Spring - Summer 2005 - Austin Peay State University

Above, Candlelight Ball Co-Chairs Charlsie 

Halliburton (‘85), left, and Vicki Riestra (’70) 

greet guests and thank the many merchants and 

businesses that provided extravagant gifts to be 

used as door prizes for ball attendees. 

Black•Cyan•Magenta•Yellow 

Doctor by day! Dancer by night! Dr. Ming Wang, internationally renowned Nashville eye surgeon, and Mercedes Soria set the tone for the Candlelight Ball by performing a ballroom dance 

to kick-off the elegant evening. Professional dancers, the couple has won numerous national and international competitions. Wang, who recently launched the first Chinese newspaper in 

Middle Tennessee, also played the erhu, an ancient Chinese violin. Wang and Soria danced the rest of the night away—sharing the floor with scores of other Candlelight Ball dancers. 

Photos: Alicia Archuleta/The Leaf-Chronicle 


Alumni and Annual Giving 

P.O. Box 4676 

Clarksville, TN 37044 

1-800-264-ALUM 

Address Service Requested 

Non-Profit Organization 

U.S. POSTAGE PAID 

PERMIT NO. 233 

Clarksville, TN 

Spring - 

Summer 

2005

Past President 

Kevin Hackney (’89) 

District V Greater Nashville 

(hackneyk@comcast.net) 

Faculty Adviser 

Dr. Floyd Scott (’65, ’67) 

Montgomery County 

(scotta@apsu.edu) 

Executive Director 

Shelia Boone (’71) 

(boones@apsu.edu) 

3 



2 

Page 6 

Coming Home 

The son of a preacher, David Alford always felt he, too, had a special calling. His spiritual 

pilgrimage took him far a field—from Tennessee to New York City and Los Angeles. 

Along the way, Alford realized his personal pulpit would not be in a church. It would 

be the stage. After chasing his dreams from coast to coast, Alford discovered that 

everything he truly valued in life was right back where he first began. 

Page 10 

A Criminal Mind 

An international organization knee-deep in crime. The Mob? No, it’s Sisters in Crime. 

And Sheila Mayhew York is a card-carrying member. Her induction came with the release 

of her first novel, “Star Struck Dead,” which won Best Mainstream Mystery/Suspense of 

the Year at the Daphne du Maurier Awards of the 2004 Romance Writers of America 

Convention. Besides putting finishing touches on “A Good Knife’s Work,” the sequel to 

“Star Struck Dead,” York works on Wall Street for financial giant Morgan Stanley. 

Page 14 

Living Her Dream 

From calming callers upset by the flu vaccine shortage to working with law enforcement 

officers to establish a plan in the event of bioterrorism, it’s been a busy first year 

for Vianca Reed. And the new director of the Montgomery County Health Department is 

just beginning to hit her stride. After partnering with the local hospital to offer free 

diabetic screening and case management, she’s putting in place other initiatives to 

improve the health of local citizens. 

Highlights of a very good year page 4 

APSU leads state in growth page 5 

Alums step up with big bucks page 5 

Up from Emory Med School, alum gives talk page 12 

She’s back ... and hotter than ever page 20 

The story of a real prince and his queen page 21 

Making APSU Headlines page 4 

Alumni News page 8 

Sports page 16 

Feedback page 23 

Class Notes page 24 

On the Cover: 

David Alford stars as Jerry Mears in 

the Tennessee Repertory Theatre’s 

2003-04 production of “God’s Man 

in Texas.” See page 6 for the feature 

article. 

Photo by David Grapes. 

Photo: Bill Persinger Photo: Mark Lentz 

Photo: Bill Persinger 

Reader’s Guide 

“Austin Peay” is published two times yearly, fall and 

spring, by the Office of Public Relations and 

Marketing. Press run for this issue is 27,000. 

Dennie B. Burke 

Editor 

Bill Persinger (’91) 

Photo and Design Editor 

Rebecca Mackey (’96, ’99) 

Assistant Editor 

Shelia Boone (’71) 

Director of Alumni and Annual Giving 

Brad Kirtley 

Sports Information 

Michele Tyndall 

Assistant 

Steve Wilson 

Online Version 

Contributing writers 

Dennie Burke/APSU, Cody Bush/APSU, Brad 

Kirtley/APSU, Rebecca Mackey/APSU 

Contributing photographers 

Shelia Boone/APSU, Bill Persinger/APSU, Steve 

Wilson/APSU, Brad Kirtley/APSU, Keith Doris/OVC, 

David Grapes, Mark Lentz/nycjpg.com, Alicia 

Archuleta/The Leaf-Chronicle, Robert Smith/The Leaf 

Chronicle 

How to change your address or 

receive the magazine 

Fill out and mail the form on page 24 or contact the 

Alumni and Annual Giving Office in one of the following 

ways: 

Post us: Alumni and Annual Giving 

P.O. Box 4676 


Zap us: alumni@apsu.edu 

Phone us: 931-221-7979 

Fax us: 931-221-6292 

How to contact the magazine staff or 

submit letters to the editor 

Fill out and mail the form on page 24 or contact the 

Public Relations/Marketing Office in one of the following 

ways: 

Post us: Public Relations and 

Marketing 

P.O. Box 4567 


Zap us: alumni@apsu.edu 

Phone us: 931-221-7459 

Fax us: 931-221-6123 

Let us hear from you 

Your opinions and suggestions are encouraged and 

appreciated. 

Austin Peay State University is one of 46 institutions in the 

Tennessee Board of Regents system, the seventh-largest system 

of higher education in the nation. The Tennessee Board 

of Regents is the governing board for this system, which is 

composed of six universities, 14 two-year colleges and 26 

Tennessee technology centers. The TBR system enrolls more 

than 80 percent of all Tennessee students attending public 

institutions of higher education. Austin Peay State University 

is an equal opportunity employer committed to the education 

of a non-racially identifiable student body. 

© 2005 Austin Peay State University. 

AP 478/03-05/27M/The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville, TN 


On behalf of the National 

Alumni Association, I extend 

warmest greetings! 

This year has proved to be a 

busy one for our alumni and 

the National Alumni 

Association as plans continue for the establishment 

of several new alumni chapters. 

During the fall, I traveled to Houston, Dallas, 

Orlando, Tampa and Washington, D.C., to hold 

preliminary-interest meetings. Following successful 

meetings in each location and based on 

the interest shown, a core group of alumni in 

each area was designated to move forward in 

coordinating additional planning meetings for 

the first event for the newly created alumni 

chapter. At that event, the chapter will be presented 

its “official” charter. Details will follow. 

We now have 16 chapters. The Greater 

Chattanooga Alumni Chapter, our newest, was 

chartered last fall. Be sure to review the listing 

of alumni chapters, presidents and district directors 

included in this publication. 

We’ve had additional inquiries from alumni in 

such areas as Cincinnati, Philadelphia and 

Indiana and will be exploring the possibilities of 

establishing new chapters there, as well. 

It’s exciting to hear from alumni throughout 

the country and their interest in being involved 

with the National Alumni Association at their 

local levels. Establishing new chapters nationwide 

enables us to promote the interest and 

welfare of the University, help the University 

better serve its alumni and develop a spirit of 

fellowship and service among the local alumni. 

It’s a win-win situation for all! So, let me hear 

from you. 

Please take a look at the upcoming alumni 

events listed in the magazine. Check the Web 

site for the latest updated information, and don’t 

forget to register on our online community. 

Homecoming 2005 will be Nov. 5, so mark 

your calendars now. Lastly, please let us hear 

about what’s happening in your life so we can 

share it with other alumni. 

Sincerely, 

Shelia Boone (’71), Director 


Executive Director, APSUNAA 

Executive Officers 

Alumni Fact: Jeff Edmondson (’88) is vice president for finance at Curb Records, Nashville. Alumni Fact: Howard Bradley (’76, ’79) is county mayor for Robertson County. 

National Alumni Association 

Executive Officers & Board of Directors 

President 

Bob Hogan (’78) 

District X Robertson County 

(TheHoganCompany@att.net) 

President Elect 

Angela Neal (’98) 

District XI New York 

(presidentangela@yahoo.com) 

Vice President 

Sam Samsil (’67) 

District XII Birmingham 

samsil@bellsouth.net 

Directors 

District I . . . . . . .Dr. Robert Patton (’57, ’59) (repbobpatton@earthlink.net) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 

District II . . . . . .Gary (’73, ’80) (sheppy82@aol.com) and Linda Fulton (’70) Shephard (linda4887@aol.com) . . . . . . . . . .2005 

District III . . . . . .Tony Marable (’81) (tmarable@tntech.edu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 

District IV . . . . . .Fredrick Yarbrough (’70) (FTVP25@aol.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2005 

District V . . . . . . .Kevin Hackney (’89) (hackneyk@comcast.net) and Brandt Scott (’89) (brandt.scott@thehartford.com) . . .2006 

District VI . . . . . .Emily Pickard (’04) (emilypickard@hotmail.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2005 

District VII . . . . .Mark Hartley (’87) (hartleydad@yahoo.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 

District VIII . . . . .Bob Holeman (’78) (B_holeman@msn.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2005 

District IX . . . . . .Cynthia Norwood (’92) (cynthianorwood@hotmail.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 

District X . . . . . . .Nelson Boehms (’86) (nboehms@earthlink.net) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2005 

District XI . . . . . .Angela Neal (’98) (presidentangela@yahoo.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 

District XII . . . . .Jim Roe (’65) (j_m_roe@yahoo.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2005 

District XIII . . . . .Ginny Gray Davis (’87) (ginnyg@fuse.net) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 

District XIV . . . . .Dr. Dale Kincheloe (’66) (drkinch@aol.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2005 

District XV . . . . . .Don Wallar II (’97) (waller@wallar.com) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2006 

Student Rep. . . . .Zachary Pelham, SGA president (sgapres@apsu.edu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2005 

Chapter Presidents 

African-American . . . . . . . . . . .Nancy Washington (’99) (na_washington@msn.com) 

Tri-Counties of Kentucky . . . . .Mike (’71) and Diane (’90) MacDowell (wmikemacdowell@wmconnect.com) 

(Todd, Trigg & Christian counties) 

Greater Atlanta . . . . . . . . . . . .Peter Minetos (’89) (Pminetos@DCSAtlanta.com) 

Montgomery County . . . . . . . . .Brandon (’04) and Jessica Harrison (’99) (bmichaelharrison@aol.com) 

Greater Nashville . . . . . . . . . . .Vonda Fields (’91) (vonda.f.fields@cummins.com) 

Tri-Cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lee Ellen Ferguson-Fish (’89) (lee.fish@airgas.com) 

Greater Memphis . . . . . . . . . . .Jeff Schneider (’96) (jeff.schneider1@ipaper.com) 

Trane Support Group . . . . . . . . .David Jackson (’75) (david.jackson@trane.com) 

Columbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vivian Cathey (’80) (vivian.cathey@sctworkforce.org) 

Nursing Alumni . . . . . . . . . . . .Doris Davenport (’91) (davenportd@apsu.edu) 

Greater Carolinas . . . . . . . . . . .Mark S. Webber (’86) (Mark_Webber@hp.com) 

Greater Birmingham . . . . . . . . .Sam Samsil (’67) (samsil@bellsouth.net) 

Robertson County . . . . . . . . . . .Bob Hogan (’78) (TheHoganCompany@att.net) 

Huntsville (Ala.) . . . . . . . . . . .Wayne Taylor (’66) 

Cheatham County . . . . . . . . . . .Kevin Latham (’87) (klatham@qore.net) 

Greater Chattanooga . . . . . . . . .Kel Topping (’90) (chattanoogatractor@comcast.net)

Landrums give back—big! 

Selfish, they’re not! 

Amy (’65) and Ken Landrum (’64), alums who 

are retired and living in Florida now, decided 

many years ago that they would remember their 

alma mater in their will. And they have. 

When the couple moved from Nashville to 

Florida and, thus, was required to revise their 

will, they designated a gift to APSU, currently 

valued at $2.3 million, to establish a scholarship 

endowment in their name. 

Originally from Shelbyville, Amy Landrum 

taught at various elementary schools in the 

Nashville area for 30 years, retiring in 1996 from 

her work at Tulip Grove Elementary School. 

“Being able to go to college made a big difference 

in our lives,” she said. “We just want to 

help others do the same.” 

Ken Landrum, a native of Clarksville, said he 

would not have been able to attend college had 

Austin Peay not been located in his hometown. 

Following his graduation, Landrum worked 32 

years for National Life and Accident Insurance 

Company/NLT (now American General/AIG), 

Nashville, before retiring in 1997. 

“Over the years, Amy and I have been the 

beneficiaries of help from other people,” 

will allow APSU to use the $1 million twice. First, 

the University will borrow $1 million and use the 

dividends from the stock to pay back the loan over 

a 20-year period. At the end of the 20 years, the 

University will use the funds to create a scholarship 

endowment. 

“This donor’s gift will benefit our students in two 

very different ways,” Hoppe said. “Austin Peay 

desperately needs a new recreation center, not only 

for current students but also to compete for 

prospective students. 

“National studies show that a first-class 

recreation center is not considered a luxury by 

incoming students; it is an expectation. This gift 

will help us meet those expectations. And 20 years 

from now, this gift will enable us to award 

numerous scholarships. 

“Through his gift, this wonderful man will 

improve both the bodies and minds of future 

generations of students.” 

Landrum said. “Now we want to … help young 

people attend college. Someday, they will be able 

to give back, too. In business, we call that the 

‘chain of progress.’” 

On its Dec. 4, 2004, editorial page, The Leaf- 

Chronicle commended the Landrums for their 

largesse: “It is through the generosity of caring 

folks such as these that coming generations will 

have an opportunity to study at APSU and make 

more of their lives and their talents than they 

might otherwise have been able to do. 

“These are gifts to the students, the University 

and the community at large, which also benefits 

from a well-educated workforce.” 

