Concord University Magazine Winter 2020 by Concord University

Magazine Winter 2020

HOMECOMING FROM HOME ATHLETIC ALUMNI AT WORK FRED FRIAR ROCKING CHAIRS

From The President Greetings to each of you from the Campus Beautiful. I hope that you and all those in your circles of family and friends are safe and healthy as well during this very different year. Driving into Concord’s campus this morning, I was reminded that we have just a few more days of classes for the semester. There are only a handful of students attending classes in person, quite a few athletes are here for practices and workouts, but beyond that, the campus that we all love is pretty tranquil. Many of the staff are here and their cars sit quietly in the parking lots, some of the faculty are on campus, the rest are working from home, and everyone here, and I mean everyone, is wearing their mask. Like each of you, no matter where this magazine finds you, we have all made adjustments to our lives, to our ways of communicating, of teaching, of working, of planning and, for students, of experiencing collegiate life. We are experimenting with new ways of living throughout the world, all because of a tiny, microbial particle of virus that has turned our entire world upside down. It is a very strange and interesting time and most would have to admit that we have learned a great deal, albeit not by our own choice. Everyone of our faculty, staff, and administrators have done an amazing job in meeting the challenges they have faced this semester. They have worked tirelessly prior to and during the fall semester to keep themselves and one another safe, allowing us to keep the campus operational and healthy. Many have gone above and beyond the call of duty, taking on additional tasks that have required time and effort that I could not have begun to ask of them—housing, housekeeping, and dining—have worked extremely long hours to care for students in isolation and quarantine in addition to their regular workloads. This was a Herculean task and not once was I told about a complaint regarding the extra responsibilities they took on. Across campus, faculty had the daunting task of learning to deliver instruction in a totally new way in many cases (online, virtual, hybrid or Zoom classes). They took on the challenges and have worked diligently to be certain our students are gaining the knowledge, attitudes, and skills needed to be successful when they graduate. I am so thankful for their efforts with such short notice of the changes required. We could not have been successful without faculty and staff support. Finally, I would love for you to share your stories with me about how you’ve made it through this time as well, so please call, text, email or write me to say hello. I am wishing you and your families the BEST holiday season possible with renewed hope for the future.

Dr. Kendra Boggess President

CONTENTS

FEATURES

President Dr. Kendra Boggess Vice President for Advancement Alicia Besenyei Chair, Concord University Foundation, Inc. Jack White '61 MAGAZINE STAFF: Director of Communications Amy Pitzer Staff Writer Sarah M. Pritchett Creative Services Manager Christopher A. Boyd '02 Contributing Writer Lindsey Byars '03 Contributing Editors Sarah L. Turner '98 Blake Farmer '17

24 HOMECOMING FROM HOME

32 CARLI RATLIFF '10

38 ALVIN PHILLIPS '78 44 FRED FRIAR '86

50 ATHLETIC ALUMNI AT WORK

SUBMISSIONS: Please contact Amy Pitzer at 304-384-5211 or pitzer@concord.edu

MOVED RECENTLY? NEED TO UPDATE YOUR INFO? Fill out the Alumni Contact Information Update form under the Alumni tab on the CU website!

FEATURES

EVERY ISSUE

Concord Theatre

University News

Melissa Stockwell

Alumni Spotlight

Day of Giving Success

Alumni Happenings

Blankenship Scholarship

50 Athletics

ON THE COVER: COVID 19 forced Homecoming 2020 festivities to move online. Alums participated in a variety of events, via Zoom, through the week of September 28 - October 3, including a virtual tailgate. The Mountain Lions will have their first-ever spring football season in 2021. Mountain East Conference officials announced teams will participate in a five-game divisional lineup beginning March 13. The winner from each division will play for the conference championship in mid-April.

The Concord University Magazine is published by the Concord University Advancement Office. A portion of the cost is underwritten by the Concord University Foundation, Inc.

Class Notes

In Memory of

Email: advancement@concord.edu Mail:

Office of Advancement PO Box 1000 Athens, WV 24712-1000

Phone: 304.384.6311 Fax: 304.384.6017

UniversityNews CU Names Dr. Michael Bean as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dr. Michael Bean has been named Concord University’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Dr. Bean is a professor of Education at Concord, primarily teaching Education Leadership courses. Under this new title, he will also be working with faculty, staff, and students through efforts and initiatives designed to strengthen equity, inclusion, knowledge, and skills across the campus community. “It’s important to cultivate an environment where our students and faculty can engage in dialogue about diversity,” says President Kendra Boggess. “Encouraging discourse is the cornerstone of higher education, and I know this position will reinforce and supplement initiatives already in place at Concord University.” As the director, Dr. Bean hopes to create informational workshops and host monthly discussions for students, as well as collaborate with Human Resources and Admissions using data as tools for cultivating a diverse campus community. “I’m excited about this continued work towards the awareness and involvement of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Concord family, community, and most importantly our students. We will continue to be leaders in our community as we consider the diversity of our Concord community to be an essential source of our strength as an institution. Arthur Ashe said, ‘Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.’ Together, we will do the work to help our students feel

Dr. Michael Bean

part of Concord University for life,” Dr. Bean says. Dr. Bean came to Concord University in the fall of 2017 from Cleveland, Ohio where he served as principal in a K-8 school.

PHOTO SUBMISSION GUIDELINES We appreciate the photographs you share with us for possible inclusion in Concord’s magazine. To help us provide quality reproduction of photographs, we are offering the following guidelines for your information. Photographs need to be at least 300 dpi. Image file size needs to be at least 1mb per photo. Photos should be in jpeg format and taken with a camera and not a cellphone.

If you have questions about guidelines, please contact the Office of Advancement at cboyd@concord.edu or 304-384-5258. Thank you!

WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

UNIVERSITY NEWS

International Business Honor Society Charters New Chapter at Concord A group of Concord University students and professors have been inducted into a newly formed chapter of Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business. The installation/induction ceremony for the Omicron Psi Chapter was held on Oct. 8 in the CU State Room. Mr. Mark Kvalvik, Vice President of Extension and Development for Delta Mu Delta, participated in the ceremony virtually to conduct the installation of the new chapter and the induction of both the student members and the honorary members. Concord’s Business Department recently earned the right to a Delta Mu Chapter through becoming accredited by the ACBSP, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. Thirteen outstanding students and six honorary members were inducted into the new CU campus chapter. Students who are invited to become members of this Honor Society must all have a GPA of at least 3.40, and be in the top 20 percent of their respective junior or senior classes in Business. “We are extremely proud of our students for their academic achievement, and being able to celebrate this achievement by their induction into the Delta Mu Delta Honor Society,” stated Dr. Charlotte Davis, Associate Professor of Management. Dr. Davis and Dr. Susan Robinett, Business Department Chair, are co-advisors for the Omicron Psi Chapter. “The Delta Mu Delta Honor Society is a longstanding organization that encourages academic excellence and service of top scholar students,” stated Dr. Robinett. “Students are inducted into Delta

Mr. Mark Kvalvik, Vice President of Extension and Development for Delta Mu Delta, conducts the virtual installation ceremony.

Mu Delta as lifetime members providing scholarships, professional networking, and professional career opportunities.” “The Department is extremely excited to be able to offer this membership to our deserving, hard-working students,” she said. During the ceremony, Dr. Robinett and Dr. Davis accepted the charter for the new chapter. Each chapter member received a certificate and membership pin. Concord seniors who attended the induction ceremony are James Boone, Matthew Mullins, Nathan Nichols, Stephen Price and John Turner. Juniors attending are Christopher Billings, Gabrielle Cline, Zoe Colley, Kameron Doughty, Emily Peck and Alexander Watty. Two students who did not attend but who are members are Madison Williams, senior, and Keith Reed, junior. The chapter’s honorary members are Dr. Charlotte Davis, Dr. Susan Robinett, Mrs. Madison White, Dr. Amanda Sauchuck, Dr.

CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

Dr. Charlotte Davis, Associate Professor of Management, left, and Dr. Susan Robinett, Department of Business Chair, right, receive the charter as co-advisors of the Omicron Psi Chapter.

Student members and honorary members of the Omicron Psi Chapter are honored during the induction ceremony.

Logan Browning and Dr. Angela Addair. Dr. Browning and Dr. Sauchuck were unable to attend the ceremony.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Princeton Review Honors CU Among Best Regional Colleges In Southeast Concord University has again been selected among the top schools in the Southeast by The Princeton Review. In the “2021 Best Colleges: Region by Region” online feature, Concord is one of the 142 regional institutions, representing 12 states, that are named in the Best Southeastern category. Additionally, Concord is one of six West Virginia schools listed in the report and one of only three of the state’s public colleges and

universities named. The summary honors 655 schools from five zones – Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, West, and International. According to The Princeton Review, these schools are “academically outstanding and well worth consideration” by students in their search for a college. “This is wonderful news and just reaffirms the dedication of our faculty and staff to the success

of our students,” stated William Allen, Interim Vice President and Chief Enrollment Management Officer. “Concord is a great place to get an education, and we are happy to be consistently recognized by The Princeton Review.” For additional information go to: https://www.princetonreview. com/college-rankings/best-regional-colleges To learn more about Concord University visit www.concord.edu or call 1-888-384-5249.

