fall 2004 newletter layout.qxp - Trinity Valley Community College

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THE VALLEYALUMNI AWARDSTVCC to honor former students, friends at HomecomingSPECIAL AWARDTommy DowningTommy Downingknew he wanted tobe a band directorbefore he graduatedfrom Mabank HighSchool.“My band directortold me it was hardand there wasn’tmuch money in it,”Downing said, “butI wasn’t going to be talked out of it.”Downing came to HCJC on a music scholarship,and graduated in 1956 with anothermusic scholarship to East Texas StateUniversity (Texas A&M–Commerce).He returned to Mabank to begin his teachingcareer in 1958 and became the juniorhigh school band director at Athens ISD in1963. Three years later he took over thehigh school band following Ben Shew’sretirement from band directing.HCJC hired Downing as director of bandsin 1972, where he spent the next eightyears.SPECIAL AWARDDr. Jerry PhillipsDr. Jerry Phillipsleft the classroomthis past springafter 40 years ofteaching speechand drama - 26 ofthose at TVCC.He didn’t retirewithout leavingsomething behind,however. He andwife Patsy contributed to the TVCCFoundation, specifically to the Theatre ArtsScholarship fund.Phillips served as theatre director at TVCCfrom 1978 to 1988, directing 30 plays andproducing annual children’s productionsfor area school children. Prior to coming toTVCC, he taught at McKinney HighSchool, East Texas State University (TexasA&M–Commerce) and Sul RossUniversity.Phillips said he felt a special kinship to thecommunity college students because hehad once stood in their shoes.“The years I spent here were the high pointof my career,” he said. “The band and I hadsuch respect for each other. My studentsworked hard to be an outstanding representativefor HCJC.”His final two years were especially memorable.He got the chance to direct his son,Tommy, for the first time when he becamea member of the band.He also vividly remembers leading hisfrozen band in one of four performances atan Atlanta Falcons game.“It was so cold that trombone players hadto remove ice from their frozen slides to beable to play,” Downing said.Downing retired in 1980 and spent a fewyears as a salesman with a large musiccompany before being asked to come towork for the Henderson County JuvenileProbation Department. He retired in 1999as chief of the department.Tommy and his wife, Mamie - a retiredAthens ISD teacher - have one son TommyJack, one daughter, Jennie Ann Petersonand three grandchildren, Jonathan, 20,Charles, 18 (both students at Texas Tech)and Victoria Ann, 18 months.After high school, he attended TrinityUniversity, but his grades were lacking. Hethen attended Southwest Texas JuniorCollege, where he received his associate’sdegree. That experience, he said, was aturning point for him.The sense of achievement he felt there propelledhim to pursue a doctorate in educationfrom ETSU.“That experience helped me be a betterteacher in the community college,” he said.“I have been there. I wasn’t quite prepared.”He said he enjoyed teaching because of thedifferent people he came into contact with,and he considered it a mission to help studentsfind their hidden potential.He and Patsy enjoy studying the traditionsof American Indians and make pottery,using local clays and traditional Indianmethods. Phillips also enjoys fishing,cooking and writing, and is working onseveral writing projects.They have two children, Jason, 42,Phillicia 32 and one granddaughter, Katie,19, a sophomore at TVCC.RED AND WHITE AWARDJana Seabourne AutryJana Autry hasmade a name forherself in the art anddesign world and inthe community ofJacksonville.Autry, a 1981 graduateof HendersonCounty JuniorCollege, ownsAutry Design, a fullservice advertising agency with a broadbase of local and regional accounts. Sheopened her business in 1987 after servingas vice president and art director of WalkerAdvertising Group in Tyler.Autry Designs has won more than 15 AddyAwards, three awards of excellence by thePrinting Industry Association of the South,an award of Excellence in Communicationand Texas Chamber of CommerceExecutives 1998 Media Award.She stays just as busy in community affairsas she does running her business and theAutry Funeral Home in Jacksonville, whichshe owns with husband Barry.She serves on the Nan Travis FoundationBoard at East Texas Medical Center –Jacksonville, where she has an active role.She has served as past chairman for the biannualSunflower Gala and the GalleryNight Art Show, which showcases artistsacross East Texas.She is a charter member of the JacksonvilleDevelopment Corporation and was namedOutstanding Jacksonville Business Womanof the Year in 1998. She has served on theJacksonville CrimeStoppers Board and as aJacksonville Chamber of Commerce officerand board member. She is a Tyler Chamberof Commerce member, JacksonvilleLeadership member, Jacksonville HighSchool Booster Club member, JacksonvilleCares Board member and in the mentoringprogram at Tyler Junior College.Autry is the daughter of Janelle and CharlesSeabourne of Eustace, both also alumni ofHCJC. She graduated from the Universityof Texas at Arlington in 1983, and she andBarry have two children, Whitney, 18, andBrady, 16.12