APSU launches state’s only B.S. 

in homeland security 

In the Sept. 2, 2004 edition of The New York 

Times, Claire Hoffman wrote: “Motivated by the 

terror attacks of 9/11, colleges have rushed to create 

counterterrorism and homeland security courses, 

and thousands of students … are pursuing degrees 

in this area, making disaster one of the fastest 

growing fields in academia.” 

Catching the first wave, APSU became the first 

university in Tennessee to offer a bachelor’s degree 

in homeland security. 

Following a thumbs-up from the Tennessee 

Board of Regents, in November 2004 the Tennessee 

Higher Education Commission approved a 

bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a 

concentration in homeland security. The program is 

based at the APSU Center @ Fort Campbell, 

providing easy access for post personnel. 

continued on page 12 



In short: It was a very good year 

When President Sherry Hoppe took the reins as 

president of Austin Peay State University in 2000, 

she was faced with many formidable challenges, 

including a $1 million tuition rebate to the state due 

to bookkeeping errors at the APSU Center @ Fort 

Campbell. 

There had been an increasingly steady downward 

trend in new enrollment further exacerbated by 

major retention problems. Fundraising was 

floundering. There were zero online classes being 

offered and virtually no weekend classes. The 

University was suffering from a lack of visibility 

and consistent branding. New construction and 

campus improvements were flat-lining, and overall 

morale was tanking. 

Thankfully, that’s history! For APSU, 

2004-05 was one of the brightest years 

in the University’s history. We’re 

happy to share a few highlights 

with you: 

A bird’s eye view of Governors Stadium reveals it’s looking quite spiffy. Among many recent renovations is the installation of Polytan 

Turf, formerly used only on soccer fields. 

• APSU achieved the largest enrollment in our 

history—8,650. By far, our 13 percent increase 

was the largest in the state. 

• APSU’s national accreditation with the Southern 

Association of States and Colleges (SACS) was 

reaffirmed—with no recommendations for 

improvement! 

• APSU launched a successful First-Year 

Experience Program to address retention 

problems, and two professionals were hired to 

advise undecided students. 

• A extensive visioning process for the University 

resulted in a new vision statement that focuses on 

the characteristics that will prepare students to 

live and work in the global society of the 21stcentury. 

• The football stadium and basketball arena 

received much-needed upgrades, with newly 

installed mega-video screens in the Dunn Center. 

• A much-needed, comprehensive campus signage 

project was completed, with new road signs, 

building markers (complete with departments and 

offices within each) and back-lighted campus 

maps, all with a coordinated, classy design. 

• For the fifth consecutive year of Dr. Sherry 

Hoppe’s presidency at APSU, we met or 

exceeded affirmative action goals for African- 

Americans in all categories. 

• We increased available scholarships by more than 

$100,000 to help attract some of the brightest 

young minds in the region. 

• We enjoyed a banner year in private giving, 

including two estate gifts totaling more than $4 

million and another stock gift valued at $1 million. 

• For the first time in history, APSU is included in 

a federal appropriations bill, valued at $1 million, 

which will be used to launch the Institute for 

Global Security Studies. 

• APSU became the only university in Tennessee 

and one of a limited few in the nation to offer a 

bachelor’s degree in homeland security. 

• The Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts 

Photos: Bill Persinger 

Contributed Photo 

had an active year with numerous events, 

including the premiere of an original play by 

famed New York City playwright Glyn O’Malley 

and an appearance by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet 

Stephen Dunn. 

• The Center of Excellence for Field Biology 

generated more than a half-million dollars in 

grant funds in one 30-day period. 

• Architectural plans for a new, state-of-the-art 

recreation center are complete, with construction 

to begin in 2005. 

Tennessee’s fastest-growing 

university? Abso-ka-plut-ly! 

It’s one for the history books! 

Enrollment for Fall 2004 hit an all-time high at 

Austin Peay, and the double-digit increase made 

APSU the fastest-growing university in the state. 

Both the headcount and full-time equivalency 

(FTE) enrollments were the largest in Austin Peay’s 

history, with previous highs reached in 1996 when 

headcount was 8,187 and FTE was 6,072. 

APSU’s final Fall 2004 headcount of 8,650 was a 

13.4 percent increase over the 7,623 of Fall 2003, 

while FTE increased 10.4 percent (6,936 this fall; 

6,278 last). 

With no other university posting more than 3.8 

percent increase (University of Memphis), APSU 

led all state universities in enrollment growth for 

Fall 2004. 

Anonymous donor gives APSU 

$1M in stock 

An alumnus who has asked to remain anonymous 

has given APSU $1 million in stock to help fund a 

top-of-the-line student recreation center. 

Last year, the APSU student body voted to 

impose a fee on itself to build the center. The total 

dollars generated from the fee were insufficient to 

build a facility large enough to accommodate all 

desired functional areas, so University officials 

sought private funding to supplement the revenues 

generated by student fees. 

Thankfully, a major contributor to APSU stepped 

forward with $1 million to ensure the facility meets 

current and future needs. The total cost of the 

building is estimated to be $10 million. 

According to President Sherry Hoppe, the donor 

structured the gift in an unusual way that, in effect, 

Alumni Fact: Dr. Ronald Mills (’69) is professor of biochemistry at the University of Houston-Clearlake. 

Alumni Fact: Dr. April Norris Marklin (’87) is a veterinarian at the Norris (Tenn.) Veterinary Clinic. 

4 5

S 

By: Dennie B. Burke 

Executive Director of Public Relations and Marketing 

ince returning to Middle Tennessee 11 years ago, David Alford 

(’87) has been committed to breathing new life into professional 

theatre in the area. 

Alford has the credentials and charisma to make it happen. And 

most agree Alford’s resuscitation of regional theatre is well underway. 

The son of a Methodist minister, Alford found his own special 

calling when he was a student at Austin Peay, after transferring 

from Martin Methodist University his sophomore year. Alford had 

found his voice already—as lead singer for the Red River Boys, a 

local country band. With a rapidly growing fan base, the group was 

playing enough gigs to fund the young Alford’s college. 

Alford entered APSU on a vocal music scholarship. He thought 

his life course was charted—until he hit the hard wall of reality. 

Dr. George Mabry, professor of music, advised him to give up 

country music if he hoped to have a credible career in vocal performance. 

Conflicted about what he should do, Alford considered dropping 

out, but his father, always his anchor, encouraged him to hang in, 

and he did. Sound advice. 

The son of a preacher man 

Born in Nashville, Ben David Alford carries his heritage proudly. 

He is one of a long line of Ben Alfords. 

His father, Dr. Ben Robert Alford, is a retired minister. Father 

and son share the family farm, which today is richer in history than 

in harvests. But David Alford believes living on the family farm 

gives him roots and an understanding of his place in God’s plan. 

In 1884, Ben Lafayette Alford purchased 280 acres in Adams, 

Tenn., from expatriate slaves who sold their portion of the former 

plantation to move north. Ben Lafayette built a farmhouse, where 

Alford’s grandfather, Ben Carmack Alford, raised his family. 

Alford’s father and mother, Shari, now live in the original farmhouse, 

while Alford, his wife Katrina (’87) and their two sons, Ben 

Overton and Hanson, live just down the road on 40 acres he purchased 

from his uncle. 

From his ancestors, Alford learned values that have served him 

well through bad times and good. Like his father, Alford is a spiritual 

man, but his pulpit is the stage. Alford learned from his 

father’s sermons the power of words spoken with conviction. And 

7 





Coming Home 

There’s a moment in 

Tennessee Repertory Theatre’s 

“Holiday Memories” where 

we’re told, “There aren’t two 

of everything.” How true. 

There is only one Truman 

Capote, and there is only one 

David Alford … 

Evans Donnell 

The Tennessean (Dec. 9, 2004) 

6

We need your help! 

Please help locate our “lost” alums! Go to 

www.apsu.edu/alumni/lost1.asp on the Web to view 

the current list of lost alumni. We appreciate any 

information to help us locate them, whether by e- 

mail, telephone or fax. 

Mark Your Calendar. 

Homecoming 2005 

is coming! 

November 5 

Alumni awards nominations 

The Austin Peay State University National 

Alumni Association is seeking nominations for 

the Outstanding Young Alumnus/a Award, 

Outstanding Service Award and Outstanding 

Alumnus/a Award. Submit nominations in one of 

the following ways: 

Mail: Austin Peay State University 


P.O. Box 4676 


In person: Pace Alumni Center at 

Emerald Hill 

751 N. Second Street 

By Phone: (931) 221-7979 or 

1-800-264-2586 

By fax: (931) 221-6292 

E-mail: alumni@apsu.edu 

The Outstanding Alumnus/a Award is given to 

a graduate of Austin Peay State University. It recognizes 

outstanding accomplishments in one’s 

profession, business, community, state or nation, 

that have brought a high level of honor and pride 

to the University. 

The Outstanding Young Alumnus/a Award is 

given to a graduate of Austin Peay State 

University who is 42 or younger. It recognizes 

outstanding accomplishments in one’s profession, 

business, community, state or nation, that have 

brought a high level of honor and pride to the 

University. 

The Outstanding Service Award was established 

to give special recognition to individuals 

who, through fund raising, recruiting, advocacy 

or faithful service, have brought honor and distinction 

to Austin Peay State University. This 

award, which may be given to an individual who 

is not an alumnus/a, represents the highest honor 

conferred upon alumni and friends of the 

University. 

9 


Looking for Alumni events? 

For more up-to-date information on alumni 

events, call the Alumni Center at 1-800- 

264-ALUM or look up upcoming events and 

photos from past events online at 

www.apsu.edu/alumni. 

50-Year Reunion 

The class of 1955 will be celebrating its 50-year 

reunion Saturday, April 23. Call 1-800-264-ALUM 

for details and reservation information. 

Phonathon 

Austin Peay’s annual Phonaton event took place 

Oct. 4-28 and raised $86,331. If you’d like to contribute, 

you still can. Just call 1-800-264-ALUM or 

e-mail alumni@apsu.edu. 

launched June 21. Go to 

www.apsualumni.onlinecommunity.com to register. 

It’s FREE. Update or create your profile and begin 

searching today. What you can do on the site: 

• Class Notes—Update everyone on the events in 

your life in real time. 

• Event Registration—Register for events and pay 

registration fees online. 

• Homecoming Registration—Get all the information 

you need about Homecoming activities, 

including an updated list of who’s attending. 

• Personal Photo Upload—Add your photo to your 

class note. It’s easy! 

• Online Alumni Directory—Look for that longlost 

friend or roommate. 

• eMessage Center—Create your own message 

center on MyInfo page, where Alerts and Pages 

from alumni, staff and administrators are posted. 

• Pager Messaging—Page any other alum who has 

been on the site recently. 

• Personal Pals Lists—Invite other alumni to be on 

your “friends” list. 


These alumni attended a preliminary-interest meeting held in Houston: Jim Gibbons (front, seated), (l-r) Susan Towe, Warren Chaney, 

John McGee, Nancy Gibbons, Kelly Fairweather, Kimberly Claar and Hal Henthorne. The meeting was also a celebration of Gibbons’ 

birthday! 

8 

Alumni in attendance on Nov. 30 for the chartering of the newest alumni chapter, the Greater Chattanooga Chapter, included (front 

row, l-r) Lanetta Gilder, Paula O’Steen, Sue Krug, Angela Appleberry, Yohunnah Woods-Moton, (back row- l-r) Fredrick Yarbrough (district 

director), Phil Krug, Phil O’Steen, Kel Topping (chapter president), Stephen Donohoe and Chris Ramsey. 

The APSUNAA hosted a reception and book signing during the 

fall for alumnus Maj. William D. “Kirk” Kirkpatrick (’78) in conjunction 

with the release of his book “It All Counts on Twenty,” 

a fictional account of his years in the U.S. Army. 

Photo: Shelia Boone Photo: Shelia Boone 

Alumni online community launched 

A new, improved Alumni Online Community 

from Internet Association Corporation was 


Photo: Shelia Boone Photo: Shelia Boone 

The APSUNAA hosted a reception and book signing for Lezlie 

Word (’93) last fall in conjunction with the release of her latest 

book, “Intents of the Heart,” the third in a series of Christian 

fiction books. 

Alumni Fact: Fred Landiss (’69) is senior vice president for marketing at F & M Bank, Clarksville. 

Photo: Shelia Boone 

Photo: Shelia Boone 

Alumni enjoy events at the tailgate party during 2004 Homecoming 

festivites. For more Homecoming photos, see page 30. 

A small but enthusiastic 

group of interested 

alumni attended a preliminary-interest 

meeting 

in Dallas. Joining 

Heather Legg (left) 

and Shelia Boone 

(right) were (l-r) Bill 

Ferguson, Gerald 

Scandore and Blaine 

Eschenburg. 

Sandra Fladry waits for an autographed copy of alumnus 

Billyfrank Morrison’s (’81) book “Clarksville in Vintage 

Postcards” at a reception and book signing last fall hosted by 

the APSUNAA. 

Alumni Fact: Ann-Marie Brown (’00) represented Antigua and Barbuda in the 2004 Miss Universe Pageant.

isters in Crime. Without one whit of coercion, she confesses she’s 

one. 

Sheila Mayhew York (’71) was initiated into the relatively small sisterhood with the debut of her 

first whodunit. Sisters in Crime is an international organization of mystery writers. York became a 

member in good standing in October 2003 with the release of her novel “Star Struck Dead,” by 

Pocket Books. 

The first in a series, “Star Struck Dead” features screenwriter and sleuth Lauren Atwill. Through 

Atwill’s adventures, York gives the reader an inside look into the grit and glamour of Hollywood in 

the 1940s. Full of intrigue and romance, the novel plays out like an old black-and-white movie, a 

talkie on celluloid. 

Given the self-imposed parameters of the storyline, the author took a literary gamble in her first 

book with its investiture of a powerful female heroine into the noir genre. A gamble that paid off, it 

seems. 

In July 2004, York was on hand to accept the honors when “Star Struck Dead” won Best 

Mainstream Mystery/Suspense of the Year at the Daphne du Maurier Awards at the Romance 

Writers of America Convention in Dallas. The sequel, “A Good Knife’s Work,” is slated for release 

in Spring 2005. 