Community Foundation of the Virginias Grant Benefitting Tutoring Center The Center for Academic and Career Development (CACD) at Concord University has received a grant for $4,878 from the Community Foundation of the Virginias that will benefit the campus Tutoring Center. The CACD sought the funding in order to increase services to students through new technology, and to increase pass rates of the Momentum Year courses. This grant gives the CACD the ability to purchase new touch screen laptops. These laptops will be utilized by student tutors in the Tutoring Center to assist with online tutoring. Touch screen laptops enable tutors to share their screens and assist students by helping them find solutions in real time. The CACD will also purchase iPads and Apple Pencils to record pencasts. The first series of pencasts will be for Concord’s college algebra course. The CACD and CU peer tutors will be able to record tutorials for algebra concepts that students often struggle with as identified by CU mathematics professors. These pencasts will be uploaded for students to view at any time and more subjects will be added in the future. “In the past we have been able to rely heavily on face-to-face tutoring interactions,” stated Dr. Sheila Womack, Director of Student Success. “However, it’s become necessary to find ways to serve our students virtually.” “This support from the Community Foundation

of the Virginias enables us to acquire the technology necessary to keep pace with the needs of our students. We are excited for the possibilities this opens up for our tutoring program and the benefits it will provide for our students,” she said. To learn more about Concord’s CACD, please visit www.concord.edu and click on the “Student Life” button at the top of the page. WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Christy Martin ’90 Shares Her Story of Resiliency with Concord University Students Former world champion boxer Christy Martin visited Concord University the afternoon of Thursday, Oct. 15 to speak with a group of students. Martin’s presentation was also live streamed. Concord’s GEAR UP Office hosted the event. A native of southern West Virginia, Martin played basketball at Concord and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree. She got her introduction to competitive boxing by entering and winning a local Toughwoman contest. In the professional arena she rose to worldwide success, fame and prominence, elevating the sport of boxing for women to a new level. Her time in the ring and in the spotlight generated a list of national television appearances and landed her on the cover of Sports Illustrated in April 1996. She was also the first female inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. Martin is also active in domestic violence awareness. She frequently shares her personal stories on

Christy Martin speaks with students in the State Room.

inter-partner violence. She discussed her life story during her Concord presentation and the resiliency she cultivated to succeed in her sport and career.

U.S. News & World Report Ranks CU Among Best Universities in the South Concord University has been named among the Best Regional Universities South in the 2021 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. Of the 134 institutions listed in this category, Concord is tied for the rank of 94. Additionally, Concord is one of six West Virginia schools appearing among the Best Regional Universities South and one of only three public institutions in the state to land in this category. According to U.S. News & World Report, “Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.” Concord is also recognized by the annual ranking report as tied at #44 for Top Public Schools and tied at #78 in Top Performers on Social Mobility, both among Regional Universities South. The 1,452 bachelor’s degree-granting U.S. schools CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

appearing in the Best Colleges rankings have been evaluated by 17 key measures of academic quality. Among these are class size, student-faculty ratio, graduation and retention rates, undergraduate academic reputation, and graduate indebtedness (total and proportion with debt). “While there is so much about the Concord experience that is hard to measure in surveys – access to faculty, dedicated staff, beautiful campus – it is nice to receive this type of recognition,” stated William Allen, Interim Vice President and Chief Enrollment Management Officer. “Concord is a great place to get a complete four year undergraduate experience, an experience that has helped so many students find success after graduation.” For additional information go to https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/regional-universities To learn more about Concord University visit www.concord.edu or call 1-888-384-5249.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Community Connections Donates Computer Equipment to Office of Veteran Services Student veterans and active duty military personnel attending Concord University will benefit from a recent donation of computer equipment to the Office of Veteran Services. Community Connections of Princeton has donated the equipment to be used by students in Concord’s Veterans Lounge. “Our overall goal is to provide every veteran with the opportunity to earn a degree in higher education,” stated Dr. George Williams, Veteran Advocate. “Our Veterans Lounge is integral to that mission. We provide a safe place where veterans and their families can work and socialize with other veterans.” The lounge is located in the Rahall Technology Center on Concord’s Athens campus. “One of the biggest struggles we have faced during this pandemic has been trying to keep our veterans connected to the new online learning environment,” Williams said. The new equipment is being used to upgrade existing work stations in the lounge, allowing them to better facilitate online learning for the students. I-pads that may be checked out by the students, will also enhance their ability to study and attend class virtually. Williams expressed his appreciation to Community Connections for providing the technology to help Concord’s student veterans and active duty students achieve their academic goals. President Kendra Boggess shared her gratitude as well. “Concord University is dedicated to providing veterans with specialized support throughout their college careers, and thanks to community contributions such as these, our veterans will have more resources to help them finish their degrees,” she said. Liz McKinney-Brooks, Com-

Shown from left outside of the Veterans Lounge are Concord University President Kendra Boggess, Concord University Veteran Advocate George Williams and Community Connections Coalition Engagement Specialist Liz McKinney-Brooks.

munity Connections Coalition Engagement Specialist, delivered the equipment to the Veterans Lounge on Monday, Nov. 9. Included in the donation are several I-pads with keyboards and covers, web cams, computer monitors, a printer and phone charging stations. She also brought printed literature on topics such as opioid abuse prevention and suicide prevention to be made available to the veterans and service members who visit the lounge. “Due to the growing problem of substance use and increase in suicide rates among veterans, we wanted to support them and provide materials with resources,” McKinney-Brooks said. Services dealing with substance use around prescription opioids and suicide prevention are provided through the State Opioid Response Grant, she said. “Community Connections is the primary prevention for Region 6. This includes 11 counties in southern West Virginia,” she explained. “Mercer County and its bordering counties are included in that region.” For more information about the

Henry Wallace, vice president of the CU Veterans Club, helps unpack the new computer equipment.

Veteran Advocate George Williams, left, and Steven Kennedy, academic advisor for Veterans Upward Bound, look at literature provided by Community Connections for the lounge.

Concord University Veterans Office, please contact Dr. George Williams at 304-384-6300 or gwilliams@ concord.edu or visit https://www. concord.edu/Student-Life/Veterans. aspx

WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

UNIVERSITY NEWS

NSF Award Funding Expedition to Greenland Concord University will serve as the lead institution for a National Science Foundation (NSF) award totaling $380,000 ($200,326 to Concord University). The award supports a project entitled “REU Site: Collaborative Research: Architecture of Earthquakes in the Deep Crust: International Arctic Expedition Science for Students” and will fund field research for undergraduate geology students on the west coast of Greenland. Dr. Joseph L. Allen, Chair of Concord University’s Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, will lead the project. Arctic REU Greenland began as a series of undergraduate research trips at Concord University during alternate years from 2013-2019. These earlier expeditions were funded by an undergraduate research grant to Dr. Allen from the American Chemical Society, with a goal towards developing a larger-scale undergraduate research experience. The 2021 cohort will mark the first of a series of larger expeditions involving eight students from institutions across the United States each year. The team will spend five weeks camped on a remote island with weekend visits to the nearby town of Sisimiut (pop. 5600), the second largest settlement in Greenland. Travel expenses, meals, and $4000 stipends for each student are provided by the NSF grant. Concord’s NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) is focused on developing skills in geologic mapping and field work in Precambrian rocks. The research goal is to better understand how earthquake ruptures propagate through bedrock in the deeper reaches of Earth’s crust. The REU students will be partners in an innovative, field-based research problem and will learn a wide variety of technical and research skills. Students will be mentored by the two REU Directors – Dr. Allen from Concord, and Dr. Shaw from Montana State – a graduate assistant, and several guest speakers from institutions around the world. Under the guidance of the REU Directors, student teams will author and present their research results at a national geologic conference following summer field work. As part of a research cohort, they will also receive career and graduate school mentoring. The research site is in the newly designated Assivissuit - Nipisat UNESCO World Heritage Site, an ancient Inuit hunting ground between ice and sea. Participants will learn about ancient and modern cultures of Greenland from guest speakers and through interaction with Greenlandic students at a local technical institute. Students will also learn about the long geologic history of Greenland, which stretches from some of the oldest Archean rocks and records of life on Earth, to Quaternary glaciation and a Holocene record of recent climate change. This is the first NSF REU program to be awarded to a West Virginia primarily undergraduate institution. U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Joe Manchin CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

Field team at work in 2019. (Inset) Map showing location of field site near Sisimiut, Greenland.

The melting edge of the Greenland ice cap.

2019 alumnae Lindsey Deskins and Miranda Basconi posing in the field.

View of one of the field sites.

(D-WV), members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the award on Sept. 10, 2020. Additional information and photographs of past expeditions can be found at the new Arctic REU Greenland web site: https:// www.arcticreu.earth

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Military Appreciation Day Luncheon Held Concord’s veterans organizations hosted a Military Appreciation Day Luncheon at the Erma Byrd Center on Oct. 14 to salute the military service of students and residents from across the Beckley area. Veterans who served with the U.S. Armed Forces and those on active duty were invited to attend. Concord groups hosting the event include Veterans Upward Bound, the Student Veterans Association, and the Office of Veteran Services. Along with honoring military service, the activity also offered attendees a look at the various ways Concord is dedicated to assisting veterans and active duty personnel earn a college degree.

CU veterans representatives, from left, Michael Shrader, Steven Kennedy, Henry Wallace and George Williams at the Erma Byrd Center.

Painting Purple Hearts While they were at the Erma Byrd Center, representatives from the veterans groups painted spaces in front of the center to designate reserved parking for combat wounded veterans. These special parking spaces feature purple hearts painted by the CU delegation. A sign bearing the Purple Heart medal stands over the row of parking spaces. Several years ago a similar space was designated and painted on Concord’s Athens campus. The special reserved parking is near the entrance of Callaghan Stadium. To learn more about how Concord’s veterans office and organizations are serving current and potential students, please contact Dr. George Williams, veterans advocate, at gwilliams@concord. edu or 304-384-6300. Additional information is also available at www.concord.edu/veterans

Parking spaces are designated for combat wounded veterans.

Purple hearts signify special reserved parking.

WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Environmental Geosciences Major Revised The Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences at Concord University recently revised the major in Environmental Geosciences. The revised and more flexible major includes coursework, research, and field experience in traditional geology as well as the environmental and geospatial sciences. The major provides students with opportunities to explore, analyze, and problem solve using a variety of tools and technologies in the program’s laboratory facilities, including the Electron Microprobe Lab, the Tephra Lab, the Environmental Geography Lab, and the R.T. Hill Spatial Analysis Lab. Through these hands-on experiences, students gain professional skills they can put to use in satisfying careers addressing society’s most pressing environmental, energy, and natural resource issues. As stated in the Concord University Academic Catalog, “This degree program is designed to prepare students for scientific careers or graduate study in geology and/or environmental science. The curriculum includes a comprehensive geology core that qualifies

graduates to apply for licensure as a professional environmental geologist through ASBOG (Association of State Boards of Geology). Students will acquire field, laboratory, and computer skills necessary for long-term employment in the environmental, engineering, geospatial, energy, and geologic workforce.” For more information: Contact Dr. Joe Allen, Department Chair, at allenj@concord.edu. Visit Concord University’s 20202021 Academic Catalog: http://catalog. concord.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=12&poid=1596&returnto=716 Take a look at the Environmental Geosciences program website: https:// www.concord.edu/Academics/College-of-Natural-Sciences,-Mathematics,-and-Heal/Department-of-Physical-Science/Department-of-Geology.aspx Follow CU Geoscience on social media: @ConcordGeoscience(Facebook) https://www.facebook.com/ConcordGeoscience/ @EGLatCU (Facebook) https://www. facebook.com/EGLatCU @CUGeology (Twitter) https://twitter. com/cugeology

A student analyzing and dating a sample cut from a fire-scarred tree on Short Mountain in Hampshire County, West Virginia.

