Class Notes April 2020

By John Stabinger
Posted on 24 September 2020 | 1:37 pm

Class Notes

Tell us what’s new with you

Check out our February edition of Class Notes! Please submit your own Class Note via our online form. We’ll feature you in the next email edition, online, in College of Charleston Magazine, and possibly even on our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Here are just a few highlights from the January and February editions.

April 2020

1970

Tom Henson retired after 18 years as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at River Parishes Community College. He previously worked for Dow Chemical. He and his wife, Sandra, live in Baton Rouge, LA.

1973

Dr. Olivia Guest White is the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students at Hood College in Frederick, MD. Dr. White announced that she will be retiring later this year after more than 27 years at Hood College and more than 40 years in higher education administration. In both 2012 and 2016, Dr. White was recognized by the Frederick County Alumnae Chapter as Delta of the Year. In 2017, she was honored as the first female to be selected to receive the George B. Delaplaine Distinguished Citizen Award. She was married to the late James R. White Jr. for nearly 30 years and is the mother of four children: Brittani, Tiffany, Aaron, and Stephanie.

1980

Rev. Brian Davidson has completed 19 years as the Secretary of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations. He is the Senior Pastor of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Dickinson, ND, but will be retiring in May after 36 years of ordained ministry.

1981

Carol Brittsan was recognized in January 2020 as a Clinical Preceptor by the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Physician Assistant Education Association. Ms. Brittsan is a Physician’s Assistant at Roper Hospital in Charleston, SC, and has one son, Evan.

Dr. Linda Karges-Bones is the author of 34 books for educators, including “Rich Brain, Poor Brain Bridging Social and Synaptic Gaps in Schools” which is used around the country in professional development. Dr. Karges-Bone gave her sixth National Title 1 presentation in February, on the topic of Trauma Informed Practice: Moving Students from Surviving to Thriving. Through her consulting firm, Education InSite, she has done keynotes and training in 45 states. Dr. Karges-Bone resides in Summerville, SC, with her husband, Gary. They have two grandchildren, Katherine and Felix.

1982

Cye Matthews Semrau is a Photographer and owns CyeSem Productions in Seattle, WA.

1984

Jeannette Edwards Deveaux is the Communications Supervisor for the Charleston County Aviation Authority PD and resides in Ladson, SC.

Dan Gentry, PhD is the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) in Washington, D.C. Prior to this position, Dr. Gentry served as Clinical Professor of Health Management and Policy and MHA Program Director in the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. He earned his MHA from MUSC and his PhD in Health Services and Policy Analysis from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Gentry resides in Washington, D.C. and Pensacola, FL, with his husband, Patrick Dunn, and their dog, Bentley.

Kurt Taylor was named Beaufort County Attorney in January 2020. He and his wife, Melody Booker Taylor ’87, have two children, Laura and Benjamin.

1988

Chris Kahle started the PhD program at Oregon Health & Science University in September 2019, where he is researching clinical simulation educational culture.

1996

Nicole Kennedy was promoted to Director, Multifamily Mid-Market Sales at Costar Group for Apartments.com in Richmond, VA. She is working to develop a new 100-person sales division.

April Goldfinch Smith is the President and CEO of In Situ Explorers, a non-profit organization focused on elementary and secondary education. This spring, UNC Press is publishing Dr. Smith’s book, Thirty Great North Carolina Science Adventures. In 2004, she graduated from Florida State University with a PhD in oceanography. Dr. Smith lives in Morrisville, NC, with her husband, Steven, and their three children.

1999

Stephanie Alexander married Jeffrey Cluver on April 20, 2019 along DeBordieu Beach in Georgetown, SC. Ms. Alexander is an Attorney with Shaw Law Firm, LLC and likes to write in her free time. Ms. Alexander and her husband reside in Mount Pleasant, SC, with their five children.

Carolus Daniel and his wife, Erin, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth, in August 2019. Mr. Daniel is the Senior Finance Advisor for the Jacksonville Port Authority. The Daniel family resides in Saint Johns, FL.

Matt Lynch is the Managing Director of MoonShot. The company delivers training and staff engagement services to some of the biggest sports and entertainment brands in the world, including the past two Super Bowls and the NFL Draft. He lives in London with his wife, Keisha, and their two sons, Liam and Noah.