Award in tow, will York retreat to a cramped but cozy writer’s loft in the East Village? No can 

do! Literature is only half her world. The dependable-income half is found on Wall Street. 

High finance and noir thrillers 

By: DENNIE B. BURKE 

Executive Director of 

Public Relations and Marketing 

The façade of Morgan Stanley, located on Times Square, is often shown on television when the 

producer needs a visual for a Wall Street story. 

Giant hieroglyphics of stock and bond tickers scroll constantly on an electronic sign, three stories 

high, running the length of the building. The lingo of stockbrokers and investors crawls steadily, 

24-7—indicative of the need-to-know-now of New York City. 

At 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, she passes beneath the scrolling symbols and takes the 


10 11 



Photo: Mark Lentz — www.nycjpg.com

Larry Burkhart, HCA vice president for human resources, presents APSU President Sherry Hoppe with a check for $200,000 to 

fund nursing scholarships. 

HCA provides nursing 

scholarships 

“God bless HCA,” Shannon Reagan, a senior 

nursing student from Clarksville, whispered as 

she shook hands with Larry Burkhart, HCA 

(Hospital Corporation of America) vice 

president for human resources. 

Burkhart was on campus for a Nov. 16 

It’s great for the working nurse. Take it from one 

who knows. 

Jamie Wade, who graduated form APSU’s 

baccalaureate nursing program in 2002, was 

quickly snapped up by Saint Thomas Medical 

Center, Nashville. 

Despite family obligations of being a wife and 

mother, plus the demands of working full time, Wade 

The mother of a college student and 

wife of a soldier, Jamie Wade graduated 

from APSU’s baccalaureate nursing 

program and was hired immediately. 

Now enrolled in the online Master of 

Science in Nursing, Wade says the 

M.S.N. is perfect for her, because she 

can continue working as a critical 

care nurse at Saint Thomas Hospital, 

Nashville. And if the Army transfers 

her husband, she can complete the 

degree, because it’s online. 

luncheon, at which he presented President 

Sherry Hoppe, Reagan and 30 other nursing 

students with a check for $200,000 to fund 

nursing scholarships. 

“This $200,000 comes on top of $75,000 

HCA has given our nursing program over the 

last couple of years,” Roy Gregory, executive 

director for University advancement, said. 

enrolled in the nurse practitioner track last fall. 

“It’s so convenient,” she says. “I can do my class 

work at midnight, if I want. And if the Army were 

to transfer my husband, I can complete my degree, 

because it’s online.” 

For more information about the new, online 

M.S.N., call (931) 221-7467. 



Making APSU Headlines (continued from page 5) 

Sgt. Terry Edwards, who first enrolled at the APSU Center @ 

Fort Campbell to earn an associate degree in criminal justice, 

switched majors to earn a degree in homeland security. He 

decided he wanted the four-year degree so, when he gets out of 

the Army, he will be able to teach or become a U.S. marshal. 

The new B.S. in Homeland Security is a strong leg 

for Austin Peay’s soon-to-be-launched Institute for 

Global Security Studies, also based at Fort Campbell. 

Gerald Beavers, executive director of the APSU 

Center @ Fort Campbell, predicts the new program 

will be popular. “It’s my belief that the demand for 

the bachelor’s degree in homeland security will be 

so great that the need for our associate degree in 

police administration will diminish greatly. 

“Today, the front line for homeland security is 

the police officer on the street who needs to know 

what he or she is dealing with.” 

In The New York Times article, Hoffman quotes 

David McEntire, head of the nation’s oldest 

terrorism and emergency management program, 

located in Texas: “The federal government is 

pumping billions into the Department of Homeland 

Security, and the students are seeing that and 

saying, ‘Hey, there are jobs here.’” 

Interested in the new B.S. in Homeland Security? 

Just call (931) 221-1400. 

APSU gets gift from father-andson 

estate 

Last November, APSU was among 10 Clarksville 

nonprofit organizations to get a big boost from the 

Clarksville estates of Howell “Smitty” C. Smith Sr. 

and his son, Howard “Red” C. Smith Jr. (’52). 

The elder Smith, a banker, died in 1996, and his 

son, an attorney and court clerk, died in January 2004. 

Their two estates gave a total of $8.53 million to 

charity, with APSU receiving $2.1 million, 

earmarked for scholarships and chairs of excellence. 

APSU President Sherry Hoppe said, “This is a 

wonderful gift. With it, we’ll truly be able to make 

a difference in students’ lives.” 

APSU gets grant from Lumina 

APSU was awarded a $403,500 grant from 

Lumina Foundation for Education, which will fund 

two years of research as APSU partners with the 

Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) 

and the National Center for Higher Education 

Management Systems (NCHEMS). 

Project directors Dr. Houston Davis, APSU 

associate vice president for academic affairs, Dr. 

Brian Noland, THEC executive director, and 

Patrick Kelly, senior research associate for 

NCHEMS, will coordinate the study, which is part 

of their national Educational Needs project. 

“The Educational Needs Index (ENI) is a 50-state 

study of educational, economic and population 

pressures that influence educational policy and 

planning at local, regional and state levels,” said Davis. 

With enrollment skyrocketing and dorm rooms 

filled to capacity, APSU officials are looking to the 

private sector to provide apartments for students. 

A new, 380-bed student housing complex is to 

be built on four parcels of land along University 

Avenue and Franklin Street, serving as a strong 

Alum, director of medical physics 

at Emory Med School, gives 

Commencement talk 

Dr. Tim Fox (’90), Atlanta, who gave the keynote 

address during Winter 2004 Commencement on 

Dec. 17, could have passed himself off as an 

internationally renowned motivational speaker. 

Dr. Tim Fox 

N.C. company plans privately owned, 380-bed student housing complex 

connector between the University and a 

revitalized downtown Clarksville. 

Kenney Properties Inc., owner/developer, plans 

to break ground this spring and complete the $12 

million project by 2007. 




Photo: Heather Legg 

13 

Kenney Properties, Inc. 

Owner/Developer 

Fox held the soon-to-be graduates, their families 

and guests spellbound with his heartfelt words of 

wisdom. Although public speaking comes easily to 

him, that’s not where he’s made his mark. 

Besides his academic appointment as assistant 

professor of radiation oncology at Emory 

University School of Medicine, Fox is the director 

of the Division of Medical Physics and the Division 

of Computational Research and Informatics, both 

within Emory University School of Medicine’s 

Department of Radiation Oncology. 

Fox was named a Diplomate of the American 

Board of Radiology for Therapeutic Radiologic 

Physics in 1997, after earning both his M.S. in 

Radiological Engineering/Health Physics and his 

Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from Georgia Tech. 

Among his many fellowships, scholarships and 

appointments, Fox received the 1990 OVC Scholar- 

Athlete Award. He is a member of the Society for 

Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology and the 

American Association of Physicists in Medicine. He 

also is a reviewer for several professional journals. 

Besides holding two U.S. patents on systems and 

methods for providing radiation therapy, Fox is the 

author or co-author of 41 research articles and five 

book chapters. 

Nurses needed stat! APSU answers 

the call with online degree 

Call the nurse! But what if there’s no one to 

answer the buzzer? It’s a hard fact that there’s a 

rapidly growing shortage of nurses nationwide. 

An estimated 126,000 unfilled nursing positions 

in hospitals have created gaping holes in the 

nation’s health-care system, and that number is 

predicted to grow by leaps and bounds as baby 

boomers retire and lifetime expectancy increases. 

So, what’s the remedy? 

APSU’s online Master of Science in Nursing 

(M.S.N.) may be just what the doctor ordered. With 

its anytime, any place schedule of classes, the M.S.N. 

is ideal for the working registered nurse (R.N.). 

The online M.S.N. program offers several career 

tracks: 

• Nursing education 

• Nursing administration 

• Nursing informatics 

• Family nurse practitioner 

12 

Alumni Fact: L.M. Ellis (’65) is president of The Ellis Group, a liquidation consulting company, Clarksville. Alumni Fact: Dr. William E. Evans (’70) is director of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis.

As the new graduate entered the job search, she 

learned every step in her path had its purpose. 

Journalism wasn’t her choice as a major, but that 

previous experience helped win her a job offer from 

Gateway Health System, Clarksville, where she put 

those writing and research skills to work as a marketing 

and public relations assistant. 

However, Reed knew that her future was in public 

health, and she took another leap toward that 

goal when she became a community health council 

coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Health 

14 15 


Living Her Dream 

By Rebecca Mackey 

Communication Specialist 

V 

ianca Reed (’96) always smiles when 

she picks up the phone. From her 

friendly, relaxed demeanor, you’d 

think she was talking to her best 

friend instead of fielding questions on the flu vaccine 

shortage and calming people frightened by the 

prospect of losing TennCare. 

How does she deal so effortlessly with situations 

that might have others calling in sick? As director 

of the Montgomery County Health Department, 

Reed has the powerful sense of purpose and the joy 

that comes from having the job of her dreams. 

So, how did this 30-year-old become one of the 

youngest health department directors in Tennessee? 

As a junior at Austin Peay State University, Reed 

decided to do some soul-searching before declaring a 

major. “I was a reporter and editor for my high school 

newspaper, so I considered journalism,” she says. 

“But the work was not fulfilling to me anymore.” 

Reed’s mother, Marzee Brown, then a drug and 



“Obesity is an epidemic in this country,” she says. “It is so closely tied to diabetes, heart disease, 

hypertension and stroke. The likelihood of suffering these diseases decreases with 

weight loss, so as a health department, we want to help people decrease their risk factors.” 

alcohol counselor, had encouraged her to go into 

the healthcare field, because of the high demand for 

nurses. However, she decided first to take advantage 

of the career counseling and testing provided 

at APSU. All signs pointed to a career path that was 

no surprise to her mother: health care management. 

Guided by her adviser, Dr. Rae Hansberry, associate 

professor of health and human performance, 

Reed began to pursue a B.S. in Health Care 

Management. Her decision to enter the field truly 

was made after she volunteered for an internship 

helping Veronica Henry at Clarksville CARES, a 

former non-profit organization that provided 

resources for people with HIV/AIDS. 

“That’s when I really fell in love with public 

health,” she says. “I realized I wanted to help people 

who couldn’t get the health services they needed.” 

After Reed graduated with her bachelor’s in 

1996, she started work on a master’s in public and 

community health, which she earned in 1997 at 

APSU. 

in 2001. She gained experience in community 

assessments, planning, organization and data collection 

as she facilitated county health councils in six 

counties tasked with addressing the health issues of 

their communities. 

“The experience opened my eyes to how much 

can be done when people have a desire to make a 

difference,” says Reed. “If you can generate interest 

at the local level and make people aware of issues 

that affect their community, you can help them 

make changes by connecting them with the right 

people and programs, writing legislators and getting 

them to dig their heels in.” 

As many of the county health directors in the 

Illustration: Getty Images/Whitney Sherman 

Mid-Cumberland Region neared retirement, the 

regional director began to identify the next generation 

of leaders. Reed, who had been very vocal 

about her intention to have a career in public 

health, was given the opportunity to visit health 

directors around the region. Her assignment in 

Montgomery County included helping then-Health 

Department Director Peggy Tackett create the county’s 

Small Pox Vaccination Plan. 

“During the bioterrorism planning, I was able to 

work with people from local law enforcement and 

the Clarksville-Montgomery County School 

System, and I participated in the volunteer training,” 

says Reed. “It was a rewarding experience. 

Agencies and individuals came together to ensure 

our community was prepared.” 

In July 2003, Reed was asked to serve as interim 

director in Stewart County when Director Skip 

Lowe went on medical leave. Reed realized quickly 

the challenge of access to healthcare in a rural setting. 

“There were only two clinics in the county 

and no hospital,” she says. “The Medical Center 

was a necessity for this community, providing afterhours 

and weekend care.” 

Applying for the Medical Center’s federal funding 

was another challenge for Reed during her 

tenure as interim director. 

“Stewart County is the only county in our 12- 

county region that receives federal funds in an annual 

grant,” explains Reed. “And the grant contributes 

a substantial amount of the Center’s funding.” 

She credits the department’s staff with pulling 

together and helping her “do a lot of learning, very 

quickly.” 

Reed became the official director of the Stewart 

County Health Department after Lowe retired in 

February 2004. At that point, she was halfway to 

achieving her career goal. 

The opportunity for obtaining the second half 

presented itself in May 2004, when Tackett decided 

continued on page 31

APSU names four to Red Coat Society 

The Governors Club at APSU named four new 

members to the Red Coat Society, a Hall of Fame 

for service to APSU athletics. 

Don Corlew, Bobby Mills, Davis McCutchen 

and Edmund Terrell–all members of the Govs 

Club executive board–were honored Jan. 8, 2005, 

during APSU’s Ohio Valley Conference doubleheader. 

Each received a red coat and a lapel pin. 

Corlew, who’s seen every APSU home football 

game since 1959 and almost every home basketball 

game since 1958, has been a Governors Club 

member since the organization’s inception in the 

late-60s. He received the APSU Alumni 

Association’s 2000 Outstanding Service Award. 

Mills has been a member of the Govs Club for 

nearly 40 years. A football and basketball seasonticket 

holder since 1965, he’s also owned baseball 

season tickets since the first days they were sold. 

He is a leader in the Governors Club membership 

drive and other fundraisers. 

McCutchen, who joined the Govs Club in the 

mid-1960s, initiated the idea to reward APSU’s 

student-athletes with replica pins after Austin 

Peay earned the OVC Academic Banner in 2002- 

03. He has devoted many hours to the Governors 

Bass tournament, basketball fundraiser, summer 

concert series and the Governors Golf Classic. 

Terrell, a Govs Club member since the late 

1970s, served as president from 1997-98. He’s a 

leader in the Govs Club membership drive and 

obtained entrants to the annual Governors Golf 

Classic and Governors Bass tournaments. In addition, 

he owns season tickets to all APSU ticketselling 

sports. 

To be eligible for the Red Coat Society, individuals 

must have been a member in good standing 

of the Governors Club for at least five years, supported 

APSU athletic programs through financial 

contributions or fundraisers, supported more than 

one sport both at home and away and been recognized 

for their association with APSU athletics. 

