Bridging the Gap

mediator with specialized training
in domestic violence issues.
When she is not hard at work
helping these families going
through such difficult times, she
spends as much time as possible
with her niece, Jane McDonald,
daughter of Julia Chesney
McDonald ’96. Alison Taylor
Nooks’ summer started off on a
positive note with various family
members visiting. They also had
“mini-vacations” to San Antonio,
Texas and Omaha, Neb. Then,
unfortunately, her father had a
significant fall in July, which resulted
in two different brain surgeries,
followed by rehabilitation
in Memphis and Missouri. Now
Alison’s father has moved into
their home in Missouri. They are
so thankful for the support and
prayers of family and friends. We
are still living in fun Nashville.
I’ve been busy with medical trips
abroad and doing some urgent
care locally. Take care everyone!
–1992
Alison Roesler Coons
alicoons@hotmail.com
Bren Boston Padawer has
started a new job this year as the
Director of Pain Management
and Sports Medicine at the
Akasha Center for Integrative
Medicine in Santa Monica, Calif.
Find more information about
Bren’s great work at www.
akashacenter.com. Rebecca
Hornstein Doede also started
new role in September in recovery
and resolution planning
at Morgan Stanley in New York.
Her adorable Henry and Evelyn
are thriving, and recently she
enjoyed spending time with
both Asma Dilawari and Kelley
Grant MacDonald, including
a fun shopping expedition in
Brooklyn. Leslie Pettit Canon
said to tell everyone hi from
Denver, where she and Harmon
are still busy making cookies
and raising four kids. Hester
Shipp Mathes is having fun as
Curate at Holy Communion and
loves being on the same campus
as all the Turkeys. She enjoyed
catching up with Jill Samuels
who is teaching 5th graders this
year and recently bumped into
Wendy Taylor on the Square
in Oxford, Miss. Hester also
had fun catching up with Aarti
Goorha Bowman at a Super
Women of Business awards
luncheon, and Mary McDonnell
Schell at Holy Communion’s
Book It 5K race. Aarti is still
living in Midtown and working
at the bank. She joined the SMS
Alumnae Board this year and
loves seeing fellow alums. Her
nieces are in SK and 2nd grade at
SMS. Melissa Anderson Kirkby
recently went back to work parttime
as a private trust advisor
for a family in Nashville. Melissa
enjoyed catching up with Brandi
Haines Torchia and Jane Laster
Finneran in Memphis over the
summer and getting their kids
together. Life is crazy as usual in
Alison Roesler Coons’ household.
When she’s not busy as a
“band mom” for THE Houston
High School Band, she’s hard at
work in her position as Director
of Engagement with Girl Scouts
Heart of the South. Every day she
gets to tell the world how Girl
Scouts builds girls of courage,
confidence, and character, who
make the world a better place –
just like St. Mary’s does!
–1993
Kristen Mistretta Wilson
kemeliem@aol.com
Amelia Treadwell Howard
loves her new job as a Teacher’s
Assistant in the Pre-K at
Christ Methodist Day School in
Memphis, where daughter Anna
Laura is in 4th grade. Her son
George is in 7th grade at MUS.
Kim Lupo shared that she and
Deb made a big move in June
and are now living in Portland,
Ore., where they bought a cute
townhouse right on the Willamette
River. Kim leads Global
Total Rewards for Nike and
travels across Europe and China
to meet her new team and learn
the business. Congratulations
to Alexia Fulgham Crump and
husband Kevin, who welcomed
their daughter Catherine Elaina
Crump on July 23, 2015. Alexia
says that while she is exhausted,
she loves being a mommy. Kathryn
Brookfield is having fun raising
three little monkeys, and celebrated
her 40th birthday with
her sister, parents, and friends
in Florida. Kathryn is planning to
see Katie Moran Lindenschmidt
over Thanksgiving and can’t wait
to get home to Memphis. Lee
Raines Buchmann and her family
moved to a new home in Denver
this summer, and are looking
forward to ski season and hopefully
a big snow year. Jo Cowles
Ellis lives in Atlanta with her
husband John and four children,
Anna (12), Logan (9), Bethany (7),
and Alexis (5). She is a Director
of Product Development
for First Data. Congratulations
to Alison Simmons Boyd and
husband Oliver, who welcomed
Katherine Avery Boyd on April
23, 2015, more than five weeks
early. Big brother Mason makes
Katherine laugh, but mostly just
ignores her, especially when
there is a car or truck in sight.
Congratulations to Sam Petrie,
who recently launched her own
business called Clover (www.
cloverartisans.com) offering
artisan-made home decor handselected
from around the world.
Best of luck to Sam! Courtney
Mainardi Burger reports that all
three of her children are finally
at the same school, with William
in kindergarten and twins
Ellie and Alexis in 3rd grade.
Beki Rafter is house-hunting in
Atlanta with her partner Jamie,
as well as celebrating her dad’s
retirement and her mom’s 70th
birthday. Beki continues to run
Georgia WAND and is involved
in supporting Black women’s
leadership in environmental justice.
Deena Raja Bittles and her
family moved to St. Petersburg,
Fla., in August because her husband
took a job at All Children’s
Johns Hopkins Medicine as a
Pediatric Radiologist. Deena is
still working with her firm that
is headquartered in Nashville as
a Senior Fixed Income Portfolio
Manager. Carrie Evans Hanlon
moved within Memphis this
summer to a home that she
worked to renovate. Her son
James, 6, plays every sport he
can and makes her smile each
day. Carrie continues to love
her job with Hobson Realtors.
Kristen Mistretta Wilson and
her husband Jake were overjoyed
to welcome their third son
Matthew in June. Big brothers
Jacob (6) and Alexander (4) are in
awe of their baby brother. She’s
stopped practicing law for now
and has adjusted to living in
Baton Rouge, La.
–1994
Edith Ritterband Goody
edithgoody@aol.com
Mary Evelyn Stevens Fore follows
her three girls’ schedules
and helps her husband with
some “behind the scenes” office
work. She gets to catch up with
Laura Foster Gettys when they
both drop off their kids in JK
at GSL. My head began to spin
when I learned of all Joann Self
Selvidge’s activities. Her film
“The Keepers” about zookeepers
at the Memphis Zoo will be
released in early 2016 and was
the opening night gala film at
the Indie Memphis Film Fest,
where it won the Hometowner
Feature Award! Joann is consulting
with the Memphis Convention
& Visitors Bureau, and says
her kids are doing well and
looking forward to a new kitten
to bring into Daddy’s new studio.
Sigrid Longsworth Orr moved to
Cleveland, Tenn. (Chattanooga
area), at the end of June and
loves being back in the South.
She’s working towards her Tennessee
Art Educator license for
K-12 and says there’s not much
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