2000

Missy Iredell Gebhardt and her husband, Jeff, live in Nashville, TN, and welcomed their first child, Robert “Bo” Warren Gebhardt, on May 10, 2019. Mrs. Gebhardt is the Senior Director, Artist Development for Warner Music Nashville.

Jamie Waldhour Solesbee is Vice President, Asset Management for LMC, a national leader in multifamily living construction and management. She and her husband, Donnie Solesbee ’93 live in Huntersville, NC.

2001

Vanessa Albury is the Founding Artist and Director of Coral Projects: Everglades Art Lab, the first underwater art exhibition at Oracabessa Bay Fish Sanctuary in Jamaica. This project is one-part contemporary art, and one-part ecology and ocean conservation. More information about Ms. Albury’s efforts can be found on Instagram @coral.projects. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Amanda Bunting Comen is a member of the Board of Directors of the Charleston Friends of the Library. She also serves on the City of Charleston’s Commission on Women and the Community Advisory Board of Women’s and Gender Studies at the College.

Mary Ann Richardson Stisher is an Operating Partner for Barre3 Charleston. She has two children, Landon and Madalyn.

2002

Boo Walker just released his eighth book, Red Mountain Burning, in his bestselling series, The Red Mountain Chronicles. The series explores fictional life in Washington State wine country. He recently signed a publishing deal with Lake Union Publishing and will be releasing his first book with them in August. Mr. Walker lives in St. Petersburg, FL, with his wife, Mikella, and their son.

2003

Rebekah Colson Hanna is an RN at the John R. Marsh Cancer Center. She lives in Shepherdstown, WV, with her husband, Alexander.

2004

Megan Burns Pontes is the Coordinator of Operations and Support at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Coronado, CA. She earned her MBA from the University of Florida and is a past president of the San Diego CofC Club. Mrs. Pontes resides in San Diego with her husband, Matthew, and their two dogs.

2005

Heather Farley earned her PhD in Public Policy from Northern Arizona University in 2013. Dr. Farley was recently promoted to Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, Public Policy and Management in the School of Business and Public Management at the College of Coastal Georgia (CCGA). In 2019, Dr. Farley took on the role of Director of the Honors Program at CCGA. She lives in Brunswick, GA, with her husband, Michael Butcher ’05, and their two daughters, Clara and Sadie.

Megan Prewitt Koon (MA) is the Adoption Lead for enterprise resource planning in the IT department at Furman University in Greenville, SC, and an adjunct professor in communication studies. She and her husband, Ryan, have two children, Marie and Jack. Ms. Koon’s first novel, Sweet Divinity, was published by Prospective Press and is available on Amazon.

Dr. Caroline Watson recently accepted a Research Faculty position in the Neurology Department at Emory University School of Medicine. She earned her PhD from the University of Georgia in 2012, and lives in Atlanta, GA, with her husband, Wick Cauthorn, and their daughter, Betty Drake.

Brian Whittaker and Whitney Holt live in Richmond, VA, with their three sons. Brian is a Group Accountant Director with TPN. Whitney is Finance Director for Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger.

2006

Caroline Pohl Collins has worked in Human Resources Management for Republic Services for six years and was recently promoted into Operations Manager. She lives in Lexington, SC, with her husband, Brent.

Peter Klein is an Associate Attorney for the Legislative Reference Bureau and resides in Camp Hill, PA.

2007

Ashley Card is a graduate of the Columbia (SC)Chamber of Commerce Leadership Columbia class of 2019. Ms. Card received the Best of 2019 Business Award for her performing arts and character education organization, Aletheia Dance, Inc. She is the Director of the Hollywood Prayer Network and the owner of Marketing Truth, LLC, a marketing and production business.

Brooke Sherrill is the Marketing Director for Sherrill, Blake & Harrison C|A. She married Drew Lyerly on October 21, 2016, and they live in Lincolnton, NC, with their two sons.

Greg Maness a Netherlands-born alumnus who resides in Los Angeles, is an Actor and Writer represented by Coast to Coast, RSA, 901210 Talent, and his union, SAG-AFTRA. Mr. Maness is also a Partner in Four Letter Films. He is best known for his roles in Selma (2014; Oscar-nominated: Best Picture 2015), In Dubious Battle (2016), 90210 (2010), The Vampire Diaries (2009), and as the title character in the Richard the Lionheart (2013-17) franchise.