Recently, four new members were tapped for the elite Red Coat Society. They are, far left to right, Davis McCutchen, Edmund 

Terrell, Bobby Mills and Don Corlew. These four join last year’s inductees, left to far right, H.R. Wortham, Dick Hardwick, Perkins 

Freeman and Brandon Buhler. In the center, left to right, are Terry Griffin, Kenneth Griffin and Nelson Boehms. 

17 



Govs basketball posts highest 

graduation rate among regional 

conferences 

A recent story by the Louisville Courier-Journal 

proved APSU men’s basketball squad knows how 

to make points, whether they’re scored on the court 

or in the classroom. 

According to the article, the Govs had the highest 

graduation rate among schools in the Big 10, 

Conference USA, OVC, SEC and Sun Belt. 

APSU’s graduation rate for the men’s basketball 

team was 86 percent from 1993-97. That’s 30 percent 

higher than any other OVC school. 

Although the newspaper’s study only covered 

1993-97, the graduation rate has continued to rise. 

From 1997-2004, the team had a graduation rate of 

97 percent. 

Inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame this spring are, left to 

right, Amanda Behrenbrinker, Chuck Abbott and Angela 

Thompson. 

Photo: Sports Information 

Chicago Bears players test Govs’ turf 

Key members of the Chicago Bears football team visited APSU Feb. 17 to test Governors Stadium’s 

new turf. 

In late January, the Bears operations staff came to APSU and met with Charlie Meeks, president of 

TurboLink International, developer of Polytan playing surfaces. It was Meeks who supervised the 

installation of APSU’s Polytan Turf last summer. 

According to Ben Pratt, director of the APSU physical plant, Polytan has been used on soccer fields, 

but its installation at APSU marks the first time it has been used on a football field. 

The Chicago Bears who tested the playing surface were cornerback Jerry Azumah and offensive lineman 

John Tait. 

APSU inducts three into Athletics 

Hall of Fame 

Chuck Abbott, the highest-drafted baseball player 

in APSU history, Angela Thompson, the best pitcher 

in Lady Govs softball history, and Amanda 

Behrenbrinker, one of the best post players in Lady 

Govs basketball history, were inducted into the 

APSU’s Athletics Hall of Fame Jan. 15. 

Abbott enjoyed three outstanding seasons for the 

Bat Govs, highlighted by the 1996 campaign that 

saw him help lead the Governors to their only 

NCAA tournament appearance and a school-record 

44 wins. 

The Schaumburg, Ill., native ranks in APSU single-season 

Top 10 in runs scored, hits, doubles and 

games played. His .326 batting average ranks 21st 

all-time, while his runs scored (153/fourth), hits 

(218/sixth), doubles (42/sixth), triples (10/t-second) 

and stolen bases (60/fourth) all rank in the career 

top 10, despite playing just three seasons. 

During the 1996 season, he broke the OVC hitting-streak 

mark, resetting it at 42 straight games. It 

is still the fourth-longest in NCAA history. He would 

go on to earn first-team All-OVC and OVC all-tournament. 

Abbott also was named NCAA All-Region. 

Abbott was selected in the second round of the 

Major League baseball draft, the 55th player overall, 

to become the highest-drafted Gov in history. 

He played five seasons for the Angels before signing 

with the Cleveland Indians. Abbott returned to 

APSU in Fall 2001 to complete his undergraduate 

work, earning his bachelor’s in health and human 

performance in December 2002. 

There’s no question Angela Thompson is the 

greatest hurler in Lady Govs softball history. The 

Nashville native was a three-time, first-team All- 

OVC selection and was named to the OVC all-tourney 

team in 1995. 

Thompson is the OVC’s all-time strikeout leader 

(789). She also holds APSU school records for 

games pitched, games started, complete games, 

wins, shutouts, innings pitched and strikeouts. 

During her career, she was ranked in Top-10 among 

Division I pitchers in earned-run average in 1993 

and strikeouts in 1993 and 1995. She holds singleseason 

records in wins (24), shutouts (10), strikeouts 

(282) and earned-run average (0.76). 

Thompson is now the No. 1 assistant/pitching 


Photo: Sports Information 

coach at South Carolina, perennially a Top 20 program. 

Behrenbrinker made her mark in Lady Govs basketball 

history, helping lead the 1995-96 team to 

APSU’s first NCAA tourney appearance. 

The Lapeer, Mich., native peaked early in her 

senior year. During five of the first six games, she 

recorded double-doubles, including a 38-point, 14- 

rebound effort at Chattanooga while averaging 26 

points per game during that stretch. 

Behrenbrinker is ranked fourth all-time in career 

scoring (1,442 points), eighth in scoring average 

(13.9 ppg), fourth in field goals made (525), seventh 

in field goals attempted (1,130) and eighth alltime 

in field-goal percentage (.465). 

She is third all-time in career rebounding (894), 

fourth in rebound average (8.6 rpg), second in 

blocked shots (124) and third in steals (224). She 

also holds fourth-best single-season mark (1996-97) 

for free-throws made (125). 

Govs favored to take OVC baseball 

crown in 2005 

APSU is predicted to claim a third straight Ohio 

Valley Conference regular-season baseball crown, 

according to a preseason poll of the league’s 10 

head coaches. 

The Governors received four first-place votes and 

75 points in the Conference poll, edging out 

Southeast Missouri, who took four first-place votes 

and was chosen second with 70 points. Defending 

2004 OVC Tournament Champion Jacksonville 

State (65 points) picked up the remaining two firstplace 

nods and was selected third. 

Austin Peay, which finished the 2004 season with 

a 35-21 overall record and a 20-7 league mark, 

returned seven starters and five pitchers for the 

2005 season. Included among the top returnees are 

pitcher Rowdy Hardy and infielders Jared Walker 

and Chris Hyde. Hardy was a first team All-OVC 

pick last season, earning OVC Rookie of the Year 

honors after posting a 2.90 ERA and striking out 91 

batters while ranking 10th in the nation with 12 victories 

(12-3). Walker, an All-OVC honorable mention 

in 2004, led the team in RBI (51), hits (81), 

runs (50) and doubles (23) while Hyde, a second 

team All-OVC pick, batted .291 and tallied 39 RBI 

with a team-high 11 home runs. 

16 

Alumni Fact: Jeff Stec (’94) owns Peak Fitness Centers in North Carolina and the Peak Racing Team, which races on the NASCAR circuit. 

Alumni Fact: Bill Griggs (’65) is the owner of Gait Holdings LLC., Franklin, Tenn.

precipice of a major upset March 5. The fifth-seeded 

Gov’s, who entered OVC tourney play at 11-18, 

stunned the tourney’s top seed, Tennessee Tech, in 

the semifinals before meeting No. 2 seed Eastern 

Kentucky in the OVC title game. 

Although a long three-pointer by EKU ended the 

Govs dream, 52-46, the season’s positives also 

reigned. Senior Anthony Davis earned second-team 

All-OVC and in the process moved up the scoring 

ladder–past both Fly Williams and Trenton 

Hassell–into fifth place. Juniors Maurice Hampton 

and Zac Schlader were named to the OVC all-tourney 

team, a jumpstart to their final season in 2005- 

06. The Governors finished at .500 or better in the 

OVC, ranking in the league’s top half for the ninth 

consecutive time. 

Austin Peay women’s 

basketball team struggled 

in 2004-05, finishing the 

campaign with an 8-19 

mark overall and 4-12 in 

Ohio Valley Conference 

play. 

The Dunn Center 

proved to be a haven for 

the Lady Govs as they 

compiled a 6-4 mark in 

the friendly confines. 

However, they won just 

two games in a 17-game 

road slate. 

There were bright spots 

along the way. Junior Ashley Haynes became the 

10th APSU player all-time to record 1,000 career 

Stillwater; a daughter, Stacey Kierstan Barbre, 

Stillwater; a sister, Linda Womack, Broken Bow, 

Okla.; and two grandchildren. 

Dr. Elizabeth Stokes 

Dr. Elizabeth Stokes, 82, professor emeritus of 

psychology at APSU, died Saturday, Dec. 11, 2004, 

in Austin, Texas. 

The wife of Dr. Bill Stokes, professor emeritus of 

mathematics, she retired from APSU in 1987. 

During her tenure, Stokes received the 

Alumni Fact: Ken Phillips (’91) is special markets manager at Datrek Professional Bags Inc., Springfield. Alumni Fact: Larry Gates (’52) is an investment adviser and vice president of Heidtke and Co. Inc., Nashville. 

points with her 29-point performance Feb. 22 at 

Tennessee Tech. She finished her junior year with 

1,023 career points, ninth on the APSU career-scoring 

list. Haynes also represented the Lady Govs on 

the postseason all-conference squads, receiving second-team 

recognition. 

Junior Kera Bergeron finished her APSU career 

with 258 career three-pointers, claiming the top 

spot on the APSU career three-point field goal list. 

She ranked third nationally in three-point field 

goals made per game, finishing the season with 82. 

Cassandra Peek, the team’s lone senior, became 

the third APSU player with both 300 assists and 

100 three-pointers. She joins former APSU players 

Kelly Chavez (1997-2002) and Paige Smith (1999- 

2003) in this rare group. 

18 19 



Seven Govs earn All-PFL South 

Seven APSU football players 

were named All-Pioneer 

Football League South selections. 

Senior wide receiver Pat 

Curran, freshman running back 

Teddy Carruthers 

Pat Curran 

Chris Fletcher 

Adam Rector 

Chris Fletcher, junior quarterback 

Jesse Kellogg and senior 

offensive guard Adam Rector 

represent the offensive side of 

the ball–it was Rector’s second 

straight All-PFL South honor. 

On the defensive side, sophomore 

linebacker Charlie 

Forte, sophomore defensive 

end Steven Young and senior 

cornerback Teddy Carruthers 

earned accolades. 

Curran, Nashville, became 

only the second Governor in 

school history to record multiple 

50-catch seasons (Harold 

“Red” Roberts had three in the 

late 1960s). He finished the 

season with a team-best 51 

catches for 846 yards and eight 

touchdowns. He was the 

favorite target of Kellogg, who 

passed for 2,037 yards with 

190 completions and 13 TDs. 

The Madison native’s 419 pass 

attempts represented the second-most 

in school history. 

Fletcher’s 974 rushing yards 

represented the most by a Govs 

freshman back in University 

history. The Clarksvillian had 

six 100-yard rushing games during 

the season, finishing with 

three straight 100-plus contests. 

Rector was the senior leader 

up front for Fletcher, Kellogg 

and company. In addition to a 

pair of first-team All-PFL 

South selections, he was an 

honorable mention pick as a 

sophomore in 2002. 

On the defensive side, Forte 

led the way with 117 tackles. In 

the Govs’ two late-season victories, 

the Springfield native 

had 19 and 17 stops, including 

two sacks in overtime against 

Davidson. 

Steven Young 

Young emerged from the 

Govs defensive end rotation to record 51 tackles, 

including eight for losses. The Clarksville native 

tied for the team lead in sacks with four. He also 

was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 

team. 

Carruthers closed strong for the Governors. The 

Memphis native had five interceptions, one each in 

the final three games. His interception return for a 

TD against Davidson was crucial in the Govs’ only 

PFL South win. In addition, he blocked three kicks, 

including one in overtime against Davidson. 

Six APSU athletes earn OVC 

Medals of Honor 

Six APSU athletes earned the Ohio Valley 

Conference Medal Of Honor, given annually to student-athletes 

who achieve the highest grade-point averages 

in their respective conference-sponsored sports. 

Men basketball’s Rhet Wierzba, women basketball’s 

Gerlonda Hardin, softball’s Jennifer Adcock, 

volleyball’s Julie Burkhalter, women tennis’ Jessie 

Charlie Forte Former Govs baseball pitcher Jeff Mault has 

signed a professional contract to play the 2005 

season for the Gary (Ind.) SouthShore RailCats of 

the independent Northern League. 

Mault transferred to APSU in 2003 and was the 

team’s closer, posting a school-record 10 saves. 

He was a two-time All-OVC selection as a reliever 

in 2002 and a starter in 2003, being named the 

Jesse Kellogg 

2004 OVC Pitcher of the Year after posting an 

11-4 mark with 3.69 ERA in 75.2 innings. His 

3.06 career ERA is second-best all-time at Austin 

Peay. 

The RailCats 2005 home opener is set for May 

23 against the Edmonton Cracker-Cats. 

Mills and women tennis/volleyball’s Cindy Wall all 

posted 4.0 GPAs during the past academic year. 

In addition, 49 APSU athletes earned membership 

to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, posting 

a 3.25 GPA for the year. 

Austin Peay also finished second in the OVC 

Academic Banner competition behind Jacksonville 

State and received $1,250 for the student-athlete academic 

enhancement program from Aeropostale Inc. 

Record-breaking 118 studentathletes 

named to Athletics 

Director’s Honor Roll 

For the third time in six semesters, APSU’s athletics 

department broke its record for student-athletes 

named to the Athletics Director’s Honor Roll. 

Last fall, 118 student-athletes earned a spot on 

the honor roll–posting a 3.0 or better GPA during 

the Fall 2004 semester, the highest single-semester 

total in school history, breaking the record (116) set 

during Fall 2002. 

Six of the department’s 17 teams posted a 3.0 

GPA for the semester, women’s rifle leading all 

teams with a 3.303 GPA. The other five teams 

were: women’s volleyball, men’s tennis, women’s 

golf, women’s soccer and softball. 

The entire athletic department posted a 2.689 

GPA during the fall semester. 

“The large number of student-athletes receiving 

Jeff Mault (‘04) 

Photos: Sports Information 

Photo: Robert Smith/The Leaf-Chronicle 

Kera Bergeron (left) and Cassandra Peek (right) battle for a 

rebound during the Lady Govs contest against Eastern Kentucky. 

Bergeron finished the season as APSU's all-time three-point 

shooter, while Peek became just the third women's player to 

record 300 assists and 100 three-pointers during her career. 