Student measuring the orientation of fractures in shale in Bluefield, W.Va. for geologic research.

Entrepreneurs Make Pitches in Annual Competition Concord University hosted its 3rd annual pitch competition on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020 via Zoom. The winners were as follows: 1st place ($500): Kaelea Smith and Melinda Goda, with Hello Dorm, a meal delivery service catering to college students. Kaelea is a junior from Scarbro, WV, majoring in social work, and minoring in sociology and criminology. Melinda is a junior from Plainfield, IN majoring in computer science, and minoring in business administration and physics. 1st place ($500): Issac Prather, with iSquirt, a condiment delivery product. Issac is a junior from Summersville,

WV, majoring in recreation tourism and management, and minoring in business administration. 2nd place ($250): Christabel Ofodile, with Culture Corner, an international cuisine restaurant. Chris is a senior from Abuja, Nigeria, majoring in business administration with a concentration in management, and minoring in entrepreneurship. 3rd place ($100): Bryleigh Davis and Roger Hamm, with House MD, a medical provider app. Bryleigh is a freshman from Athens, WV majoring in business administration. Roger is a freshman from Princeton, WV majoring in business

CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

administration. Issac Prather was also the winner of the popular vote, which received $150. All attendees were allowed to submit a vote at the end of the competition for their favorite pitch. “I couldn’t have been more excited for all of the contestants. They all did such a great job, answered the judges’ questions, and were really well prepared with their pitches,” stated Dr. Angela Addair, Director of Entrepreneurial Studies. “Given that this was all virtual, a new format, I was hopeful we would have a good turnout. We ended up having a very successful competition, and some amazing ideas!” she said.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Environmental Geosciences Hosts Webinars on Sparta Earthquake and Polar Climate Polar climate and the earthquake that occurred this summer near Sparta, N.C. were the topics of discussion for webinars conducted this semester by Concord’s Environmental Geosciences program. Students, faculty and staff, along with the general public, were invited to participate in these free online lectures live via Zoom and take part in the Q&A sessions. Dr. Stephan Kuehn, associate professor of Geology, coordinated the events and served as host. Dr. Jesse S. Hill, a geologist with the North Carolina Geological Survey, presented on the earthquake during the Oct. 15 webinar. This public presentation was part of Concord’s celebration of international Earth Science Week. On Nov. 5 Geological Society of America Distinguished Lecturer Dr. Julie Brigham-Grette presented a talk entitled “The Impact of Lake El’gygytgyn, NE Russia, on our Knowledge of Polar Climate: This changes everything.” Dr. Kuehn explains the background of inviting both of these experts to participate in the webinars, why these events were opened up to the community, and the response they received. “We hosted the webinars for multiple reasons,” Dr. Kuehn said. “First, we have a history of signing up to host distinguished lecturers to bring interesting topics to our campus and to provide our students opportunities to interact with researchers and faculty from other institutions. These are essentially the reasons behind bringing Dr. Brigham-Grette’s presentation to Concord. “The Sparta earthquake talk idea started after I saw a post by Dr. Hill on Twitter with pictures from a professional conference presentation that he was planning. I asked if he would be interested in doing a public talk via Zoom, and he was happy to do it,” he said. “In the end, we also tried to make both talks into public outreach events as both are on topics that many people find interesting,” Dr. Kuehn continued. “These were advertised via science teacher groups in West Virginia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee and also on social media. Multiple schools tuned in to both talks, and we even had a local resident of Sparta, N.C. along with someone from NASA tune in to the Sparta one.” “To build on that outreach theme, we’ve also posted both talks on the Concord YouTube channel so that others can benefit from them,” he said. The Sparta presentation is located at: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=ZgshVqkfjx8 The polar climate webinar is located here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL3tEMjFdaM “Ordinarily, both these talks probably would have

been done on campus and only to an in-person audience. The great thing about doing this on Zoom is that we were able to open this up so that so many others could join us,” Dr. Kuehn said. “We will probably continue to do that in the future, even when the pandemic has subsided.” “Both talks had a live Q&A, and we received great questions from both the Concord community and from our other participants. The Lake E one also had a virtual lunch with the speaker, and several CU faculty and students tuned in to a productive discussion about doing scientific research, preparing for careers and graduate school, and more,” he said. WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Annual Dictionary Project Goes Virtual for '20 Every Mercer County third grader received a new dictionary again this year thanks to the Dictionary Project. Students were presented with their own copy of Webster’s Dictionary for Students, Special Encyclopedic Edition on Thursday, Nov. 12. Providing a dictionary for the county’s third graders is an annual collaborative project between Concord University, Bluefield State College, Mercer County Schools and the Princeton and Bluefield Rotary clubs conducted in honor of Noah Webster’s birthday, and in conjunction with the National Dictionary Project. Each year since the local project’s inception more than a decade ago, the partners have selected a different school to hold the annual celebration. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual ceremony was held for students at Bluewell Elementary School on Nov. 12. Concord University President Kendra Boggess and representatives from the other partnering groups provided prerecorded video greetings to the students that were shared during the program. Concord also provided Concord activity books and snacks for the Bluewell students. “The dictionary is a window into the world full of discovery, joy and excitement. Learning to understand words and their meaning is the first step to making dreams come true. We are so proud to continue supporting this wonderful and important project,” said Dr. Kendra Boggess. “The goal of the project, is to assist all students in becoming good writers, active readers, creative thinkers, and resourceful learners by providing them with their own personal dictionary,” the Dictionary Project website says. “The dictionaries are a gift to each student to use at school and at home for years to come.” Additional information about the Dictionary Project is available by visiting www.dictionaryproject.org

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Roar knows the importance of owning a dictionary!

Bluewell students take part in the dictionary presentation ceremony.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Fall Online Season Busy for Concord Theatre Theatre Director Karen Vuranch and her students kept the performances rolling during the fall semester in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizing the virtual meeting platform Zoom, they brought entertainment, laughter, and even a few history lessons to their online audiences. “I am so proud of all of my students,” Vuranch says. Tragedians Anonymous, presented the evenings of Oct. 9 and Oct. 10, featured Shakespeare’s tragic characters as they confronted their fear during the pandemic in a very humorous way. Students directed You’re Virtually Driving Me Crazy on Oct. 21 and 22. Written by Todd Wallinger, the production featured a series of four 10-minute plays, focusing on four chaotic driver’s education sessions. From arguing ex-lovers to a driving instructor who has never driven before, each scene in the show was guaranteed to keep audiences laughing. Historical figures shared their life stories, virtually through three installments of student-written living history performances. The first, Tales of the Macabre, was held on Oct. 28, and featured authors Edgar Allen Poe and Mary Shelley as well as serial killer “Jolly Jane” Toppan. The second show, American Heroes, was held on Nov. 11 as a Veterans Day salute and featured Mr. Fred Rogers and WWII pilot, Lt. Charles Brown. The third show in the series, Legends of Song, took place on Nov. 18. and spotlighted Tammy Wynette and Doris Day. After the performances, audience members had an opportunity to ask the characters and the actors questions. “The pandemic has stopped the possibility of live performances,” stated Vuranch. “But, Zoom gives us a unique opportunity to continue to offer theatre experiences to our students and the public.” “Zoom performances have really changed how we are able to present theatre,” she said. “Since the pandemic

limits audience size and it not possible to social distance with actors on stage, we are delighted that good scripts are being written for the Zoom platform.” All performances were offered free to the Concord campus community and the general public. Through pre-event publicity, the audience received instructions with the Zoom meeting ID, instructions on how to download Zoom and how to join the performance.

gedians Anonymous was presented in memory of Alice Todaro and produced in cooperation with Pioneer Drama Service.

Student Directors for You’re Virtually Driving Me Crazy.

The cast of Tragedians Anonymous holds a Zoom rehearsal.

Shakespeare’s Characters Quarantined Tragedians Anonymous, written by Rebecca Salomonsson, follows Shakespeare’s tragic characters as they are quarantined due to COVID-19. Because of the unprecedented times, they are attending online therapy sessions lead by the magical Prospero, who encourages them to confront their fellow characters that have wronged them and to come to terms with their tragic flaws. Romeo and Juliet, Ophelia and King Richard’s wife, Lady Anne, are all dealing with the tragedies encountered in their respective plays. Karen Vuranch directed Tragedians Anonymous. Therapist Prospero was played by Dr. Gabriel Rieger, a Shakespeare scholar who currently serves as professor of Medieval and Renaissance literature at Concord University. Tragedians included Lady Anne, played by Karissa Bowden, Romeo, played by Trevor Darago, Juliet, played by Skyler McAllister, and Ophelia, played by Heidi Wiant. Vuranch said that this particular script appealed to her because of the comic approach to Shakespeare. Tra-

Audiences Cruise into Comedy from Home You’re Virtually Driving Me Crazy was directed by Concord University Theatre students, Karissa Bowden, Trevor Darago, Cameron White, and Jimmy Wilburn. The students were enrolled in a class entitled “Fundamentals of Directing” and, as a part of the class, they directed their own performance. Student director Karissa Bowden has enjoyed directing over the virtual platform. “My experience with virtual directing has been amazing. It’s a whole different ballgame, but I find that it is easier to give direction,” she said. Vuranch said she was excited to offer these new opportunities to her theatre students as she shared that not many theatre students have had the opportunity to direct on a virtual platform. You’re Virtually Driving Me Crazy was presented with a generous donation from the family of Alice Todaro and produced in cooperation with Pioneer Drama Service. Concord Brings History to Life on Zoom Concord students had the opportunity to take a class taught by Karen Vuranch titled “Living History Performance”, which is a style of theatre, also known as “Chautauqua-style theatre”, where the actor researches an

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UNIVERSITY NEWS

WWII pilot, Lt. Charles Brown played by Ross Cline

historical individual, and embodies them on stage. Following a monologue, the scholar answers questions from the audience in character. In the final part of the presentation, the scholar breaks character and answers questions that the character could not discuss, such as when they died and what legacy they left. Living history is a unique style of performance that combines storytelling, solid academic research and performance techniques. Vuranch has made a career out of this style of performance for the past 30 years. “Living History works well in a university setting,” she explained. She went on to say that presenting a character in this format presents certain challenges, but that her students successfully completed the research and rehearsals. Vuranch directed the living history performances. The student shows are the result of the class taught by Vuranch. Tales of the Macabre hosted Edgar Allen Poe, played by Zack Brittingham, “Jolly Jane” Toppan, played by Kendra

Trevor Darago portrays Fred Rogers.

