Bridging the Gap

Douglas Looney welcomed baby
girl in June. Brooke writes that
Wynnie is so sweet and her
twin sisters love her! Georgina
Okerson has moved to Crawley,
England, and has released another
game, Black Closet, set in
an all-girls religious school. As
she says, “don’t worry, it’s mostly
not true.” Maesie Speer is leaving
Portland and moving to the
Cascade Mountains of central
Oregon to manage an arts center
called Caldera. She will be living
on-site with Jesse and their cats.
She knows that it is a big move
but says that she and Jesse have
dreamed about living in a rural
area for quite a while. Bernice
Chen also has a new addition –
a baby girl. She is enjoying her
time staying at home but will
return to work soon. Sharlene
Sidhu Keithley is finally a Girl
Scout! She has taken on leading
daughter Saira’s Daisy Troop, in
addition to being son Rajan’s
Cub Scout Bear Den leader.
She is still working remotely
for the family business, Desoto
Children’s Clinic, and she’s active
on the board of a local nonprofit,
the Colorado Children’s
Campaign.
–1997
Hollye Ferguson Stigler
hollye.stigler@gmail.com
Let’s start with news from
our classmates on the West
Coast: Congratulations to Hala
Khuri on her engagement this
summer — Hala is planning
her upcoming wedding and still
loves teaching in the Bay Area.
Also in San Francisco, Rebekah
Hanover Kurzweil’s son Leo
is 4 and Quincy is almost
one. Elaine Guerra Cotter and
her family have been living
in Los Angeles for just over a
year and are really enjoying it.
Her daughter Zoë is 8 months
and is working to keep up
with big sister Sophie. Their
hotel business has expanded
to North Lake Tahoe, Boulder,
and Calistoga. Rose Indriolo
Englert and her family live in
Portland. Her daughter Ramona
is 15 months and walking, climbing,
running, talking, and giggling.
Rose has been promoted
to a director level position at
CareOregon. Congrats Rose! On
the East Coast, Ashley Wilson is
having fun with now 6-monthold
Hudson. They enjoyed traveling
this summer and also visits
from Celia Watson and Jeanne
Herzog. Ashley’s architectural
work has been moving quickly,
she recently broke ground on a
state-of-the-art robotic surgical
center as well as working
on several new residential
properties. Autumn Witt
Boyd started her own law firm in
February, focusing on copyright,
trademark, and small business
advising and working with
mostly women entrepreneurs.
Her twins Sam and Tyson are
almost 4. She and Melissa
Ohsfeldt and their families met
for a visit at the Chattanooga
Aquarium this summer. Melissa
recently transitioned to work for
a new company, doing a similar
role. Her four kids are doing
well. Orinda, age 1, is walking
and Charlotte in 4th grade and
starting to study literature
Melissa remembers well from
our SMS days! My family is
enjoying having a baby again,
Amelie is six months old and
a delight. I had a fun surprise
a few weeks ago and bumped
into Liz Fraim Evans and her
beautiful family on the beach
along 30A in Florida. It was a
quick visit, but made me excited
about our 20-year reunion...not
too far away!
–1998
Laurin Maddox
laurinmaddox@gmail.com
Lots of job transition news this
time around. Jennifer Fong is
enjoying her new position as
project manager for CBRE and
spent her birthday in Tahiti.
She completed a 125-mile trail
race in Tahoe and is training
for two half marathons. Nupur
Sidhu Bal started her own firm
with another partner this year.
Allison Martin Nolen writes that
she recently started a new position
as a nurse on the pediatric
hematology/oncology unit. Amy
Sellers transitioned to a new
position as the VP of Digital and
Product Marketing for Carena, a
healthcare technology company.
She is also working on a startup
project called dopl, a mobile restaurant
that provides accurate
restaurant recommendations.
Ann Frizzell Pretzer completed
teacher training for Suzuki Violin
Book 1, so all you Memphis
parents, feel free to contact her
if you are interested in lessons
for your kiddos! Ashley Bellet
started her first semester in
the Theatre PhD program in
Madison, Wis. She is also teaching
on campus and working in
a pottery shop for fun. Laurin
Maddux started a new position
as the Regional Clinical Director
at Strategic Behavioral Health.
She is enjoying traveling a lot
with this new position, especially
to beautiful Colorado for
hiking in the Rocky Mountains.
Anne Claire Bellott Jordan
writes that Emma is enjoying
kindergarten this year. She also
went to visit sister Elizabeth
Bellott ’15 at NC State. Erin Lyttle
Do loves being mom to two St.
Mary’s Turkeys! Monica Wilson
Barton writes that she is working
hard at State Farm Corporate
Headquarters in Illinois. The
Barton family has had a busy
year, moving to a new home and
welcoming Wyatt, who turned
one recently. Lauren Webb
Mitchell and husband Luke are
enjoying being parents to Henry
who is walking and teething
and keeping them on their toes.
Allyn Jaqua Lowell keeps us
all in stitches through her blog
posts and Facebook posts. She
writes that Erin Wade has “given
me the greatest gift possible by
becoming a pediatrician who
returns my frantic phone calls
at 11pm and doesn’t charge me.”
Allyn and husband Zach chase
their adorable twins Hunter
and Grier when not frantically
texting Erin. Erin Wade started
her Pediatric Residency at the
University of Louisville. Meggan
Wurzburg Kiel writes her news
from South Africa, where husband
Daniel is working on an education
research project. Meggan
and Daniel are homeschooling
Sadie and Ben through this
adventure. Meg Kinnard writes
that she and Adair love their
new house, especially swimming
in the pool all summer long. She
has also been traveling on behalf
of her family, doing work to keep
her grandfatherr’s legacy alive at
UT Martin. Patience Chambliss
Wiggins and husband Chris are
expecting a third boy soon.
–1999
Kelly Buckner Dallas
kellybdallas@gmail.com
Congratulations are in order for
Marynelle Wilson McNamara
who married a fellow attorney,
Doug McNamara, in Washington
D.C., on June 21, then honeymooned
in France. We also
have a few new babies! Rachel
Bearman Plevak welcomed
Oliver back in January, and Lily
Shu welcomed Audrey in May.
Rachel writes that she’s still
living in Atlanta and working
as a prosecutor. Lily has been
living in Beijing and working
for McDonald’s for six years.
Libby Lawson Foster is also
still living abroad in Oaxaca,
Mexico, before wrapping up
her year of learning Spanish.
Angela Lam is also on the move
having just relocated from San
Francisco to Chicago. It’s been
a good move, but she’s nervous
about the snow! On the other
hand, Elizabeth Hatzenbuehler
Hibler loves the snow living in
Denver and can’t wait until ski
season. She’s still working as a
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