Distinguished Teacher Award in 1976 and the 

Community Distinguished Service Award from the 

Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce in 1986. 

Funeral services were held at the Shepherd of the 

Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin. 

Stokes is survived by her husband, a son, 

William Glenn Stokes III, Austin; a daughter, 

Lynne Moulton, Addison, Texas; and three grandchildren. 

The family has requested that any memorial contributions 

be directed to the Hendon-Stokes 

Scholarship Fund at APSU. 

Photo: Robert Smith/The Leaf-Chronicle 

Mault signs with Northern League’s RailCats 

this honor is a credit not only to these outstanding 

young men and women but also to our faculty and 

student-support staff,” said Austin Peay Athletics 

Director Dave Loos. “All of us are committed to 

creating an atmosphere that promotes success on 

the field and in the classroom.” 

In addition, 10 student-athletes were named to 

the President’s List, earning a perfect 4.0 GPA during 

the fall, and 55 were named to APSU’s Dean’s 

list, earning a 3.5 or better GPA. 

Govs, Lady Govs basketball teams 

come up short 

For a team that wasn’t even supposed to be there, 

the Governors basketball team stood on the 

Guard/forward Anthony Davis, who earned second-team All-OVC 

honors as a senior, passed two of APSU's all-time greats, James 

"Fly" Williams and Trenton Hassell, to rank fifth all-time in 

career scoring. 

In Memoriam 

Dr. Joyce Mounce 

Dr. Joyce Mounce, 62, former vice president for 

finance and administration at APSU, died Jan. 24, 

2005, in Stillwater, Okla. 

A native of San Antonio, Mounce retired from 

APSU in 2000. APSU President Sherry Hoppe 

credited her, in large part, with the rebound of 

Austin Peay’s physical plant after the 1999 tornado. 

A memorial service for Mounce was held Feb. 2 

at Hutchins Maples Funeral Home in Bristow, Okla. 

Mounce is survived by her husband, Jim Pulte,

dren, Carson and Cailee, cheered. 

Twenty-three years after she earned the title, 

Laura Risner O’Shoney received the crown. For 

her husband, Brad, his wife Laura had always been 

a queen. Now it’s official. 

21 



20 



During a reception and book signing hosted by the APSUNAA at 

the Pace Alumni Center at Emerald Hill, Paula Wall (‘76) autographed 

more than 150 copies of her new novel, “The Rock 

Orchard.” Released by Simon&Schuster/Atria Books in February 

2005, it continues to receive rave reviews from readers and 

critics alike. 

“The Rock Orchard,” Paula Wall’s (‘76) first 

novel, is being likened to “Secrets of the Ya-Ya 

Sisterhood” and “Chocolat.” 

Wall has a loyal fan base already, thanks to the 

publication of her two collections, “My Love Is 

Free … But the Rest of Me Don’t Come Cheap” 

and “If I Were a Man, I’d Marry Me,” a semi-finalist 

for the Thurber Award. She was named “Humor 

Columnist of the Year” in 1996 by the National 

Society of Newspaper Columnists, and her column, 

Off the Wall, was Universal’s third most popular 

Web column. 

Long before its release, “The Rock Orchard” was 

grabbing attention. Four publishing houses bid on 

it. Wall selected Simon&Schuster/Atria. 

“There is no other book out there like it,” Emily 

Bestler, senior editor for Simon&Schuster/Atria of 

North America, said. As of January 2005, it had 

been purchased in the United Kingdom, Germany, 

Portugal and Israel. 

“The Rock Orchard” was named by Barnes & 

Noble as its Discover Great New Writers pick. 

Previous popular books chosen for this distinction 

include “Girl with the Pearl Earring,” “Snow 

Photo: Steve Wilson 


Alum’s novel debuts to thunderous applause Her crowning glory 

Falling on Cedars” and “The Lovely Bones.” 

Ingram books, the world’s largest book distributor, 

named “The Rock Orchard” a Premier Pick for 

2005. Ingram’s recent Premier Picks are “The 

Lovely Bones” and “The Illuminator.” 

Sweet ‘n spicy! Enjoy a taste 

As steamy as an August night in New Orleans, 

“The Rock Orchard” revolves around life in 

Leaper’s Fork, Tenn., a tobacco-trading town that’s 

just a stone’s throw from Fort Donelson, where the 

blood of dying Union and Confederate soldiers 

once seeped into the ground … and into the population’s 

psyche. 

Like many Bible Belt towns, Leaper’s Fork has a 

church on every corner, their spires stretching sanctimoniously 

toward Heaven. With their beautiful 

facades facing the river, the town’s mansions are 

rotten at their core, 

much like their 

inhabitants. 

The book’s characters 

are wonderfully 

unforgettable: Southern 

gentlemen who aren’t 

gentlemen at all, who 

measure other men by 

their heritage, not their 

good works. Men whose 

accents are thick as 

molasses, whose pores ooze 

booze and whose morals are 

as loose as the town gossip’s 

tongue. 

Among the citizenry, there’s a 

plethora of frigid wives who keep 

their husbands at arm’s length, 

contrasted with the wonderfully 

wicked women who welcome those men with wideopen 

arms. 

Central to the story are three generations of 

strong-willed Belle women, interesting in that they 

not only possess the Midas Touch, they often toss 

societal mores to the wind, cackling with sheer 

delight and sweet defiance. 

Dramatic tension between godliness and worldliness 

is reflected in the attraction of Thomas, a 

preacher whose soul is drying up for lack of love, 

and Charlotte Bell, whose unconditional love is his 

salvation. It’s this couple’s unlikely love story that 

ultimately changes the emotional climate and perhaps 

the course of history in Leaper’s Fork. 

The clever use of metaphor, the witty turn-ofphrase 

and the oft-bawdy double entendre combined 

with Biblical allusions are genuine, 100- 

Proof Paula Wall. 

Coming to APSU … and bookstores 

near you 

“The Rock Orchard” was released by Simon& 

Schuster/Atria in February 2005. Wall immediately 

began a fast-paced publicity tour. 

One of her first stops was APSU! The 

APSUNAA hosted a reception and book signing for 

Wall on Feb. 24 at the Pace Alumni Center. 

The event was well attended, with Wall 

autographing more than 150 copies of her 

book. 

Wall returns to Clarksville in early 

June as a participating author in the first 

Clarksville Writers Conference, cosponsored 

by the Arts and Heritage 

Development Council and APSU. The 

last two days of the conference, 

which will be held in the Morgan 

University Center, offer workshops 

where published authors provide 

helpful hints to wannabe writers. 

On Saturday, June 11, Wall 

will present “To Be or Not to 

Be a Writer: Tips on 

Becoming a Professional 

Writer.” and “Why Good 

Writers Don’t Get Published.” 

For more information or to register for the 

national Clarksville Writers Conference, contact 

Patricia Winn by telephone at (931) 645-2317 or e- 

mail at Cornelius@midsouth.net. 

For more information about the “The Rock 

Orchard,” go to SimonSays.com, 

Barnes&Noble.com, daviskidd.com, 

josephbeth.com, booksamillion.com and 

amazon.com. 



It was a crowning moment in the life of Franklin 

resident Laura Risner O’Shoney (‘82), thanks to a 

surprise cooked up by her husband, Brad (‘82). 

The O’Shoneys, who met as students at nearby 

Todd County (Ky.) Central High School and continued 

their education at APSU, were married 22 years 

ago, the day after Brad’s graduation. 

Last fall as they discussed returning for 

Homecoming for the first time in years, a plan 

began to bubble in his mind. O’Shoney contacted 

University officials, saying he wanted “to right 

something that happened to my wife while we were 

students there.” 

As a junior at APSU, Laura was named the 

Homecoming Queen for 1981—the only year in 

history no crown was presented! For whatever reason, 

APSU deviated from its tradition of crowning 

the queen and, instead, gave her a silver tray. To 

add salt to the wound, the next year, his wife had to 

present a crown she never wore to her successor. 

Throughout the years, according to O’Shoney, his 

wife never talked about it. A few years ago, they 

were on a trip with several couples when the group 

began talking about disappointments in life. To 

O’Shoney’s surprise, his wife cried when she 

recounted her queen-with-no-crown story. 

“This year for her birthday, I bought her a ring 

that looks like a crown, but nothing replaces the 

real thing,” O’Shoney said, via e-mail to President 

Sherry Hoppe. “My wife of 22 years is as beautiful 

as ever, and I was wondering if it would be possible 

to … order a crown and have it shipped to us. I 

would be willing to pay for it.” 

Hoppe and Shelia Boone, director of alumni and 

annual giving, joined in a scheme to help O’Shoney 

surprise his wife. To ensure she and the children 

would attend the game, O’Shoney received an invitation 

to a fictitious ceremony during the game. The 

invitation indicated he would be honored as a former 

Wall Street Journal award-winner. He and his 

family were to be recognized. 

The ploy worked. On Homecoming afternoon, 

when the O’Shoneys were invited to come onto the 

field of Governors Stadium between the third and 

fourth quarters, Laura’s look of pride in her husband 

turned to surprise and then to tears as 

O’Shoney escorted her toward Boone, who was 

holding a sparkling tiara. Hoppe placed the crown 

on her head as her husband glowed and her chil- 

Thanks to the persistence and love of her husband, Brad (‘82), during last fall’s Homecoming, Laura Risner O’Shoney (’82) received 

her Homecoming Queen’s crown—23 years after earning the title. 

Alumni Fact: Dr. David Boercker (’70) is deputy director of planning and resources at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (University of California) in Livermore. Alumni Fact: Aubrey Flagg (’68) is associate professor of geography at Columbia (Tenn.) State Community College.

Through his efforts, Alford managed to bring truly 

outstanding regional theatre to Nashville. The audiences, 

though scantier than he would have wanted, 

enjoyed numerous fine productions, including “The 

Glass Menagerie,” “Of Mice and Men” and “Hamlet.” 

“Today there are 100 union actors in the 

Nashville area,” he says, with some degree of pride. 

“There’s a lot more going on now than there was 10 

years ago.” 

His stint with The Mockingbird Theatre was gratifying 

but, when offered the chance to be artistic 

director for The Tennessee Repertory Theatre, he 

was ready. 

I am very proud to be a part of Austin Peay—for 70 years. 

Mary B. Eager (‘34) 

Tucson, Ariz. 

A co-worker and fellow APSU alum shared the story about 

the crowning of the 1982 Homecoming Queen during this year’s 

Homecoming game. 

I immediately got online and read (it). What a beautifully 

romantic story. 

Carroll (Wade) Bagwell (’90) 

Antioch, Tenn. 

I thank you for updates on Austin Peay happenings. APSU is 

the place where my journalism/writing talents were nurtured. 

The professors taught me that nothing is impossible when you 

fellow your heart. 

I owe much to this beautiful university in Clarksville. 

Michelle Madrid-Branch (‘94) 

Santa Fe, N.M. 

My wife, the former Mary Chris Conroy (‘65) of Clarksville, 

and I are both graduates of Austin Peay. We have lived and 

worked in Oak Ridge, Tenn., since 1969. 

(The) article, “First, Do No Harm,” about Dr. John Foust was 

excellent. While I have not had the pleasure of meeting the doctor, 

(the) description of him and Oak Ridge were professionally 

depicted. (It) made me proud of my Oak Ridge community… 

Don A. Layton (’69) 

General Sessions Judge 

Seventh Judicial District 

Oak Ridge, Tenn. 

It was with pleasure that I read your Fall 2004 alumni article 

about my son, John Foust … It warmed the cockles of this 

mother’s heart. 

Sheila Foust 

Clarksville 

I recently attended the Who’s Who Among College Students 

Awards Banquet at Austin Peay State University, where my 

brother, Kevin, was guest speaker. It was a privilege to be seated 

with numerous deans from the University, as well as 

President Sherry Hoppe. 

Polishing The Rep’s rep 

When Alford took over as artistic director of The 

Rep, subscription sales were down about as far as 

they could go. However, since he began pouring his 

soul into the theater and after just three productions, 

ticket sales have begun to close the funding gap. 

“I want to change the image of the Rep,” Alford 

says. Currently, he’s enjoying excellent reviews for 

his acting in Truman Capote’s memoirs, “Holiday 

Memories.” His performances fill the cavernous 

James K. Polk Theatre of the Tennessee Performing 

Arts Center, Nashville, the state’s premiere venue 


I was inspired as I heard open discussion about Austin Peay, 

it’s future and current challenges as a result of recent growth. 

Moreover, I was impressed with the leadership’s vision for the 

University’s future. 

I took note that the award recipients were sharp, bright and 

courteous. I am certain that these are the kind of students who 

will one day impact our businesses and community. Having 

graduated from Austin Peay…I realize the value of having this 

University in our city. I appreciate those who lead, and may 

God grant them much wisdom as they move ahead.* 

Bruce A. Kennedy ( ’80, ‘94) 

Clarksville 

*Reprinted with permission of The Leaf-Chronicle, Letters to the 

Editor (Feb. 14, 2005) 

Please send us your comments and 

suggestions. Communicating with us 

is easier than ever. 

Send your letters to: 

The Editor/Austin Peay 

APSU 

P.O. Box 4567 


or by fax to (931) 221-6123 or by e-mail to 

burked@apsu.edu 

The editor reserves the right to edit letters, 

faxes and e-mail for style, clarity and length. 

23 



like his father, Alford offers a salvation of sorts— 

through his art. 

When his grandfather Ben Carmack was nearing 

the end of his life, it was Alford who spent the last 

weeks as his caregiver because, at the time, the 

young Alford was not employed full time. In retrospect, 

Alford realizes that experience enriched his 

life in ways no paycheck could. 

“Granddad Carmack was a hard-working dirt 

farmer. From him, I learned the profound worth of 

a simple, decent, honest life,” Alford says, “He was 

running the farm when he was only 14-years-old! 

Never received a paycheck from anyone. Earned 

every cent himself on his farm.” 

Like many of his generation, especially farmers, 

Alford’s grandfather held personal feelings in 

check, viewing emotional outbursts as a waste of 

energy. But Alford knew his grandfather loved to 

hear him sing, so when Carmack was dying, his 

grandson sat at his side and sang to him. 