Kestner, and Mary Shelley, played by Emily Bailey. American Heroes hosted Fred Rogers, played by Trevor Darago, and Charles Brown, played by Ross Cline. These performances were offered on Nov. 11 as a Veterans Day salute. Known professionally as the beloved TV figure Mr. Rogers, Fred Rogers pioneered educational television for children in his inimitable style of kindness and gentleness. Lt. Brown of Weston, W.Va., had a remarkable experience during WWII in Europe in which an enemy pilot saved his life. As Charles Brown, Ross told this touching story of how peace can be achieved in times of war. The third and final show in the series, Legends of Song, featured Hannah Puckett as Tammy Wynette and Karissa Bowden as Doris Day. For additional information on Concord’s theatre program contact Karen Vuranch at kvuranch@concord.edu or visit https://www.concord.edu/Academics/College-of-Professional-Studies/Mass-Communication.aspx

$2 Million in Funds to Support CU Forward Concord University has received a Title III grant from the United States Department of Education’s Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) designed to help eligible institutes of higher education expand their ability to serve low-income students. The award will bring just over $2 million to the university over the next five years. The grant proposal outlines a project called CU Forward, which is broken into three focus areas: increasing affordable access to general education and market-driven degree programs through online courses, providing student engagement with research/internships that lead to graduation and a career, and developing a robust and transparent office of Institutional Research to share data with students, parents, community, faculty, and staff. A large component of the CU Forward project includes enhancing the university’s IT infrastructure, which will support many things including online dual enrollment and college readiness courses for high school students, as well as additional online courses and degree programs for Concord students. “This grant will allow Concord University to provide transformative teaching and learning opportunities CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

through the modernizing of our technological infrastructure,” says Cayce Will, CU’s Chief Information Officer. Members from Concord’s offices of Student Affairs, Sponsored Programs, Academic Affairs, and Institutional Technology assisted in writing the grant. “A lot of people worked on this grant. It was a huge team effort, and we’re all incredibly excited as this gives Concord further funding to continue to innovate and provide educational opportunities for the students of West Virginia,” stated Dr. Sarah Beasley, Vice President of Student Affairs. CU Forward is designed to improve retention and graduation rates, as well as strengthen enrollment by providing affordable and flexible education to students, coupled with the support necessary for success. “I’m very proud of our team for explaining the needs of this area to the U.S. Department of Education, and I am grateful to Senator ( Joe) Manchin and his staff for funds that are vital to our mission and strategic plan,” says Concord University President Kendra Boggess. “We will operate this grant in a way that will make the community proud of the efforts that have been made.”

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Veteran Melissa Stockwell Shares Journey of Patriotism and Perseverance Virtually Hosting on-campus Veterans Day observances has become tradition for Concord University. The CU community and the general public have gathered in years past to salute and honor the sacrifice of those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Patriotic programs have been presented with veterans among the guest speakers. For 2020 the observance was shifted to a virtual program due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Campus and community teamed up to create a collaborative video of a ceremony that simulated the on-campus live events from previous years. Veterans Advocate George Williams coordinated production of the video. The video launched online at 9 a.m. on Veterans Day, Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020. Instructions about how to view the digital program were shared through social media and other means. The archived program may be viewed by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/ CUveteransassociation/videos/804589080364999/ Melissa Stockwell, World Champion paratriathlete and United States Army veteran, presented the keynote address. Stockwell is an American war hero who has triumphed over personal tragedy to achieve greatness and has dedicated her life to chasing remarkable accomplishments while giving back to others, particularly those who face challenges similar to her own. She shared an amazing personal account of her life, one that is guided by patriotism, determination and perseverance. “I would like to say that I was born a patriot,” Melissa said as she began her heartfelt talk. “A lover of our country from a very early age. And, as I grew up, I realized what wearing the uniform meant. I always wanted to be in the military, to wear that uniform,

Melissa Stockwell.

have that flag patch on my shoulder, and give back to a country that I felt had given me so much.” Melissa graduated from the University of Colorado in 2002 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. In March 2004, she deployed to Baghdad, Iraq where she served with the transportation corps. Just three weeks later, a blast from a roadside bomb struck Melissa’s Humvee causing the loss of her left leg above the knee. She is the first female to ever lose a limb in active

combat. For her service she received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. During her convalescence and recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Melissa said she began to put her injury into perspective. “When I was able to come to at Walter Reed and look around and see my surroundings, I saw other soldiers that were missing so much more than I was, two limbs, three limbs, they had lost their eyesight, they had traumatic brain injuries,” she said. “I looked at

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myself and realized how lucky I was. I’d only lost one leg and it truly put things into perspective.” “I wanted to live my life for those who no longer could, who had given that ultimate sacrifice,” she said. Through physical therapy and recovery, Melissa said that “eventually the days progressed and little successes added up to bigger ones” and she learned to walk with a prosthetic leg. After being medically retired from the Army, Melissa recalls, “I knew I wanted to go on and do something as big as I could with my life.” That’s when she learned about the Paralympics. She started training in swimming – improving her times with dedication and hard work – and in April of 2008, she became the first Iraqi War Veteran to qualify for the Paralympics. She competed in three swimming events in Beijing, China in September 2008, and although she didn’t win a medal, she said she learned lessons along the way. “I think that life is all about lessons, and I learned a pretty great lesson. We all want the medals, you want to be on top, but it’s not always about the medals, it’s about the journey to get there,” she said. “When my teammates nominated me to carry the American flag in the closing ceremonies and represent the entire U.S. delegation, I knew that it was about the journey, it was about overcoming obstacles that come our way. Having the heart to persevere. And, a lot of times, ending up even better on the other side,” she continued. After Beijing, Melissa turned to the sport of Paratriathlon and is now a three-time World Champion. She competed in the 2016 Paralympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “Of any day the race could have taken place, it was Sept. 11 and you can imagine the meaning putting on my USA uniform, knowing that every swim stroke, every bike pedal, every run step were for those who had given the ultimate sacrifice, for those who were no longer with us,” she said. She won the bronze medal, but she said to her it “felt like a personal gold”. Her teammates captured the silver and gold. “It was a USA sweep on Sept. 11 and standing on that podium and seeing not one, not two, but three American flags go up as we heard our national anthem and thinking about how we were showing the world the spirit of America and just how much ability is in a disability…it is truly one of my proudest moments,” Melissa said. “I’ve also realized that we are all capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for and we all have this potential that’s almost hidden in our pocket… how do we find that potential, how do we dig deeper into it and realize the things that we can do?” she asked. “For me, it took losing a leg to realize how much I could do in my life,” she continued. “But for all of you who CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

Melissa Stockwell.

want to skip that traumatic roadside bomb part, well, you start by believing that you can. When you come to something and you think, ‘There’s no way I can do that.’ But instead you say, ‘I can do blank.’ And you fill that blank in with whatever your Paralympics may be and I’m the first to tell you that you can do it.” Melissa was named USAT’s female Paratriathlete of the Year for two consecutive years and was twice nominated for an ESPY award. In 2007, she completed the prosthetic practitioner program at Century College in Minnesota where she learned to fit other amputees with artificial limbs. She is also a level 1 certified triathlon coach and co-founder of the Dare2tri Paratriathlon Club, helping others with disabilities enjoy the sport of triathlon and embrace active living. Today, she is setting her sights on representing Team USA in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. The Veterans Day video program began with PikeView High School JROTC presenting the colors; the ConChords singing the national anthem; and athletic teams and offices from across campus joining in saying the Pledge of Allegiance and offering a special thank you to veterans for their service. Vice President of Advancement Alicia Besenyei issued the welcome and introduced the guest speaker. President Kendra Boggess offered a word of thanks on behalf of the University to all veterans and to the Concord faculty, staff and students who have or are serving in the military. Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Daniel Fitzpatrick lead a moment of silence, reflection and prayer at the conclusion of the ceremony.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Criminology Students Connect with Career Opportunities and Information Whether by Zoom or in person, criminology students have connected this semester with professionals in the field who have provided insights into different career paths and real world practices. Criminology Instructor Lori Pace has coordinated with various entities in the community to introduce students studying within CU’s Sociology degree with Criminology emphasis to the professional options awaiting them upon graduation.

Beth Bailey with Community Connections provides Narcan training on Zoom.