Rachel Folk McCracken is the Diversity Recruiter for the US Fish & Wildlife Service in Denver, CO. She earned her MS in environmental policy and management in 2017, from the University of Denver. Ms. McCracken and her husband, Alex, welcomed their son, Wiley, on August 30, 2019.

2009

Thomas Kilpatrick was named Partner at Murphy and Kilpatrick, P.A., a boutique estate planning law firm. He lives in Columbia, SC, with his wife, Ashtin.

2010

DJ and Jill Wessinger Piers (MAT ’12) welcomed their first daughter, Charlotte into their family on November 22, 2019. The Piers family resides in Rock Hill, SC.

Kelley Elder Wilds was promoted to Senior Lead Technologist/Lead Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton in Mount Pleasant, SC. She and her husband, Hunter, welcomed their first child, William Wilds, on October 29, 2019.

2012

Haley Sparks is a Teacher for Aiken County Public Schools. She and her husband, Michael Koon, welcomed their daughter, Aubree Koon, on January 7, 2020.

2013

Ryan Mullin is a Senior Associate and Co-Lead of Corporate Finance North America for PFK O’Connor Davies in NYC. Mr. Mullin married Morgan Boushka on June 22, 2019.

2014

Alex Pioggia is the Executive Assistant to the CEO at WHOOP, a consumer electronics company in Boston, MA.

Rachel Silverman is Senior Consultant and Intelligence Analyst for Booz Allan Hamilton. She earned her MS in Terrorism and Security Policy from American University in 2016. Ms. Silverman resides in Washington, DC.

2015

Brae Dilley earned his MS in finance from the University of Utah in 2019. Mr. Dilley is a Business Administration Manager for Alliance Sport Marketing and lives in Madison, TN.

2016

Kelby Ledford is a SaaS Customer Training Specialist for HubSpot, a marketing, sales, and service software company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. HubSpot won the 2020 Best Place to Work by Glassdoor. In 2019, Ms. Ledford was selected as the Top Customer Service Performer and was a speaker at the Independent Payroll Providers Association Sales & Marketing Conference in Las Vegas, NV.

Alyssa Dudley Steel relocated to Raleigh, NC, and has accepted the position of Event Director for the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

Carissa Jenkins (MS ’17) earned her MS in accountancy from the University of Charleston and became a CPA. She is a Staff Tax Accountant for Baldwin & Associates and lives in Columbus, GA. Ms. Jenkins married Antonio Wright on July 5, 2019.

2017

Brandon Alexander is a 3PL Manager for Hewlett Packard Enterprise in Canton, GA.

Chelsea Anderson has been promoted to Marketing Coordinator at the Lowcountry Food Bank in Charleston, SC.

Devon Bowen married Fernanda Kelly Soares De Souza on November 9, 2019. Ms. Bowen works for the Berkeley County School District and the couple lives in Goose Creek, SC.

Brianna Rodriguez married Jordan Day ’19 on April 6, 2019, at The Rutherford in Greenville, SC. Brianna is the Guest Services Coordinator for the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, FL.

Madeline Ryan married Ian Hart on November 11, 2017. She was recently promoted to Program Director of Girls on the Run Piedmont in Warrenton, VA.

Amanda Kallaur is the Owner and Designer for The Queen of Seams, a clothing alteration service located in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Kate Kennelly is a Kindergarten Teacher at Christ Our King – Stella Maris. She married Christopher Gorospe on October 21, 2017. The couple lives in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Victoria Simpson is studying at the University of South Carolina with plans to graduate in May 2021 with her MS in Athletic Training. Ms. Simpson was recently appointed to represent District Three on the Student Leadership Committee for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

2018

Jane Feddersen is an Associate Marketing Manager for General Dynamics IT in Falls Church, VA.

Nick Rodriguez interviewed future NFL Hall of Famer, Charles Woodson, at the Taste of the NFL Event. In November, Nick launched “The Nick Rodriguez Podcast.” He lives in Norcross, GA, where he works as a Tour Producer for the Pro Business Channel.

Nora Williams is a Tech Production Assistant for Amazon in New York City. She also does freelance photography and graphic design work in her free time.

2019

Ella Aflalo is a Customer Success Specialist for Applicaster in New York City. Ms. Aflalo married Araceli Garcia on February 25, 2019.

Sarah English is studying medical genetics and genomics at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, with plans to graduate in 2020.

Ashley Markow is a Research Analyst for Frontier Capital in Charlotte, NC.