“When I finished singing, Granddad whispered, 

‘All I have ever wanted was to have a loving family.’ 

It was like hearing a confessional,” Alford says, 

with the realization that his stoic grandfather had 

shared a sacred moment with him. 

A bittersweet bite of The Big Apple 

Some might say Alford stumbled into the world 

of professional theatre by happenstance. Others say 

it was Providential. 

While wrestling with whether to give up his 

vocal performance scholarship at APSU, Alford 

accepted a role in a play after the original actor 

stepped down. Alford liked performing. A lot. 

His willingness to help out opened a door he’d 

never before considered. He swapped his music scholarship 

for one in theatre. The blue-eyed boy from 

Adams had found his niche! Like he had been born 

and raised in a theatre trunk, Alford stepped onto the 

Trahern stage and gave commanding performances in 

such plays as “Secrets” and “The Misanthrope.” 

Watching in the wings was famed NYC playwright 

Arthur Kopit, best-known for his award-winning 

play “Oh, Dad, Poor Dad, Momma’s Hung 

You in the Closet and I’m Feeling so Sad.” 

Kopit was in residence at APSU for that one 

semester as the first occupant of the newly 

endowed Chair of Excellent in the Creative Arts. 

Alford said, “We just hit it off.” 

After watching Alford perform, Kopit advised 

Alford, if he wanted to be considered a truly fine 

actor, he should attend an internationally respected 

school for the dramatic arts. At the top of the list— 

Juilliard. 

Although Juilliard had closed auditions for the 

year, Kopit made a few phone calls and “the powers 

that be” agreed to audition Alford simply on the 

strength of Kopit’s recommendation. Having put his 

neck on the line for this young man, Kopit warned 

Alford not to mess up. Then the playwright flew 

Alford to New York City. 

Too naïve to be as scared as he would have been 

had he known how few actors are accepted into the 

prestigious school, Alford went before the committee 

at Juilliard and presented two audition pieces. 

Amazingly, he was accepted almost on the spot—a 

good thing, since he had no place to stay. 

When he returned to The Big Apple to begin 

classes at Juilliard, he discovered there were only 

19 students in his class. Alford was in his element, 

intensely studying all nuances of theatre. What 


Kopit had seen in Alford came to full fruition under 

his Juilliard drama teachers. In 1991, when Alford 

graduated from Juilliard, he received the Saint- 

Denis Prize for Outstanding Graduate. 

Although he loved studying at the prestigious drama 

school, life outside class was not great. Since he didn’t 

want to accept financial assistance from his parents, 

Alford was living in a tiny room at the YMCA. 

“Mom and Dad called and said they were coming 

to visit,” Alford said. “I had had a virus and been 

very sick. I’d lost weight, and I was skinny and 

unshaven. I’m sure just the sight of me was a 

shock, but when Mom went up to see my room, she 

just burst into tears.” 

He laughs about it now but, according to Alford, 

money was never important to him. “ I just wanted 

to be able to make a living acting,” he says. After 

graduating from Juilliard, he signed with a midsized 

agency in New York City. Over the next couple 

of years, he was able to make a living by working 

out of town in regional theatre. 

“I was living on Ramen Noodles and working 

with a bunch of unhappy actors. They had no stability 

in their lives. They weren’t married. They didn’t 

have family nearby. They were just waiting for the 

phone to ring,” Alford said. 

“I realized I could stay in New York and become 

a bitter, old regional theatre actor, or I could come 

home.” 

Home is where the heart is 

In 1993, Alford followed his heart and moved 

back to Tennessee. A year later, he started The 

Mockingbird Theatre Company in Nashville. 

Did he know how to start and run such a company? 

He says, “You can do what you set your mind 

to do. I literally ordered the book ‘How to Start 

Your Own Not-for-Profit Company’ and just did it.” 

Nashville is Music City USA, not Theatre City 

USA but, for 10 years, Alford forged ahead with his 

work at Mockingbird. “I was young, stubborn and 

passionate,” he says. He enjoyed many successes, 

including authoring, directing and starring in the 

now-popular play, “Ghostlight.” 

During those years, Alford also performed in film 

and television. He had a supporting role in Robert 

Redford’s movie, “The Castle,” which was filmed in 

Nashville. And he starred as Andrew in “A Death in 

the Family,” which aired on PBS Masterpiece Theatre. 

His film work with Redford and for Masterpiece 

Theatre led to invitations to visit Los Angeles to try 

out for movie roles. He went, he saw, he was there 

a full month but, ultimately, it was not for him. 

“When I first arrived, it seemed too good to be 

true,” Alford says. “Perfect weather. Beautiful people. 

Then I realized LA is like a movie set. It isn’t real.” 

Keeping it real is part of whom Alford is, so he 

turned his car east and, once again, headed home 

and re-dedicated himself to his work with The 

Mockingbird Theatre. 

Correction 

In the Fall 2004 edition of Austin Peay magazine, we inadvertently 

placed the wrong file photo beside a class note. We apologize 

for this error. Here are the correct class notes and photo: 

LARRY MICHAEL ELLIS (’65) has published a historical 

fiction novel, “Spizzerinctum: The Life and Legend of 

Robert ‘Black Bob’ Renfro.” Ellis, who worked for 20 

years as the highway safety coordinator for the state of 

Tennessee, was instrumental in helping pass the first Child 

Passenger Safety Law. 

(From the Spring 2003 edition of 

Austin Peay) 

L.M. ELLIS (’65) has been 

named to the APSU Foundation 

Board of Trustees. Ellis is president 

of The Ellis Group Inc., a liquidations 

consulting company with 

headquarters in Clarksville. 

L.M. Ellis 

Inducted into the APSU Athletic 

Hall of Fame in 1990, he is married to Sallie Hampton 

Ellis and has three grown children, Denise, Camilla and 

John. 

APSU archives 

Feedback 

I always enjoy your alumni news. Even though I graduated in 

1934, I am still interested in what a wonderful institution you 

have come to be. 

My grandson met a baseball player from there. He was playing 

in a summer league in Iowa in 2003. When I showed him 

the pictures in the last news, he recognized the young player. 

My grandson, Blake, is a rookie with the METS. 

I returned to Austin Peay in the 1950s and took library courses 

and after coming to Tucson in 1961, I became a paraprofessional 

and was a librarian in an elementary school for 18 years. 

So—-you see I owe a lot to those years spent at Austin Peay. 

22 

Alumni Fact: Arun Subhas (’00) is tax manager with Ernest & Young LLP, Baltimore, Md. 

Alumni Fact: Jerry Wanstrath (’73) is president of Budweiser of Clarksville.

and forensic scientist for the Tennessee Bureau of 

Investigation, working in the Forensic Serology/DNA 

Section, is teaching the first forensic science course 

offered at APSU. 

Howard W. Roddy 

HOWARD W. RODDY (’71) has 

been named to the Tennessee 

Board of Regents as an at-large 

representative for East Tennessee. 

He is vice president for advocacy 

and healthy community at 

Memorial Health Care System, 

Chattanooga. He and his wife, 

Donna, have two sons, Howard 

and John. 

BARBARA JEANNE (OSCARSON) SCHAFER (’73) 

is director of fitness and independent residents at King- 

Bruwaert Retirement Community in Burr Ridge, Ill. She 

created a dance troupe of residents, ages 64-91, which 

has been touring for two years. Shafer has two adult sons, 

Scott and Blake, and lives in LaGrange, Ill. 

WILLIAM “BILL” SITES SR. (’72), Clarksville, president 

of the American Gem Society and owner of Sites 

Jewelers, was presented the Torch Award for Ethics by 

the Tenn-Tucky Better Business Bureau at the Fifth 

Annual Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics. 

DR. RICK WHITFIELD (’74) has been appointed 

executive vice president and treasurer of Pace University, 

N.Y. He formerly served as institutional officer and vice 

president at the University of Pennsylvania. He and his 

wife, Nancy, live in New York City. 

CARL W. WILSON (’74), Clarksville, has been named 

president of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative 

Association. The general manager of Cumberland 

Electric Membership Corporation, Wilson has been with 

CEMC for 31 years. He and his wife, Rita, have four 

children: Chad, Francis, Thomas and Rachel. 

CHERYL BYRD ZACH (’68, ’76) and her daughter, 

MICHELLE PLACE (’95), who write together under 

the pseudonym “Nicole Byrd,” attended the national 

Romance Writers of America conference in Dallas. The 

writing duo, whose latest historical novel is “Beauty in 

Black,” joined more than 400 authors for a literacy signing 

that earned almost $61,000 for Pro Literacy 

Worldwide and literacy organizations in Texas. 

1980 

DEBORAH LOUTHORMAN AQUINO (’78, ’86), 

owner and administrator for North Clarksville Medical 

Center, won the 2004 National Leadership Award and a 

2004 Ronald Reagan Gold Medal. She and her husband, 

Dr. Ramon J. Aquino, have two adult children, NICOLE 

LAMM (’04) and Melissa Aquino. 

MICHAEL BROWN (’89), a teacher at Montgomery 

Central High School, Clarksville, attended the Activity 

Based Physics/Astronomy Summer Institute for Middle 

School Teachers at the University of Tennessee at Martin. 

SUSAN WRIGHT COLE (’86) works for the Clerk’s 

Office at the U.S. House of Representatives and is seen 

often on C-SPAN, sitting just below the Speaker’s Chair 

on the House floor. She and her husband, GRANT (’87), 

have two daughters, Olivia and Amelia. The family 

resides in Alexandria, Va. 

SUZANNE JEAN (PERRY) HALE (’88), Joelton, has 

served as a registered nurse in stress testing and noninvasive 

cardiology at St. Thomas Hospital for 16 years. 

The former APSU cross country team member still races 

and annually participates in the 5K APSU Homecoming 

Run. Her husband, CHRISTOPHER T. HALE (’91, 

’92) is a nuclear medicine technologist for St. Thomas 

Cardiology. They have a daughter, Julie, 10. 

CURTIS JOHNSON (’86), Clarksville, was elected state 

representative of the 68 th district, ending an 18-year run 

by TOMMY HEAD (’67). 

CHARLSIE (HAND) LANKFORD (’88) has been 

appointed to the state Board for Licensing Health Care 

Facilities by Gov. Phil Bredesen. She also oversees the 

Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville. 

TONY MARABLE (’81), director of the Minority 

Engineering Program at Tennessee Technological 

University, will serve as the division commander of 

Kentucky’s four chapters of Sigma Nu Fraternity until 2006. 

GERRY MINETOS (’81) is senior project manager for 

Booz Allen Hamilton, a consulting firm in McLean, Va. 

The Alexandria resident recently acquired Project 

Management Professional certification. 

C. BLAKE PARKS (’82) has been named an executive 

vice president of The Bank of Nashville. He has more 

than 25 years of banking experience. 

MARLA RYE (’89), vice president and COO of 

Workforce Essentials, Inc., is the executive director of the 

North Tennessee Workforce Board. She, her husband, 

Richard, and two children, Haley and Hunter, live in 

Cumberland City. 

ELIZABETH (BETSY) SHELTON (’85) has been 

named president and chief executive officer of the 

Hopkinsville-Christian County Chamber of Commerce. 

She has served in various positions over her 13 years 

25 



1960 

CAROL CATALANO (’64), former chancellor for the 

19 th Judicial District, has retired after 30 years on the 

bench. She and her husband, James Davis McCutchen, 

live in Clarksville. 

SECRETARY OF STATE RILEY DARNELL (’62) 

was re-elected in January by Tennessee’s 104 th General 

Assembly. He and his wife, Penny, reside in Clarksville. 

LARRY MICHAEL ELLIS (’65) has published a historical 

fiction novel, “Spizzerinctum: The Life and 

Legend of Robert ‘Black Bob’ Renfro.” Ellis, who 

worked for 20 years as the highway safety coordinator 

for the state of Tennessee, was instrumental in helping 

pass the first Child Passenger Safety Law. 

CARLTON FLATT (’65) became the winningest football 

coach in Tennessee history with his 333 rd win last 

October. Flatt coaches for 

Brentwood Academy. 

Dr. Gaines Hunt 

Been promoted? Honored? Awarded? 

Recently moved? Married? Had a baby? What’s the scoop about you and your family? 

We want to hear from you! 

Personal Information Date 

Name 

(first) (middle) (maiden) (last) 

Street 

City State Zip 

Phone SSN Grad class 

E-mail address 

I would like my name and e-mail address to be included in an online directory of 

APSU alumni: ❏ Yes ❏ No 

Campus affiliations and activities 

Personal news 

Employer 

Address 

APSU archives 

DR. GAINES HUNT (’66), dean 

of APSU’s College of Science and 

Mathematics, was named one of 

the Brothers of the Century by 

Alpha Gamma Rho. The award 

recognizes the “best of the best” of 

Position Phone 

If retired, former occupation and retirement date 

AGR’s members throughout the fraternity’s first 100 

years. 

DR. CECILIA CASTRO LEE (’69) is a professor of 

Spanish and coordinator of Spanish studies at the State 

University of West Georgia. She was selected Spanish 

Professor of the Year by the Georgia Chapter of the 

American Association of Teachers of Spanish and 

Portuguese in 2003. 

DR. GEORGE G. MURPHY (’65) is professor and 

chair of the biology department at Middle Tennessee 

State University, Murfreesboro. He also is past-president 

of the Tennessee Academy of Science, as well as a member 

of Southern Association of Colleges and Schools 

(SACS) and Tennessee Higher Education Commission 

(THEC) accreditation and evaluation teams. 

1970 

DOUGLAS R. BARBER (’71) has been named special 

events manager for the Clarksville-Montgomery County 

Convention and Visitors Bureau. 

DAVID BOERCKER (’70) is deputy director of planning 

and resources at Lawrence Livermore National Lab 

in Livermore, Calif. His wife, DALE (’71), teaches math 

at Las Positas Community College. 