THE VALLEYALUMNI AWARDS …continuedDISTINGUISHED ALUMSteve GrantAs a native ofAthens, Steve Grantgrew up a fan of theCardinals andremains a strongsupporter today.Grant serves as thechairman of theTVCC Foundation,which leads thecharge in the college’scapital campaign to raise funds forscholarships. Grant received the President’sAward for his contribution to theFoundation.His association with the college began early,he said, following the Cardinals as far backas he can remember. After high school, hecame to TVCC where he played on the golfteam and was active in Phi Beta Kappa.He graduated from the University of Texasin 1979 and returned to Athens to start SteveGrant Real Estate.His interest in the community goes farbeyond real estate and the college, however.Grant is a leader in Athens, and his activeinvolvment in the city earned him theCitizen of the Year Award in 2001.Grant is involved with First PresbyterianChurch in Athens, Labor of Love - an organizationthat repairs homes of those in need,United Way Board, Henderson County FoodPantry, Athens Cemetery Association, CainCenter Board, and has served on the AthensIndustrial Foundation Board.He and his wife Claire have two sons, Nick,14, and Stephen, 11.MEMORIESThoughts and updates from AlumniFor other memories, visit our website: www.tvcc.edu/alumni50’sDon Hackney, Class of ‘58, is retiredfrom IBM and lives in Canton, Texas.60’sJohn David Hollowell, Class of ‘69 andCardinal football player, died on July 27,2003, after a long battle with pancreaticcancer. He will be missed by his familyand many friends.Jim Johnson, Class of ‘66 and CardinalBand member from Greenville, now livesin Winnsboro, Texas and is employed bySphere 3 Environmental Company ofLongview.Nelda Reynolds, Class of ‘69-’70-’71,who was also dorm director duringthat time, retired from TVCC in 1991. Sheis very involved with the HendersonCounty Historical Commission.Alfred Wilson, Class of ‘63, has manyfond memories of his two years at HCJC.He remembers pulling the Circle K bathtubon wheels from Athens to the convention inNacogdoches. He tells his grandchildrenwith pride that he rode a school bus to andfrom school his first two years of college.He remembers fondly, Grace and MarlinCade, Victor Lewis, Rosco Francis,Margaret DeHart and Frances Grayson.80’sPaula Burkett, Class of ‘85-’90, remembersher days as dorm director of CardetteHall and working in Continuing Ed. Sheteaches P.E. at Bel Air Elementary Schoolin Athens.Craig Callaway, Class of ‘89 was a memberof the TVCC Cheerleading squad, amember of Student Senate and CCFC. Hehas two children McKenzie and Chloe.He is a cheerleading coach, choreographer,judge and staff trainer.Mary Pruitt Barker, Class of ‘82, tells usthat she was in the Cardinal jazz band, themarching band, along with StudentEducation Association and PTK. She wenton to graduate with a B.A. degree fromTCU in December of 1984. She is marriedto Rex Barker and they have two children,15 year old David and 9 year old Laura.She is an advocate for autistic children, asher son has Asperger’s Syndrome.Didget (Disney) McKenzie, Class of ‘89and former Cardette and Student Senatemember, attended TVCC from 1987-1989.Upon leaving TVCC, she moved toWashington, DC and was an NFL cheerleaderfor the Washington Redskins fortwo years. She moved back to Texas in1995 and married Mac McKenzie onAugust 10, 2000 in Jamaica. She has beenemployed with Deloitte & Touche for 51/2 years and Mac is a police officer forUT Systems and was promoted toCorporal in 2003. They recently movedfrom Plano to Corsicana. Both commuteto Dallas daily to work.Culley Rogers, Class of ‘87, attendedHCJC from the fall of 1984 through thespring of 1986 and was a member of thefirst graduating class (1987) after theschool name was changed to TVCC.While he was a student at HCJC-TVCC,he was a member of the Cardinal Band,Cardinal Choir, Music StudentsAssociation, Student Senate, the News-Journal staff and The Ark (a ministry ofthe United Methodist Church on campus).He earned his Bachelors degree in PublicRelations from the University of Texas atTyler in 1989 and his Masters degree inHigher Education Administration fromEast Texas State University in 1994. Heserved as an active volunteer for theTVCC Cheer program from 1989 through2001 and is a lifelong member of CCFC.His mentor is Connie “CJ” Russell. He iscurrently Guidance Associate andFinancial Aid Counselor for the Palestinecampus of TVCC.Byron Smith, Class of ‘86, was BaptistStudent Union president and studied psychologyunder Carol Doolin. He receivedhis BA degree at Dallas Baptist Universityin Psychology and two Masters degreesfrom Southwestern Baptist TheologicalSeminary. He currently lives in Georgia13
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Page 6 and 7: THE VALLEYCOMING HOMEChancellor, La
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fall 2004 newletter layout.qxp - Trinity Valley Community College

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