Virtual Trainings Keep Students Engaged Ms. Pace has been offering Zoom content to students during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide connections and trainings virtually. “It is important to provide substitute offerings to keep the students engaged. Maybe we can’t tour the jail or prison this semester, and some of our students have chosen to be online only during the pandemic, but faculty are working hard to provide engaging, innovative, enriching opportunities for our students,” Ms. Pace says. On Sept. 23, Beth Bailey, Project Director for the Rural Health Opioid Program with Community Connections serving Mercer, McDowell, and Wyoming counties, provided 15 students with a Narcan training on Zoom. After attending the training, the students could pick up Narcan kits from the CU Health Clinic provided free from the state of West Virginia. Ms. Pace also posted interviews with guest speakers Amy Berry-Richmond, Senior U.S. Probation Officer, and Richard Ward, WV DRS Program Specialist in Corrections, for the Crime & Justice Systems class. Each speaker shared the nature of their work, their academic background, and increased awareness of the multi-disciplinary nature those in criminal justice

professions will encounter. For the Survey of Serial Killer class, Regina Desmond, Senior Advocate for Disability Rights WV, provided a presentation on Protection and Advocacy Programs for People with Disabilities that included the history of mental health and mental institutions in West Virginia, and why stigma around mental illness influences our perception of crime. Mobile Crime Scene Unit Visits Campus for Student Tours Students in Ms. Pace’s Crime Scenes class recently took a firsthand look at how one area law enforcement agency is working to solve crimes. Corporal Steven Hudnall with the Greenbrier County Sheriff ’s Department visited campus on Oct. 20 with the department’s new Mobile Crime Scene Unit. He offered tours of the unit and talked with students about how it is used by the department to investigate crimes. The students had an opportunity to ask Corporal Hudnall questions during the visit. The vehicle was parked in front of the Student Center for several hours the afternoon of Oct. 20 for Ms. Pace’s students and other interested CU students to take a look inside and speak with the corporal. For additional information on the CU’s Sociology degree with Criminology emphasis email lpace@concord.edu or visit https://www.concord.edu/Academics/ Academic-Colleges/College-of-Professional-Studies/ Department-of-Social-Work.aspx

Corporal Steven Hudnall speaks with students.

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SEPTEMBER 2020

Alumni All Concord Alumni Working in Education We know the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on everyone and has created a lot of uncertainty for many of us. One profession we know that has been through a lot of ups and downs this year is all the teachers out there. The month of September means back to school for most students so this month we wanted to spotlight all our alumni teachers. Whether you are teaching in-person, online, at home or virtually we commend you for what you are doing to continue to educate our students under these unusual circumstances. We wish you and all your students a great year and thank you for being the ultimate example of what a Concord-trained teacher is!

OCTOBER 2020

Robert “Ben” Crawford ‘58 Congratulations to Concord alum and longtime member of the CU Alumni Association Alumni Council Ben Crawford ’58 for recently publishing a book about leadership and volunteerism. “Volunteer Development and Leadership: The Fun, Joy and How of Volunteering” is an instructive and entertaining book of value for anyone interested in improving their leadership and organization effectiveness. Ben spent much of his career in volunteer service and leadership with the Boy Scouts, Ruritan and AARP, among others. To order a copy of the book you can contact Ben at ben.crawford@vt.edu

NOVEMBER 2020

Allen Smith ‘05 Congratulations to Concord alum and employee Allen Smith on recently being named the 2020-2021 President-Elect of the West Virginia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (WVACRAO)! Allen currently serves as an Associate Director of Admissions at Concord and has worked in the Concord Admissions office for the past 14 years. The mission of WVACRAO is to serve and advance higher education by providing leadership in academic and enrollment services. We wish Allen the best of luck in this professional leadership role!

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Lisa Blankenship Memorial Scholarship to Assist Concord University Cheerleaders A new scholarship for Concord University students honors the memory of a beloved Mountain Lion coach. The Lisa Blankenship Memorial Scholarship is being established as a way to remember the late Lisa Blankenship for her boundless commitment to the CU cheerleading team as head coach and to support the program that she helped build. This will be the first endowed scholarship at Concord that assists cheerleaders in pursuing their education and academic goals. “Brave, loyal, and dedicated are all words I use to describe my mom; she truly had the heart of a Mountain Lion,” Lisa’s daughter, Sara Blankenship says. “By creating this scholarship, we will be able to give a cheerleader the opportunity to pursue their dreams. “The memory and legacy of my mom will always be remembered through this scholarship. My family and I are extremely grateful to Coach Lilly (Doty) and the Advancement team in their efforts to make the Lisa Blankenship Memorial Scholarship a reality,” Sara, a former CU head cheerleading coach herself, said. Jessica Doty, Concord’s current head cheerleading coach, explains what the scholarship means to the program and to her personally. “This scholarship will help Concord Cheer to fulfill two very important priorities to me; honoring previous program leadership and investing in a cheerleader’s future,” she says. “I had the privilege of cheering for Concord under the late Lisa Blankenship’s leadership twenty years ago,” Jessica continues. “As the new head coach, I am thankful for the work both Lisa and her daughter Sara put into this program and feel it’s my duty to honor this legacy. I am excited to help establish the first endowed scholarship for the Concord Cheerleading pro-

Lisa Blankenship

gram. It seems fitting to honor Lisa’s memory in this way.” Lisa Blankenship touched the lives of countless students as a coach, educator and sorority advisor. She was a respected and admired member of the Athens and Concord communities and a friend to many. Lisa passed away unexpectedly in February 2012. A native of Quantico, Va., she graduated from Garfield High School in Woodbridge, Va. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Concord in 1977 and a master’s degree in library science from East Tennessee State University. She was a resident of Athens. Lisa started working at Concord in 1977 as an assistant cheerleading coach and later became the head coach, a position she held at the time of her death. She guided the cheerleading squad for 20 years, building it into an award winning, nationally recognized program. CU made 16 consecutive appearances at the National Collegiate Cheerleading Championships under her leadership. For her contributions, she was posthumously inducted into the 2013 Concord University Athletic Department Hall of Fame Class. Lisa was also employed by Mercer

County Schools as a media specialist at PikeView High School. In April 2012, the media center at PikeView was dedicated to her memory and named The Lisa Blankenship Memorial Library. Lisa was devoted to her family, the many cheerleaders that she coached and the students that she shared her life with during their education. She was a member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Princeton and Chapter Director for Delta Zeta Sorority at Concord. She enjoyed photography, traveling, crafts, reading and doing needlepoint. The Lisa Blankenship Memorial Scholarship is being established through the Concord University Foundation, Inc. In order to qualify for the scholarship, recipients must have fully completed two seasons on the Concord University Cheerleading team and be going into their junior or third year at Concord. Additionally, recipients must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 and meet additional criteria. The CU Cheerleading team has been raising money to establish this scholarship, and is now calling on the Concord community to join in efforts to fully endow The Lisa Blankenship Memorial Scholarship. Through community fundraisers, the cheerleading program has already reached the halfway point in the goal of raising the $10,000 needed for the endowment. To make donations to the scholarship fund online, please go to the following: www.concord.edu/cheerleading Contributions may also be made by mail to Concord University Foundation, PO Box 1405, Athens, WV 24712. Please make checks payable to the Concord University Foundation and designate for The Lisa Blankenship Memorial Scholarship. For additional information about contributing to the scholarship, please email advancement@concord.edu or call 304-384-5119.

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ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

Beckley-Raleigh County Dinner Postponed The Concord University Foundation postponed the 2020 Beckley-Raleigh County Foundation Dinner due to increases in COVID-19 cases in the surrounding area. The dinner, originally planned for Nov. 5, 2020, has been rescheduled for April 22, 2021. Guests will still have the opportunity to hear motivational speaker J.R. Martinez. A burn survivor, Army veteran, actor, New York Times best-selling author, and winner of Dancing with the Stars, Martinez will join guests live via Zoom that evening to share his journey through his inspirational presentation “Facing Adversity with Optimism and Resilience”. The dinner will take place in the Bright Ballroom at The Resort at Glade Springs. The reception will begin at 5 p.m., the meal will be served at 7 p.m. and Martinez will virtually join guests live at 8 p.m. Proceeds from the Beckley Dinner contribute to the Foundation’s annual fund, which supports student scholarships and campus improvement projects. For additional information, to purchase a ticket or to become a sponsor, visit www.concord.edu/beckleydinner

Day of Giving Exceeds $50k Goal Over 24 Hours With the generous support of donors, the 2020 Concord University Day of Giving not only met, but exceeded its goal. The campaign, earmarked for the Concord University Foundation’s Annual Fund, focused on raising $50,000 in 24 hours, and ran from 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24 to 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 25. This year’s event kept pace with the 2019 Day of Giving in surpassing the goal set by organizers. Last year, CU alumni and friends were called upon to raise $24,000 in 24 hours. For 2020, the bar was raised to the $50,000 mark. The CU Annual Fund supports scholarships, campus improvements and other University related projects. “We’re incredibly grateful for the support shown by the Mountain Lion community for Day of Giving,” stated Blake Farmer, Manager

of University Advancement. “This philanthropic effort symbolizes a movement of unity and support for the university, a vision that will continue to impact generations of students to come.” In a time when funding has been reduced due to state budget cuts, fundraising is more important than ever for schools like Concord University. Farmer spearheaded Day of Giving and enlisted students to assist in contacting donors. The university wanted an event that

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anyone could participate in and that allowed the entire Mountain Lion community to come together in an atmosphere of “paying it back” to the university that provided so many of its donors with the foundation for becoming successful alumni. To learn more about contributing to the CU Annual Fund and other ways to support the mission of Concord University, please visit www.concord.edu, call 304-3846067 or email foundation@concord. edu

ALUMNI HAPPENINGS

SOPHISTICATED HOUND • PRINCETON, WV

Alumni and friends of Concord in the Princeton area Alumni attending included (L to R) Robbie Dumapit, gathered at Sophisticated Hound Brewing Company on LydiaBeth Comer, Madison Comer, Megan Frey and September 17 for a socially distanced evening of catching up. Teresa Frey '98.

PRESIDENT'S HOUSE • ATHENS, WV

Sarah Lively Turner '98 stands alongside as Robert Tuckwiller ‘76, Amy Greer-Knowles ’85, and Steven Knowles ‘85 receive their CUAA Lifetime Member pins during the CU After Hours held at the President’s House as part of the 2020 Homecoming from Home activities.