Colleges/universities attended (include undergraduate and professional schools even if 

degrees were not earned) 

Institution 

Major/Minor 

Degree Year 

Family Information 

Spouse’s name 

SSN Did spouse attend APSU? Grad class 

Spouse’s employer 

Address 

Position Phone 

Children’s names and ages 

MAUREEN ZINK CHOATE (’77) walked her first 

marathon, the Mayor’s Midnight Sun Marathon, in 

Anchorage, Alaska, as a member of the Leukemia 

Society’s Team-in-Training. The TNT participants raised 

more than $4.7 million. When not walking, Choate teach- 

Maureen Zink Choate 

Attended APSU? Class SSN 

Please return survey to Alumni Office, P.O. Box 4676, Clarksville, TN 37044, or e-mail 

us at: alumni@apsu.edu 

Contributed photo 

es third grade in Louisville, Ky., where she lives with her 

husband, ANTHONY (’76), and their two sons. 

MARLON CROW (’68, ’76) is a 

member of the Tennessee Arts 

Commission’s Community Arts 

Panel. Prior to his retirement from 

APSU, Crow served as associate 

director of the Center of 

Excellence for the Creative Arts 

for 18 years. He and his wife, 

Marlon Crow Linda, have two adult children, 

Adam and DR. MARLA BRUMIT (’93). 

JUDY DULIN (’76) has been named director of the 

Hopkinsville-Christian County Chamber of Commerce’s 

Workforce Excellence program. Most recently, she served 

as Workforce Investment Act program coordinator. Dulin 

and her husband, Granvel, have three adult 

children–Kirk, Julie and Janna–and seven grandchildren. 

LTC LOUIS P. FRIEDMANN (’76) is commander of 

the 130 th RAOC-Tennessee Army National Guard, which 

is stationed at LSA Anaconda, Balad, Iraq. He also serves 

as director of public and individual assistance for the 

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency State 

Emergency Operations Center, Nashville. He and his 

wife, MARY JANE (POWERS) FRIEDMANN (’74), 

have two children: Patrick, 21, and Kathryn, 16. 

RALPH GARNER (’77) is a member of the sales team 

at James Corlew Chevrolet-Cadillac-Oldsmobile, 

Clarksville. 

Charles Henderson 

APSU archives 

APSU archives 


CHARLES (CHUCK) HEN- 

DERSON (’73) received the 

Biddle Medal during the opening 

ceremony of the Association of the 

U.S. Army’s annual meeting and 

exposition in Washington, D.C. 

The president and general manager 

of the Kentucky New Era and his 

wife, Cathy, have three sons: 

Charles, Austen and Jeffrey. 

SUSAN M. HERRINGTON (’75) was appointed by the 

board of directors of the Tennessee Center for 

Performance Excellence to the 2004 Board of Examiners. 

She is a business-training specialist with Work Force 

Essentials Inc., Clarksville. 

PAUL MILLER (’72) has been named director of ambulatory 

clinics for Gateway Health System, where he has 

served for 32 years. He most recently served as 

Gateway’s director of Dover Medical Center. 

JOSEPH PAYNE MINOR (’75, ’81), a special agent 

24 

Alumni Fact: Manny Tyndall ('98) is a criminal investigator for the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of the TennCare Office of Inspector General. 

Alumni Fact: Gary E. Shephard (’73, ’80) is head football coach at The Clarksville Academy.

Births 

We recruit them early! Here, the Gov welcomes the littlest Peaynut, 

Madelyn Harrison, daughter of Brandon Harrison (’04), 

Clarksville, and his wife, Jessica (’99). 

Lily Margaret 

Buder 

JEFF BUDER (’89) and Kathy 

Buder announce the birth of their 

daughter, Lily Margaret Buder, 

born Oct. 14, 2005. Buder is director 

of golf at Fraser Golf Course in 

Vancouver, B.C. 

ANGIE DENISE (SENSING) 

FARMER (’98) and Mike Farmer 

announce the birth of their first 

child, Emma Elizabeth Farmer, 

born Sept. 17, 2004. Mrs. Farmer is a registered nurse at 

Gateway Health System. Mr. Farmer is a service technician 

for Morton Mechanical. The family resides in 

Clarksville. 

Emerson Grace 

Head 

MIKE HEAD (’99) and Lindsay 

Turner Head announce the birth of 

their first child, Emersen Grace 

Head, born June 14, 2004. Mrs. 

Head is the consumer classified 

manager at The Leaf-Chronicle. 

Mr. Head teaches physical education 

at Barksdale Elementary 

School and serves as the assistant 

basketball coach at Clarksville 

High School. 

MARY F. HERNANDEZ (’03) 

and Michael Hernandez announce 

the birth of their first child, 

Michael John Hernandez Jr., born 

Sept. 27, 2003. The family is stationed 

at Fort Bliss, Texas. 

MAKEBA WEBB (’00) 

announces the birth of her first 

child, Tyler, born Jan. 9, 2005. 

Webb is an admissions counselor 

at APSU. 

Deaths 

NORMA (HOLT) CODY (’41) died Oct. 20, 2004. The 

former homemaker and substitute teacher is survived by 

her daughter, Dr. Sharon Mabry, professor of music at 

APSU. 

CHARLES NICHOLS III (’59) died Sept. 10, 2004, at 

St. Thomas Hospital, Nashville. He was a real estate broker 

and developer, as well as a former county commissioner, 

owner of Sherwood Realty and co-owner of 

Sherwood Construction, a member of the finance board 

for Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and past 

president of both the Clarksville Board of Realtors and 

the Clarksville Credit Bureau. He is survived by his wife, 

Linda Roberts Nichols, Clarksville, and a sister, Justine 

Nichols Jones, Anderson, Ind. 

MARY E. “KITTY” SAVAGE (’65) died June 15, 2004. 

The former English teacher had retired from the 

Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. She is 

survived by six children: James, Frank, Barbara, JoLynn, 

Robert and John. 

Weddings 

LINDSAY CHAMBERS (’00) and Paul Springer were 

married July 9, 2004, 

at Cheekwood 

Botanical Gardens, 

Nashville. Chambers 

is senior communications 

manager for the 

Nashville Area 

Chamber of 

Commerce. Springer 

is a computer pro- 

27 



with the YMCA of Middle Tennessee. Shelton and her 

husband, Joe, have two children, Drew and Brittany. The 

family resides in Pembroke, Ky. 

JULIE TARRENTS (’80), a US Bank branch manager, 

is the 2005 president of the Downtown Clarksville 

Civitan Club. A member of the club 14 years, she is the 

third female president in the club’s 83-year history. 

ROLLOW WELCH (’85) is co-founder of Massey & 

Welch Innovative, a marketing and creative services firm 

in downtown Clarksville. Welch has 18 years of experience 

as senior art director for Sony Music, Nashville. 

1990 

CARROLL (WADE) BAGWELL (’90) is administrative 

assistant for the corporate services department of 

AmSurg, a health care company in Green Hills. She previously 

served for six years as administrator for 

Cumberland Heights Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center. 

She and her husband, Jonathan, have two young sons, 

Alexander and Nicholas. 

CAPT. DAVID BOTTOMS (’93) is head of the Task 

Force 1-7 Field Artillery’s Unit Ministry Team, ministering 

to nearly 800 soldiers, and chaplain of the First 

Lightning Battalion. His wife, Capt. Jennifer B. Bottoms, 

is an Army Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG) attorney. 

He is stationed in Bayji, Iraq. 

SEAN CASTLEBERRY (’92) recently opened Panini’s, 

a restaurant in downtown Clarksville. He and his wife, 

GINA (’92), have a son, Christian. 

FENELLA CHU (’97) has been named director of global 

sourcing for Dollar General Global Sourcing Ltd. She 

lives in Hong Kong. 

ANDRE DANIEL (’98) is head athletic trainer/traveling 

secretary for the Milwaukee Bucks. He previously served 

as the team’s assistant trainer and assistant strength and 

conditioning coach. 

MARK DAVENPORT (’98) is a senior accountant with 

the firm of Weatherspoon, Lowe and Wallace Certified 

Public Accountants and Consultants, Clarksville. 

JEFFRY S. GRIMES (’94) opened The Law Office of 

Jeffry S. Grimes in August 2003 after practicing in 

Clarksville since 1998. He earned his jurisdoctorate from 

the University of Tennessee in 1997. He and his wife, 

Tonya, an administrator in his office, have three children: 

Zack, 6, Jackson, 4, and Kayley, 2. 

MIRANDA HERRICK (’99) is a board officer for Alter 

Gallery, Clarksville. 

TWILA EVETTE (JENKINS) HILL (’99), a substitute 

teacher for the Waynesville School System in Missouri, is 

pursuing a Master of Education degree from the 

University of Phoenix. She and husband, Geronald, were 

married in March 2004. She has three children: Isaiah, 

11, Iesha, 9, and Avery, 4. The family resides in Fort 

Leonard Wood. 

LESLIE HUNT (’92) presented a paper on the computer 

modeling of atrial defibrillation at the Annual 

International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in 

Medicine and Biology Society in San Francisco. She is 

working on her doctorate at the University of Memphis. 

ELMER WAYNE JENKINS (’95) manages Miles Farm 

Supply. He and his wife, Kelly, a special education 

teacher for the Logan County Board of Education, have 

two children: Matthew, 4, and Ethan, 1. The family 

resides in Russellville, Ky. 

YOUNG DO KIM (’94), an assistant professor of art at 

West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va., held a 

solo photography exhibit, “trans-,” in the Downtown 

Artists Co-op Gallery, Clarksville. 

JEANETTE KRAMER (’94) is vice president of human 

resources at Legends Bank, Clarksville. A board member 

of the APSU Governors Club and APSU’s Foundation 

Board of Trustees, she and her husband, Chris, have three 

children: Bryan, Tifanee and Christopher. 

Heather Legg 


HEATHER LEGG (’99), a development 

officer at APSU, received a 

CASE Virginia Carter Smith 

Scholarship for fundraisers. The 

scholarships are given to people 

with less than three years’ experience 

in fundraising, allowing them 

to attend a seminar of choice, valued 

at approximately $625. Her husband, 

JEREMY (’02), is the director 

of nursing for the Montgomery 

County Nursing Home. 

MICHELLE MADRID-BRANCH (’92), Santa Fe, was 

one of 175 Congressional “Angels of Adoption” honored 

in September 2004 for her efforts in improving the lives 

of foster children and orphans in New Mexico. The ceremony, 

hosted by the Congressional Coalition on 

Adoption Institute, was held in Washington, D.C. After 

working as a television news journalist, Madrid-Branch, a 

former foster child, founded Adoption Tribe Publishing 

and The AML Foundation. 

JAN MASSEY (’93) is co-founder of Massey & Welch 

Innovative, a marketing and creative services firm in 

downtown Clarksville. Massey has 10 years of experience 

as publisher of Our City and The Spirit of The Trace 

newspapers. She resides in Nashville. 

RUSSELL METZGER (’95) is the creator of Fanta Se 

Floor Colors, which is part of his janitorial supply company, 

Metzger Industrial Maintenance, in Albuquerque, 

N.M. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children: 

Austin, Alyssa and Marshall. 

CHARLIE SCOTT RIGGINS (’88, ’99) is the director 

of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Council of 

Community Services and Ed Atkinson Volunteer Center. 

She previously served as campaign/marketing manager of 

the Clarksville-Montgomery County United Way. 

RODNEY ERRIC SAULSBERRY (’95) is head football 

coach and mathematics teacher for Whitehaven High 

School, Memphis. He and his wife, TIJUANA SAULS- 

BERRY (‘00), have two children: Rodney Jr., 6, and 

JyMae, 1. Mrs. Saulsberry is employed by Time-Warner. 

JEFF SCHNEIDER (’96) is project manager at 

International Paper, Memphis. 

KIMWA LATRIS WALKER (’94) is a histology technician 

at Integrated Laboratory Systems Inc. She lives in 

Durham, N.C. 

LEZLIE A. WORD (’93, ’95) has published “Intents of 

the Heart,” her third book in a series released by 

iUniverse Inc. The series is on the forefront of a new 

trend in Christian fiction, tackling previously taboo topics 

like child abuse and adultery. She resides in Clarksville. 

2000 

BRIAN BAKER (’01) has been assigned as quarterback 

to the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of arenafootball2. Last 

season, he played for the Cape Fear Wildcats of 

Fayetteville, N.C. 

SAM BARLOW (’00) performed with The President’s 

Own Marine Band for President George W. Bush’s second 

inauguration ceremonies. 

Lisa Butcher 




Micheal John 

Hernandez 

Tyler Webb 



Lindsay Chambers and 

Paul Springer 


Photo: www.rebeccaclaire.com 


LISA BUTCHER (’04) sang the 

lead in Scott Joplin’s 

“Treemonisha” for the North Star 

Opera in St. Paul, Minn. 

CARLOS CLEMENTS (’05) is a 

loadmaster on a MC-130P for the 

Air Force Special Operations 

Command. He is stationed in Great 

Britain. 

JEREMIAH RANDOLPH DOWNES (’02) is a teacher 

and head track coach at Admiral Farragut Academy. He 

and his wife, Robin, live in St. Petersburg, Fla. 

PHYLLIS GOBBELL (’02) received “Special Mention 

for Fiction” in the 2005 Pushcart Prize XXIX Best of the 

Small Presses for her story “Primates,” which was published 

in the Bellevue Literary Review. “Primates” was 

part of Gobbell’s graduate thesis in English at APSU. 

BRANDON M. HARRISON (’04) has joined Horne 

LLP, Nashville, as an associate in the accounting firm’s 

healthcare group. He previously managed the accounting 

department for Glover’s Lock Service, Clarksville. 

JEREMY R. LEGG, B.S.N. (’02) is the new director of 

nursing for the Montgomery County Nursing Home. He 

has nine years of experience in the healthcare industry, 

including serving as a medic in the U.S. Army Reserves, 

and most recently was employed in Centennial Medical 

Center’s Intensive Care Unit. His wife, HEATHER 

(’99), is a development officer in the APSU Office of 

University Advancement. 

OLIVIA MOLINARO (’03) is a board officer for Alter 

Gallery in Clarksville. 

