyle attended Lanier Technical College and is employed by Consolidated Utility Services in Gainesville.
Whitney Susann Ledford (’05) and Casey Jennings Chastain were married on May 21, 2006, at the R Ranch in Dahlonega. After honeymooning in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii, the couple lives in Demorest, GA.
Matt Papa (’05), through his music ministry called the Matt Papa Band, traveled to India in late March 2007 for a week of sharing the Gospel in Goa, India. Immediately following that week he spent a week in Mexico in ministry there.
Jennie Leigh Rice (’05) and Jonathan Milton Jameson were married on May 19, 2007, at Antioch Baptist Church, Mt. Airy, GA. The bride is employed by RS Industrial Inc. in Buford, while the groom works for Verizon Wireless as a retail store manager in Atlanta.
Blake Ryan (’05) was featured in an article entitled “Success Story” in The Atlanta Journal Constitution in early April 2006 because he had achieved a weight loss of 183 pounds at the time of the article’s publication. He is now a triathlete, participating in triathlons which include a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike ride and a 10K run. Since he enrolled in Truett-McConnell College, his total weight loss now totals more than 250 pounds.
Joshua Wyatt (’05) and Kathryn Anne (Katie) Cooper (’06) were married on May 20, 2006, at Bethany Baptist Church in Alpharetta, GA. The ceremony was performed by Rev. David Kirkland, campus minister at Truett-McConnell. The wedding party included these TMC students or alums: JoAnna Burdette, Bryan Youngs, Kathryn Palmer Westmoreland, Andrea Donovan Curtis, Amanda Hearington, Jeremy Wheeler, Dr. David George, Kim Gould, Billy Buchanan, William Threadgill and Kim Gordon. The Wyatts live in Garrison Hall on the TMC campus, where Josh is resident director, and Katie worked as an admissions counselor for more than a year for the college until she resigned in December 2007 to become choral director at Peachtree Ridge High School in Gwinnett County.
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