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On Friday, October 2 the CU Advancement Office hosted their October CU After Hours at the President's House in Athens as part of the 2020 Homecoming from Home schedule of events. Attendees included Concord alumni, staff and administration and the evening featured live music by local musician Grace Campbell and food provided by Aramark. Attendees pictured above include Marcus Murrell '17, Allen Smith '05, Catherine Elick, Dr. Ed Huffstetler, Dr. Lisa Darlington '98, Teresa Frey '98, Megan Frey '15, Chelsea Goins '19, Blake Farmer '17, Sarah Turner '98, Dr. Chuck Becker, Alicia Besenyei, Dr. Kendra Boggess, Amy Pitzer and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Tuckwiller '76.

FOOTHILLS BREWING • WINSTON-SALEM, NC

On Thursday, November 12 Vice President for Advancement Alicia Besenyei and Director of Alumni & Donor Relations Sarah Turner '98 enjoyed an evening with alumni from the Winston-Salem area at Foothills Brewing. Joining them at the event were Al Guenthner '66, Kevin '89 and Rhonda Powell '82, Dave '74 and Susie Wilcox '83 and Amanda Revels '04. CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

HOMECOMING FROM HOME

Homecoming from Home Offers Unique and Memorable Celebration

hile Concord didn’t celebrate Homecoming in the traditional way for 2020, students, alumni and friends of the University still enjoyed a variety of fun ways to connect and get reacquainted during the week-long “Homecoming from Home” celebration Sept. 28 - Oct. 3. When the Mountain East Conference announced postponement of all fall sports until the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CU’s Homecoming football game was put on hold as well. Without the game to anchor Homecoming festivities, organizers made the decision to move CU’s 2020 Homecoming to a primarily virtual format with a few select, socially-distanced in-person events rounding out the week’s schedule.

A full slate of events led up to the big day – Saturday, Oct. 3 – with special activities offered each day of Homecoming week. The schedule offered Concordians a variety of in-person, virtual and interactive opportunities to enjoy this special time in the life of the University. “Even though we could not hold a traditional Homecoming celebration in person, we felt it was important to make sure Homecoming 2020 still happened, even if it was in a primarily virtual format,” stated Sarah Turner, Director of Alumni and Donor Relations. In pre-event publicity for “Homecoming from Home”, Sarah said the schedule featured “some unique and memorable ways” for Concordians to WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

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connect. From virtual class reunions and tailgates to a CU After Hours at the President’s House, Mountain Lions found a special way to celebrate this year. Sarah expressed that she was pleased with participation in both online and in-person activities. “Participation was actually pretty good overall!” she said. “We had a number of alums participate in activities throughout the week and attendees seemed CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

to enjoy all the different events.” “While we know there’s nothing like being back on ‘The Campus Beautiful’ on Homecoming Saturday, we are pleased with how ‘Homecoming from Home’ turned out and are glad that we were able to continue the Homecoming tradition at Concord in the midst of this crazy year that has been 2020!” Sarah said.

HOMECOMING FROM HOME

Day

Giving

ven wine tastings have gone virtual during the pandemic. Such was the case when the agenda for Homecoming was being planned this year. Organizers wanted to offer a tasting in the week’s lineup, but in a safe, socially-distanced way. The answer? Have an on-campus, in-person event with limited participants and invite others to join the activity online. “WINE 101: Sip With CU” kicked off Homecoming week activities the evening of Monday, Sept. 28. The free wine tasting originated from University Point on the Athens campus with a small group of participants while other guests joined the gathering remotely. Connoisseurs learned about various wines as they enjoyed the company of fellow Concordians, in-person or live via Zoom.

s a prelude to Homecoming activities, Concord’s 2020 Day of Giving offered alumni and friends the opportunity to support CU’s Annual Fund. This special time of giving took place from 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24 to 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 25. Event organizers issued the challenge for CU supporters to help raise $50,000 during that 24-hour period. CU students assisted in the effort by phoning alumni asking for pledges in the days leading up to Day of Giving. Blake Farmer, Manager of University Advancement, spearheaded the campaign. While the goal for 2020 more than doubled the previous year’s goal of $24,000, Concordians rose to the challenge again this year by not only reaching their benchmark, but exceeding this amount with their giving. Thanks to the generosity of the many who contributed, the Annual Fund’s mission of supporting student scholarships, campus improvement projects, and additional needs on campus can be further advanced.

Wine 101: Sip

with cu

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CU @ Home

series

s a special highlight of the week’s activities, the “CU @ Home” series allowed various members of the Concord community to share their memories of CU and tell what they believe makes this school unique. Coordinated by the Office of Advancement, these “Reminiscing about Homecomings Past” video interviews were posted online throughout the week. For those who missed these interesting accounts, they can still be seen on Concord’s Facebook page. Sharing their own personal Mountain Lion stories are: Emily Myers Duke ’02 and Dr. Scott Inghram ’03, memories from their time running together for Homecoming in 2001. Dr. Susan Williams ’91, Professor of Marketing, what makes Homecoming so special at “The Campus Beautiful”. Selina Cahill ’89, 1987 Homecoming Queen, memories from week-long activities and her crowning moment. Dr. Jerry Beasley, President Emeritus, some of his most memorable Homecoming memories. Alexandria Mizia, sophomore biology major, how her organization is adapting to the semester and Homecoming. Susan Tuck ’87, Immediate Past President of CUAA, memories of Homecoming during her role as Alumni Director. Dr. Kendra Boggess, CU President, why Homecoming is so special. As another way to share moments and memories from previous Homecomings, alums posted throwback photos on social media.

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HOMECOMING FROM HOME

Commemorative T-Shirts

pecial limited edition commemorative T-shirts added to the Homecoming fun. These great looking shirts featured the 2020 “Homecoming from Home” graphic. The Office of Advancement sold the shirts with proceeds benefiting the CU Annual Fund.

Alumni Speaker Series

he Alumni Speaker Series continued its monthly installments with a presentation during Homecoming week. The noontime Zoom meeting took place on Tuesday, Sept. 29 and featured 2006 Concord graduate, Megan Parker. Megan’s topic was “Engaging in a Virtual Environment”. Drawing on her industry and higher education background in career and professional development, Megan discussed how to navigate “this COVID world” as it relates to advancing one’s career. “I’m hoping that the information that I have today can be relevant not only for undergraduate students when they are thinking about how to engage in a virtual environment but also to any industry professionals that are out there that are in their career and really trying to figure out how do we navigate the space that we’re in now when we’re all living virtually in these little boxes and talking to each other through Zoom,” she said. Megan discussed topics such as how to create an effective virtual network by utilizing LinkedIn and establishing a positive professional online presence. To watch Megan’s presentation on YouTube go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lSEC4aAHrU The Alumni Speaker Series launched in August as a way for alums to share their career experiences and successes with current CU students and is a joint effort of CU’s Alumni and Career Services offices. WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

HOMECOMING FROM HOME

Virtual Happy Hour

lums who graduated in 1970 or 1995 were invited to celebrate with their classes during the Virtual Happy Hour on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Members of the 25th and 50th reunion classes were in the spotlight that evening. Barbara Stepp ’70 “attended” her class reunion and enjoyed several other activities during Homecoming week. “I enjoyed the book group time of sharing and the virtual Saturday event,” she said. “The Wednesday Happy Hour was fun, too.” She said that although most events were held

special Homecoming edition of the Concord U Virtual Trivia Night pitted eager contestants against one another on Thursday, Oct. 1. In honor of Homecoming, some of the questions tested the participants’ knowledge of Concord trivia. “We did have a category of CU themed questions which included questions related to Concord’s founding date, founding families and the reality TV star who was a speaker at a CU Foundation dinner, among others,” Sarah Turner explained. At the end of the competition, Nancy Ellison, CU’s Director of Multicultural Affairs, claimed the title of overall trivia contest winner. Nancy received an Amazon gift card for her championship efforts. Winners in each category were also honored. They each won a Homecoming T-shirt. The Office of Advancement began hosting this monthly virtual competition in May through the CU Facebook page. Participants post their answers to a variety of questions and the individual with the most correct answers wins a gift card.

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virtually, she thought that this year’s Homecoming celebration was still a fun way for alumni to reconnect. This special week also gave her an opportunity to reminisce about her days as a Concord student and as an alum attending Homecoming in previous years. She especially recalled “the parades we had and all of the fun times at the ballgames.” “My husband and I have attended and enjoyed several of the Homecoming dinners and hearing guest speakers since I graduated,” she said.

Virtual Trivia Night

Student Activities

n addition to offering a variety of events for alumni and friends, the 2020 “Homecoming from Home” celebration also included ways for CU students to join in the festivities. The Concord University Student Government Association (SGA) provided a week’s worth of Homecoming activities for students.

HOMECOMING FROM HOME

CU After Hours

he lawn of the President’s House provided the outdoor setting for CU After Hours on Friday, Oct. 2. Alums and friends gathered for the in-person event which featured an evening of food, drinks, live entertainment and more fun in a socially-distanced way. Lifetime Members of the Concord University Alumni Association (CUAA) were honored at the event. Among the latest alumni to join this distinguished group are husband and wife, Steven and Amy Knowles. These 1985 graduates discuss here why they think it’s important to support the CUAA and its work by being Lifetime Members. “For me, it’s important that I feel as though I am carrying on a Concord legacy and can help other families do the same,” Amy explains. “I want to do what I can to help ensure Concord will be around for other students to experience living on campus and making college memories that will last a lifetime,” she said. “I am supporting the Alumni Association because of my good memories of Concord,” Steven said. “I want to see future students have this same opportunity.” Steven and Amy go on to comment on the CU After Hours at the President’s House and what it meant to be back on campus that evening. “We both thoroughly enjoyed the fellowship and visiting with fellow alumni – new and older! It is so heartwarming to share a memory only to hear a younger or older alum share about a similar experience. Who can forget the Sig Tau bonfires at Homecoming, Doc Covey’s weed soup, and a Tri Sigma being crowned queen at halftime?” they said. “The laughter that resonated throughout the tent just took us back to those fond days! And it’s fun to share our ‘how we met’ story and hear so many others! Dr. Meredith Freeman was right when he said in his opening welcome speech to the freshmen, ‘You will meet your spouse at Concord College.’ Indeed, we did!”

Book Club

n the evening of Sept. 29, the Online Book Club gathered virtually to discuss its fall selection, “The Giver of Stars” by Jojo Moyes. This popular alumni club held its first discussion during the summer with plans to read and discuss a book each quarter.