EMILY PICKARD (’04) is communication coordinator 

at JDC Industries in Lyles and vice president of finance 

for the International Association of Business 

Communicators (IABC), Nashville. Last summer, she 

received the Fellow Award, the highest honor given an 

IABC member. 

ANNETTE TOWER (’03) is military/government 

affairs coordinator for the Clarksville Area Chamber of 

Commerce. She also is working on a master of business 

administration degree from Murray State University. She 

and her husband, Kirk, a flight engineer with the 160 th 

Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Fort Campbell, 

live in Clarksville. 

MARIO-PHILIP WONG (’02) represented Tennessee in 

“Cosmopolitan” magazine’s November 2004 “Cosmo 

Men” issue, which featured bachelors from all 50 states. 

26 

Alumni Fact: John Morrow (’88) is vice president in lending at Legends Bank, Clarksville. 

Alumni Fact: Michel “Barney” Alary (’92) is head golf instructor at Riverside Golf Center, Nashville.

supervisory analyst, responsible for making sure 

research passes regulatory requirements. Fearless, 

she forged ahead. 

“I had to teach myself accounting,” she says. She 

was a good teacher, evidently, because she passed 

the exam and got the promotion. 

With mornings spent, coffee in hand, before her 

home computer, followed by a full eight- to-10-hour 

day at Morgan Stanley—one that doesn’t begin until 

the afternoon—how does she rejuvenate herself? “I 

find walking in Central Park always inspiring,” she 

says. “And David and I go to a lot of movies. Plus 

we share a love of gourmet cooking.” 

York still enjoys being part of the theatre scene. 

“My Off-Broadway work was actually Off-Off 

Broadway—you can read that as ‘no pay,’” she 

says with a chuckle. “I was a founding member of 

the Brave New Theatre Company and a company 

member of my sister and brother-in-law’s theater 

group—The Off-West Broadway Theater Company 

in SoHo. 

“Now my schedule doesn’t allow me to be 

onstage, but I support my friends—going to their 

shows and donating to their companies.” 

28 Alumni Fact: Ed Watson (’76) is regional supervisor for the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Regulatory Services. Alumni Fact: Lee Ellen Ferguson-Fish (’89) is homeland security & first response specialist for Airgas Mid America, Kingsport, Tenn. 

York’s family lineage is one that, over the years, 

has tilted toward thespian. Her sister Barbara 

Wesner (’72), a teacher of theatre arts at Clarksville 

High School, was named Tennessee Humanities 

Teacher of the Year in 1998. A former member of 

the theatre faculty at APSU, her brother-in-law, 

David Wesner (’69) an award-winning playwright, 

is now the associate pastor of a Clarksville church. 

So what’s next for York after the release of her 

second book, “A Good Knife’s Work,” this spring? 

Will there be a third in the Lauren Atwill series? 

She smiles, leans in and says quietly, “Actually, I 

already have two other book ideas with my agents. 

“One takes place in an investment bank—a temp 

finds her boss dead one morning. You know, I used 

to be a temp at Morgan Stanley. The other takes 

place in a town very much like Clarksville. The 

heroines in both books, like Lauren Atwill, are a 

spunky me on my best day.” 

A September 2003 review of “Star Struck Dead,” 

states: “Lauren is a snappy, intelligent heroine 

whom you’ll love.” 

Snappy. Intelligent. Down-right spunky. Much 

like her creator, Sheila Mayhew York. 

29 



grammer for WebMD’s Nashville office. They reside in 

Nashville. 

MISTY (ABBITT) JENKINS (’02) and Steven Jenkins 

were married April 27, 2004. Both are employed by Wal- 

Mart. They reside in Clarksville. 

SARAH CORRINE 

(REED) PHELAN 

(’00, ’02) and Chad 

Phelan were married 

July 17, 2004. She is 

a staff editor for R.H. 

Boyd Publishing 

Corporation. They 

reside in Nashville. 

TAMMY MARIE 

(KRUGGER) 

THOMPSON (’98) 

and Jasen Thompson 

Sarah Corrine (Reed) and 

Chad Phelan 

were married June 5, 2004. She is an exercise physiologist 

at Prairie DuChien Memorial Hospital, Prairie 

DuChien, Wis. He works on his family’s dairy farm. 

They reside in Monona, Ind. 

for theatre and musical performances. 

On stage, Alford strives to make a connection 

with each member of his audience, as pointed out 

in The Tennessean: “Director Rene D. Copeland 

keeps Alford on the go in the first story but plants 

him on a stool in the second. In Polk Theater’s 

large space, that might seem unwise, but Alford’s 

powerful presence and truthful performance make it 

work.” 

Alford says, “Acting is about seeking a transcendental 

moment. Good acting is a spiritual experience. 

I don’t think an actor can achieve that transcendental 

moment in film. It happens only in live 

theatre, because it’s a communal experience.” 

Communal. Community. People. Real people. 

Real life. That’s where Alford draws his inspiration 

and his strength. He has discovered the essential 

truth, also discovered by Eugene, the protagonist in 

Thomas Wolfe’s classic, coming-of-age novel, 

“Look Homeward, Angel.” 

What Alford sought from the East Coast to West 

lay within himself all the time. 


Photo: Mark Lentz/www.nycjpg.com 

elevator to the 15th floor where she has worked as 

a research editor since 1995 and a supervisory 

analyst since 2002 for the international financial 

conglomerate. 

Although York is the professional name she 

received when she moved to New York to work as a 

disk jockey and which she continues to use in her 

creative activities, she is known as Sheila Mayhew, 

her legal name, at Morgan Stanley—a requirement 

for anyone working in a federally regulated company. 

York enjoys her afternoon and evenings of work 

at Morgan Stanley, but 

her mornings belong to 

the Muse. She credits 

her author husband, 

David Nighbert, with 

teaching her the 

importance of selfdiscipline 

as a writer. 

Each morning after 

awakening in their 

Upper East Side 

apartment, York makes 

herself write at least 

two hours. Some days, 

the words seem to 

write themselves— 

with characters, 

springing full blown, 

from her fingers to the 

page. On other days, 

the Muse seems mute, 

and she must try harder 

to rouse her. 

Like most serious 

authors, she is 

obsessed with the written word. “It is consuming,” 

she says. “When I’m writing, I become selfinvolved, 

my eyes may glaze over and I turn in on 

myself. But when I’m at Morgan Stanley, I’m so 

busy, I don’t have time to think about writing. 

“When I do take a break, I spend my time 

wandering the neighborhood, watching people and 

jotting down ideas.” Like a sponge, she soaks up 

tiny nuances of people—some of which may morph 

into a character in a novel. 

Her mind is populated by such embryonic 

characters. Before they debut, she gets to know 

them better than they know themselves. Only by 

understanding them fully can she give them a 

credible existence. When she does breathe life into 

them, it’s like giving birth—painfully glorious. 

York’s only regret as an author is that she didn’t 

start writing sooner. She says, “A serious writer needs 

to see how it is done—to observe the tremendous 

discipline involved. Until I watched my husband 

writing, I never had the faith in myself to do it.” 

A woman of the world 

The daughter of a career Army officer, York grew 

up traveling. She spent 

much of her childhood in 

Munich, Germany. Later, in 

high school, she was an 

exchange student to the 

United Kingdom and, as an 

APSU student, participated 

in a study-abroad program 

in France. 

Living in foreign 

countries, absorbing different 

cultures and meeting new 

people provided mental and 

emotional stimulation. 

During these culturally rich 

years in Europe, her creative 

spirit flourished. She learned 

to be comfortable in the 

world. She developed an 

adventurous spirit that 

unleashed the troubadour in 

her and fueled a lifelong 

creative energy. 

Later after completing a 

double major in French and 

psychology at APSU, York moved to Knoxville and 

began post-graduate work in clinical psychology at 

the University of Tennessee. But she found she 

preferred performing, and the arts. In Knoxville, 

she began her first career as a disk jockey, 

interspersed with occasional assignments as a news 

anchor and sports reporter. 

It was also at UT that she met the person who, 

ultimately, would have such a profound influence 

on her life as a writer—her future husband. 

“I first saw David on stage at UT during a 

production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof.’ He had a 

beautiful baritone voice,” she says, her blue-green 

eyes sparkling. “He was gorgeous and talented. And 

he was straight!” 

Unfortunately for her, he also was married. So 

the years rolled on, as did she. In the late 1970s 

when she was working as an on-air personality for 

a Houston radio station, she was invited to a singles 

party. Although she did not meet Mr. Right that 

night, a friend from her days at UT approached 

with the good news: “Guess what? David is in 

Galveston, and he’s single again.” 

York took the initiative and drove down to the 

seaport city to see him. The old college friendship 

exploded into a serious relationship. Eventually, 

after l6 years together, York and Nighbert tied the 

knot in 1996. 

I'll take Manhattan 

While she was living in Houston, she got a job 

offer in New York City from the largest countrymusic 

station in the world. She flew up to interview 

and fell in love with the city and with being on the 

pulse point of the world’s cultural center. 

“My artistic spirit seemed to feed off the very air 

here,” she says. Although she still loves the energy 

of New York City, she admits she sometimes 

dislikes the crowds. “New Yorkers can be very 

brusque,” she says. “Anonymity gives some people 

the license to be rude.” 

However, she has noted a change in the last 10 

years. “New York is a lot friendlier now than when 

we first arrived,” she says. She attributes the attitude 

shift to the influx of Southerners in the mid-1990s. 

Eventually, the country-music station changed 

format, and York moved on to light rock. “Looking 

back,” she says, “I can see that my heart wasn’t 

really in it, playing five songs in a row and then 

reading off the title and artists.” 

However, when that station also changed format, 

she was laid off and needed a job. “I was doing a 

lot of commercials, but not enough to live on in 

New York.” 

In 1995, while appearing in a play, she met a 

woman who funded her creative activities with a job 

at Morgan Stanley and whose department was in 

need of an editor. “I had absolutely no experience, 

but I knew English right down to the ground,” she 

says. “And they took a chance on me.” 

After a few years, Morgan Stanley offered her the 

chance to take the Series 16 exam to become a

7 8 

addressing childhood obesity. “We need to take a 

comprehensive approach,” she says. “We’re in the 

prevention business, and the Type 2 Diabetes rates 

are increasing among adolescents. We need to educate 

our youth about healthy lifestyle choices.” 

A dream job in her hometown making a difference 

in people’s lives. What more could Vianca 

Reed want? She wants people to know she didn’t 

do it on her own. The divorced mother of son 

Jackson, 4, says, “I couldn’t have done any of this 

without my family. They have been incredibly supportive. 

Being a single parent, I needed them to 

nurture me. There’s no way I could have followed 

my dreams without them. 

“I’m just so thankful to God for opening the 

doors and to my mother for gently nudging me 

through them.” 

No wonder she smiles when she answers the 

phone. It’s her opportunity to offer that support to 

someone else. 

31 

1 

5 


Photos: Bill Persinger 

Homecoming 2004 had a bit of everything for everyone! Stepping out in style! Above, during the annual Street Dance, held this year 

downtown on historic Franklin Street, models for Posh Boutique strutted their stuff. 1) National Pan Hellenic Council’s Black and 

White Affair offered top-hat-type venue for old friends to reunite. (2) Winners of the 5K Run line up to accept honors. (3) Winners of 

this year’s top alumni awards are, left to right, Sheila Mayhew York, New York City; Jolyn Pope Swanson, Los Angeles; Ronnie D. 

Carter, Dallas; Nancy Washington, Nashville; John Ogles, Memphis; and Dr. George Fisher, Clarksville. (4) Friends together, friends forever 

enjoy the annual African American Alumni Reception. 

2 

3 

4 

6 

to retire as director of the Montgomery County 

Health Department. It didn’t take Reed long to 

decide to transfer from Stewart to Montgomery 

County. 

“I loved the idea of being home and working in 

my community, and I saw it as the opportunity of a 

lifetime,” says Reed. 

Although she spent the early months of her 

tenure splitting her time between her new position 

in Clarksville and covering in Stewart County until 

her replacement was hired, Reed made time to 

launch several new health programs in Montgomery 

County. 

“My goal is to look at the disparities in our county’s 

health statistics and target information and programs 

to the people who need them the most,” she 

says. 

For example, she has led the department to offer 

diabetic screenings in churches, community centers, 

workplaces and senior centers to better reach 

African Americans, who are responsible for more 

than 50 percent of the cost for diabetes hospitalizations 

in Montgomery County. She wants to see 

(5) Participants in the annual Alumni Golf Tournament enjoy the bright fall day while also studying the next shot. (6) Fun was had 

by all at the annual Dave Aaron Reunion and Reception. (7) The 2004 Homecoming Queen and Homecoming King are Katherine 

Elizabeth Cox, Knoxville, and Josh E. Baggett, Clarksville. (8) At the Sepia Fashion Show, models show off pieces from designer collections, 

ranging from Versace to Dior. 

them enroll in the new Montgomery County 

Diabetes Self-Management Program for the 

Uninsured, a partnership with Gateway Health 

System that offers free ongoing education, case 

management, a plan of care, glucometer and supplies 

to uninsured diabetics. 

In addition, Reed is committed to addressing the 

issue of obesity in Montgomery County. The health 

department’s free “Scale Down” weight loss support 

program was launched in November 2004 to 

tackle obesity and cardiovascular disease. 

“Obesity is an epidemic in this country,” she 

says. “It is so closely tied to diabetes, heart disease, 

hypertension and stroke. The likelihood of suffering 

these diseases decreases with weight loss, so as a 

health department, we want to help people decrease 

their risk factors.” 

Although Reed has her dream job and the respect 

of her colleagues, she has a full slate of new goals 

she is pursuing. “We need to keep looking at disparities 

so we can create data-driven initiatives and 

show we’re making a difference,” she says. 

One of her new goals is to lead the department in 


30 

Alumni Fact: C. Blake Parks (’82) is an executive vice president of The Bank of Nashville. 

Alumni Fact: Kay Drew (’81) is head of school at The Clarksville Academy.

Spring - Summer 2005 - Austin Peay State University

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