Summer 2011 - Austin College Magazine

74443 Austin College_Layout 1 6/24/11 1:38 PM Page 42’Roo Notes60Dan Page is the author of an illustrated children’s book, I’ve Lost MyFirst Tooth, and was one of the featured writers to participate in“Family Trees: A Celebration of Children’s Literature,” held at theConcord Museum in Concord, Massachusetts, in December 2010.66Sheryl Stice Ross is director of the Pediatric Emergency and TraumaCenter at National Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. ■ RobertC. Dana retired from Chemical Abstracts Service in July 2010. (Seethe profile on page 45.) ■ David Seaver retired as vice president ofhuman resources from Sysco on November 1, 2010.69Cindy Leon of Mission, Texas, was appointed in January by TexasGovernor Rick Perry as one of five commissioners of the TexasDepartment of Public Safety. The commission is responsible forformulating and overseeing policies for the chief law enforcementagency in Texas. A retired regional director for the U.S. Departmentof Housing and Urban Development, Cindy is expected to servethrough 2015.72Jobeth Tice McLeod, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church ofAlpine, Texas, was a witness of the union of two Latin AmericanPresbyterian denominations as a representative of Tres RiosPresbytery, Presbyterian Church (USA), in October 2010.73James Downs will publish a poetry collection, “The Skin of AllThings,” in 2011. He became the associate editor of Poetic MatrixPress in 2009, and now is a lyricist for the band Sawhorse. He andhis wife, Joy, married in June 2007 and live in Yosemite.75Marjie Dexter Podzielinski presented “Skyping with Authors” at theTexas Computer Education Association in Austin on February 9. Shealso is chair of the International Reading Association Teachers’Choices committee and this spring, received the Dr. Mary BerryAward from the Library Department at Sam Houston StateUniversity. This award honors an outstanding alumnus who is activein promoting libraries at the local, state, and national level.76U.S. Trade representative Ron Kirk was honored with the 2010Presidential Citation from the University of Texas at Austin. Thecitation recognizes extraordinary contributions of individuals whopersonify the university’s commitment to transforming lives. He alsospoke at the annual conference of the Society of American BusinessEditors and Writers in April.Numbers in color within entries correspond to photos on page 43.77Christena Alcorn was appointed in January as the new ombudsmanof the Texas community college system, serving 3,500 faculty, staff,and administrators.79Dennis Morris was sworn in as district judge for Carter County inOklahoma in January 2011. His term ends in 2014. After graduatingfrom law school, Dennis practiced law in Duncan and Lawton,Oklahoma, before opening a practice in Ardmore.80Amy Moore Meeks, a senior lecturer in the Psychology Departmentat Texas State University, spoke in the Distinguished Lecture Seriesat San Marcos Academy in February. She joined the faculty at theuniversity in 1986 as an adjunct and took on her current role in 2003.She previously worked in private practice as a child and familytherapist.87Aldo Billingslea is associate professor at Santa Clara University,where his specialties include assessment of the impact of African-American playwrights on American theatre. In a Februarynewspaper profile, a theatre writer called Aldo a “major player” inthe Bay Area theatre scene. He acted in Collapse in February, andthen directed A Raisin in the Sun.88Michael and Mary Laing Kingan have moved to Singapore whereMichael has started an advancement office for the SingaporeAmerican School. He previously was the vice president fordevelopment at the University of New Mexico.91Joni Hundt Durham (MAT ’02) and Rodney Durham ’90 (MAT ’00)have remained in the Austin College ‘neighborhood’ sincegraduation. Joni teaches at Terrell Elementary School in Denison,and Rodney teaches at Dillingham School in Sherman. They havefour children: Allen, Aaron, Anna, and Aubree.92Robert Scott was selected to speak at the 2011 annual conference ofthe Council on Litigation Management. He is the managing partnerat Scott & Scott law firm in Dallas. ■ Susan Raine completed amaster’s degree in health law at the University of Houston in May2010. She now is residency program director in the department ofObstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine inHouston, Texas.95Zeke Ashton and his view of the investment market were referencedprominently in the January 2011 edition of Kiplinger’s financialmagazine in the “Discovering Value” column. Ashton runs the Dallasinvestment firm Centaur Capital and manages Tilson Dividend Fund.40 | Austin College Magazine Summer 2011