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HOMECOMING FROM HOME

ailgates have become a big part of Homecoming festivities at CU and organizers wanted to continue the tradition for 2020. The Office of Advancement and Mountain Lion Athletics teamed up to host Virtual Tailgates on Homecoming Day, Saturday, Oct. 3. Originating from University Point at 10 a.m., the tailgating event linked alumni and friends who were tailgating from home via Zoom with socially-distanced activities taking place on campus. A free CU tailgate kit was mailed to all who pre-registered by a certain date. “The Virtual Tailgate went really well on Saturday,” Sarah Turner said. “We had the largest number of participants for the week at this event and everyone seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves. They were wearing their Concord gear, had their tailgate materials we sent them on display and some participants even had a friend or two joining them at their house for the fun.” Festivities kicked off that day with the championship ring presentations for men’s golf and women’s soccer. Interviews with Mountain Lion coaches and routines by the CU cheerleaders kept the action going with Roar joining in the fun as well. Several alums who joined the celebration online spoke with the tailgate hosts. The Advancement Office and Concord’s Sports Information Department offered an alternative to a live game by rebroadcasting the 2014 Super Region One Championship Game virtually on Zoom. As the virtual tailgates were concluding, tailgaters were encouraged to go to the CU website where they could access a recording of the game. In this regional championship game against Bloomsburg, CU prevailed, 32-26, for its first regional title in program history. The Mountain Lions also made the NCAA Division II Semifinals as a result of the victory. During this now legendary matchup, All-American running back Calvinaugh Jones rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns. Jermeil Douse also returned a punt for a touchdown in the win. Derrick Johnson paced the defense with eight tackles, and added a game-sealing interception with less than 1:30 to go in the game. GO LIONS!!

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Virtual Tailgate

AWARD-WINNING WILDLIFE ARTIST CARLI RATLIFF ’10 SHINES IN WV COMPETITIONS

eing included in the West Virginia Wildlife Calendar is an honor for any artist, but for Oak Hill resident Carli Ratliff, it’s an accomplishment that is well documented on her resume. Carli’s appearance in the 2021 calendar marks the eighth time her work has been featured in the popular publication. Her delightful painting “Luna Flyers” graces the month of August. The thoughtfully crafted piece offers an accurate depiction of a moonlit night during late summer. Carli says the painting features “flying squirrels, a Luna moth, a cicada shell, and Virginia creeper vine on a hickory tree lit by a full harvest moon”. This latest in a string of calendar appearances for Carli is a fine example of how she brings her knowledge and heartfelt appreciation for her native state’s flora and fauna into the creative process. She not only deeply admires the beauty around her, she portrays her subjects authentically in their habitats. Paintings that appear in the calendar are selected through an annual contest conducted by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WV DNR) Wildlife Resources Section that carries with it a cash prize for the artists whose works are chosen. The contest rules state that “paintings are chosen based on overall composition and quality, along with anatomical and contextual accuracy.” Winning entries must include West Virginia wildlife. Billed as a calendar for “outdoor »

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CARLI RATLIFF

“Luna Flyers” appears in the 2021 WV Wildlife Calender for August.

enthusiasts”, the publication, along with featuring paintings of wildlife native to the state, includes informative articles and other details about natural resources. “I am so honored to have my paintings represented in such a national award-winning calendar. It is a wonderful opportunity for artists like myself to generate interest in their work. I also feel good about the fact that proceeds from calendar sales fund programs for the WV DNR Wildlife Resources Section,” she said. The Wildlife Diversity Program, an undertaking that works to protect threatened and endangered species and their habitats, benefits from the yearly calendar sales. Carli’s work first appeared in the West Virginia Wildlife Calendar in 2013. Her painting “Bunny Love” was selected for the month of June. The cheery piece features two cottontail rabbits and a swallowtail butterfly in a field of wild flowers including clovers, daisies, periwinkles, dandelions and Queen Anne’s lace. In 2014 her colored pencil rendering of a grey squirrel with a corncob entitled “Snatcher” was featured for September. “Clover for Lunch”, a painting of a groundhog grazing in a field of clover with Queen

Anne’s lace, and sweet peas, represents August of 2015. Two of her entries in the contest made the calendar in 2017. “Clover Cornucopia” featuring two cottontail rabbits, a swallowtail and a monarch butterfly in a field of clover and daisies portray July. A Gray Squirrel in late autumn entitled “Acrobat” is featured for December. The 2019 calendar is also graced by two of Carli’s creations. “Icy Stare”, a barred owl on a blustery winter cliff, represents January. July is portrayed by “Berry Sweet” featuring an eastern cottontail rabbit sharing a blackberry patch with a black swallowtail butterfly, black-eyed Susans, sweet peas, Queen Anne’s lace and periwinkles. To learn more visit http://www.wvdnr.gov/wildlife/ wildlifecalendar.shtm Carli’s work has also been spotlighted in another of the state’s competitions. In 2016 she was named “Grand Exhibitor” during the West Virginia Diversifying Perspectives Art Contest and Exhibition for her submission “Climbing to the Top.” The mixed media painting, which measures 24 inches by 30 inches, features a raccoon climbing a tree surrounded by colorful fall foliage. A collaboration between the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, the annual competition WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

CARLI RATLIFF

A majestic cat is the subject of “Royal Sunbathing”. “The Sunny Side” features cheery sunflowers.

promotes National Disability Employment Awareness Month each October and includes the work of West Virginians with disabilities. Because Carli has epilepsy, this honor holds special significance to her personally. She says winning the competition is especially meaningful to her because of its mission. Theme for the national campaign was #InclusionWorks. Along with earning the prestigious “Grand Exhibitor” title, Carli received several other perks that year through the competition. “Climbing to the Top” was featured on a poster for National Disability Employment Awareness Month that also included Carli’s photograph and biographical sketch. The poster was displayed in businesses and employment offices across the state during October. To celebrate her achievement and share the news with her alma mater, Carli visited the Office of Disability Services at Concord to hand-deliver one of her posters to Disability Services Coordinator Nancy Ellison. Nancy proudly hung the poster in her office located in the Student Center. The original of “Climbing to the Top”, along with other submissions in the contest, was exhibited at the Culture Center in Charleston, W.Va., during fall of 2016. The painting and information on Carli was featured in the exhibition program as a full page. Another full page was dedicated to Carli’s poster. Carli had two other entries in the contest and exhibition: “Chipmunks Rocks” and “The Sunny Side” featuring goldfinches and sunflowers. Her successes with “Climbing to the Top” continued CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

when the painting was purchased by the West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services to be displayed in the Charleston office. A repeat winner in the Diversifying Perspectives Art Contest, Carli won an Award of Excellence in 2015 for “Moonlight Stalker,” a painting of a screech owl. Her other artistic accolades include receiving the Best of Show award in 2011 in the West Virginia Division of Culture and History Museum’s West Virginia Wildlife Exhibit for her painting “Squirrel in a Paulownia Tree.” Groundhogs, chipmunks, cottontails and other members of the state’s wildlife aren’t the only animals appearing in Carli’s portfolio. She is also a talented pet portraiture artist and is affiliated with Wild Wonderful Appalachian Portrait Painters (WWAPP), a West Virginia based portrait agency that promotes her skills. “I continue to do pet portraits by commission and occasionally as gifts for family members,” she says. Discussing her medium of choice, Carli says, “I prefer a mixture of gouache, acrylic and sometimes Prismacolor pencil in addition.” Today, while her artistic leanings are toward using these, she has also brought yarn and thread into the mix. “When I was younger, I dabbled in macramé jewelry, weaving, and cross stitch,” she explains. Before making her mark as an award-winning painter, Carli was already setting herself apart as an artist. As a child, the inside blank covers of her coloring books offered a space for her own designs and drawings to flourish. Her kindergarten teacher witnessed Carli’s advanced »

CARLI RATLIFF

Carli’s beautiful work ranges from feathered friends to treasured pets.

skills when the detailed work she produced was levels beyond the stick figure creations of her classmates. A family business would help channel her artistic talents into creating artwork featuring wildlife. Catalogues from her grandfather’s wildlife art gallery in Michigan provided hours of inspiration as Carli studied the furry and feathered faces found within their pages. Along with developing her skills and interests as a painter, Carli was also dedicated to cultivating her talents as a pianist and vocalist. “I took 10 years of piano lessons and five years of voice lessons with former grade school music teacher Barbara Baker,” she says. Carli’s abilities put her on the stage and before audiences on many occasions during her middle and high school years. “In middle school I performed in the community theater in a production titled, ‘A Little Princess’,” she says. “I was active in the high school choir and was the accompanist my senior year. I performed in two high school musicals and sang the National Anthem at basketball games as a trio.” Carli also continued to excel as an artist. “I painted a mural in the language/social studies hall that remained for several years,” she says. After graduating from Oak Hill High School in

2004, Carli set her sights on college. With her talents in fine and performing arts, Carli received scholarship offers from several schools, but decided on Concord after meeting a member of the art faculty. “I was offered Music/Art scholarships at two other colleges, but meeting Fernando Porras sealed the deal at Concord,” she says. “It was an honor having instructors like Fernando Porras who not only taught art but is a fine artist himself.” Carli acknowledges other professors who helped to make her educational journey at Concord successful and rewarding. “Dr. Matchen who taught geology was always understanding and accommodating about difficulties I had due to issues caused by epilepsy. Kelly Hudson made choir enjoyable,” she says. A retired professor would also make an especially memorable contribution to Carli’s time on “The Campus Beautiful”. The kindhearted educator and the young wildlife painter bonded over a shared love of “critters”. “I have fond memories of the beautiful campus that was frequented by deer,” Carli recalls. “I befriended a retired teacher, Mary Edna, who has since passed away. She lived behind the football field where dozens of deer and raccoons came out every evening for her treats. I spent many evenings with her capturing candid shots of all her critter friends.” WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

CARLI RATLIFF

(Above) Carli and fellow wildlife artist Barbara Meadows-May. (Top) Autographing her poster during a visit to Concord. (Left) Grand Exhibitor Carli Ratliff with winning entry “Climbing to the Top.”

As Carli gathers inspiration for her artwork from her own photographs of wildlife, foliage and natural settings, witnessing the nightly parade offered her a wonderful opportunity to observe and photograph potential subjects for her paintings. Her hostess for the photo shoots was Mary Edna Beckett, Professor of Mathematics, Emerita. Carli says that the time she spent with Miss Beckett holds a special place in her Concord memories. She also counts “meeting friends from many different walks of life, working in the art department as a teacher’s aide and singing with the ConChords” among her fond memories. “I was a member of the choir every year I attended Concord,” Carli says. “I was also a member of the ConChords for most of my time at Concord.” One singing engagement with the ConChords stands out in her memory. “I remember one of the members got married and the entire group performed at her wedding,” she says. When thinking about her favorite classes, Carli explains, “Of course I enjoyed drawing, painting, piano and vocals among the classes I took at Concord.” She says that her art classes included Drawing I & II, Oil Painting, Watercolor, Acrylic Painting, Illustration, Life Drawing and Art History. Among her music classes were Piano, Vocal, Choir, ConChords and Music History. With this focus on art and music, Carli CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

graduated from Concord in 2010. As a recipient of the Gleason Scholarship for music students, Carli says she enjoyed attending the annual Donor Appreciation Dinner for scholarship recipients and contributors to the various funds. “I thought the dinner was a very nice event,” she recalls. Carli currently shares her musical talents as a piano instructor. She admits that navigating the COVID-19 pandemic while still offering her classes is challenging. “I am currently teaching piano lessons though 2020 has been difficult,” she explains. “We are sanitizing and masking up.” As she teaches the techniques of playing the piano, Carli also wants her students to realize the value of taking lessons. “I try to instill in my students the importance of piano lessons and how much piano and vocal lessons benefitted me,” she says. Along with pursuing all of her artistic and musical endeavors, Carli also finds time to run, garden, and preserve the fruits of her labor. “I enjoy running five miles a day with my service dog, a black German Shepherd. She is my shadow,” Carli says describing her canine companion. “I also plant a large garden every year and can fresh salsa, pasta sauce, pickles, and corn,” she adds. For the 2020 season, one crop was especially abundant. “This year I have a stockpile of sweet potatoes,” she happily reports.

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ALVIN PHILLIPS ’78 PUTS ‘HEART FOR HELPING’ TO WORK WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

lvin Phillips says that being involved in Gamma Beta Phi at Concord cultivated his passion for helping others, a characteristic that is at the foundation of his work with Habitat for Humanity. Mr. Phillips is currently Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Ohio Valley. This affiliate of the non-profit organization serves Wood County, West Virginia and Washington County, Ohio. “I was very active in Gamma Beta Phi – actually went to several out-of-town conferences with them,” Alvin said about his membership in the service based honor society at Concord. “We travelled to Knoxville, Atlanta, Nashville.” “I’ve always had a heart for helping people and being in relationship with them. My work with Gamma Beta Phi helped develop that caring heart,” he says. Today, he finds it rewarding to be able to help

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others through Habitat for Humanity. “Habitat is an excellent example of helping people,” Alvin explains. “We help them provide a decent home for their family; they wake up in a safe, affordable home 365 days each year.” “Home is one of the most basic of our needs – a place to live. It’s tremendously challenging when people struggle with finding a decent place to live. And, then seeing volunteers come together to accomplish the construction of a home – and at the same time, bonding with each other and the homebuyers who are working right beside them – how blessed we are to help bring all those people together,” he says. A Monroe County, West Virginia native, Alvin is originally from the town of Union. He currently lives in Parkersburg, W.Va., having moved to the Wood County city after graduating from Concord in 1978. »

ALVIN PHILLIPS

Alvin and his wife, Jeanie, with Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity, in the early 2000s.

Alvin focused his studies on mathematics at Concord, earning a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and another in Education with a Math specialization for grades 7-12. He minored in Computer Science and Statistics. “We had such great camaraderie in the math department,” Alvin recalls, looking back fondly on his days as a math major on “The Campus Beautiful”. This special bond extended beyond the classroom to extracurricular activities and even included a little friendly athletic competition. “Dr. Krider and I often played racquetball!” Alvin explains. “Among my favorite memories are the math department picnics that we had at Dr. Hoff ’s house in Princeton!” he adds. Along with Dr. Krider and Dr. Hoff, Alvin says that Miss Beckett and Mr. Johnson are on his list of favorite professors. When recalling favorite staff members, Alvin replies, “Oh, so many! Jean Mann, Lynnis Hill, Bobbie Klingensmith, Nancy Meade, Pat Knowles, Mary Rader, Nelrose Price, Ellen Pennington, Norma Pennington, Tina Pennington – and that’s just to name a few!” Continuing to reminisce about his Concord days, Alvin considers “learning how to bowl during my first semester, making lifelong friendships, tutoring in the math department, doing service projects with Gamma Beta Phi” among the highlights. Along with being a member of Gamma Beta Phi, Alvin also belonged to Alpha Chi, Blue Key and the square dance club. “One of the fun groups I belonged to as a freshman was the Square Dance Club. There were 15-20 of

us who met for a couple of hours weekly. The guy who took leadership was Doug Wells, who had a lot of experience with square dancing, particularly with 4-H. The music was on vinyl records, if I remember correctly...I think that we occasionally attended local square dance functions. I’m not sure it lasted more than one or two semesters,” he says. Alvin continued his education by earning a master’s degree from another “Athens” based school. This time his studies took him to Athens, Ohio, where he earned a Masters in Education, Secondary Math Education from Ohio University. “I’ve often said that my next degree should come from Athens, Greece or maybe Athens, Ga.!” he remarked. Alvin’s career path has taken him into the classroom, to a healthcare setting, and into the lives of people experiencing the joy of home ownership. “My first job after college was teaching math at Jackson Junior High School in Vienna. I taught there for four years, 1978-1982,” he said. “I kept my West Virginia teacher’s certificate current and then taught at Federal Hocking High School in Athens County, Ohio from 1995-1997.” Alvin has also taught on the college level. “I also served as an adjunct faculty at West Virginia University-Parkersburg for about 15 semesters from the early ’90s through 2006,” he explains. Additionally, he worked as a computer analyst at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Parkersburg for several years. Now, Alvin is working at what he considers as his “dream job”. “Since I became involved with Habitat as a volunteer in early 1990, right as our affiliate was getting WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

ALVIN PHILLIPS

Alvin Phillips speaks during a Habitat for Humanity house dedication in mid-September, 2020.

started, I wondered if there would ever be a way to have a career with them. I enjoyed my earlier jobs – teaching and working as a computer analyst at a hospital – but neither of those positions were the exact right fit for me,” he explains. “I was the executive director here from 1995 until 1999, when I left for a job with Habitat for Humanity International,” he continues. “While I also loved that position, I wanted to be back in the saddle helping folks buy their home. Fortunately, in 2006, the position opened and the board of directors took me back!” In his role as executive director, Alvin has a wide variety of responsibilities and duties. “Being the executive director, all operational activities are my responsibility,” he explains. “We have a terrific staff that does an amazing job.” “Habitat is a much more complex organization than appears from the outside. We’re a construction company, retail operation (ReStore), social work agency, mortgage lender – I’m a licensed mortgage originator – just to name a few. Probably the biggest part of my job is making sure we have the cash to run the operations. I also network with other Habitat leaders throughout the country, in addition to collaborating with other nonprofit leaders in the local area,” he says. Alvin explains that his local affiliate’s service to communities in West Virginia and Ohio is the result of a merger that took place in 2016. To date, Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Ohio Valley has made home CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

ownership a reality for more than 100 families. “We just completed our 106th home and are almost finished with our 107th home, which will be finished in the next couple of weeks,” Alvin said recently. “We are building in the (range of ) four to five houses per year, although that’s been slowed just a little this year for obvious reasons.” He goes on to explain how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Habitat’s ability to construct homes. “We’ve had to severely limit the number of volunteers that we can use at one time. This has slowed our house-building efforts,” he says. “We also rely on our ReStore to generate funding and we ended up closing it for 11 weeks. One positive impact is that people did a lot of house cleaning during their time at home – and the amount of donations went through the roof !” Along with serving their local area of the United States, Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Ohio Valley contributes to home construction in other countries through the tithe program. “We tithe 10 percent of our undesignated donations to Habitat for Humanity International to build homes overseas,” Alvin explains. “We have built over 150 homes internationally with our tithe donations.” Alvin says the local affiliate can designate where the tithe goes and that a sizeable portion of his local »

ALVIN PHILLIPS Caroline and her grandfather, Alvin, are all smiles.

organization’s tithe is directed toward building homes in Haiti. “Half of our local tithe funding is designated for Haiti and has been so since the earthquake back in 2010,” he explains. Several years ago, Alvin had an opportunity to see first-hand the work that is being accomplished in Haiti as a member of a U.S. delegation attending a Habitat for Humanity summit in the Caribbean island country. “I was invited to visit there with several Habitat folks from the U.S. in 2018,” he explains. “We visited sites where Habitat is working – and they’re doing much more than building homes there. They have an amazing clean water initiative, which includes education in schools. They are tackling some neighborhood safety issues and helping with water diversion. Land ownership is a huge issue there and they are bringing so many people together to help clarify land ownership. It was an amazing trip.” He has traveled out of the United States with Habitat for Humanity on several other occasions as well. “Habitat has afforded some wonderful opportunities for me. My first international trip was to Bolivia in 2001. Then I led a work team from my church to El Salvador in 2004. All three of my international trips were inspirational,” he says. Work related travel has also taken him to several major U.S cities. “I’ve been able to visit Seattle, Boston and New Orleans because of Habitat,” he says. “In Boston, we were able to participate in an executive leadership conference at Harvard Business School in 2003. That was an amazing experience!”

“I’ve been in Americus, Ga., several times. That was a meaningful trip to see where Habitat got started in the U.S. Also, Habitat has dual headquarters – in Americus and in Atlanta. I’ve been in Atlanta many times with conferences and meetings,” he explains. When considering the highlights of his career with Habitat for Humanity, Alvin says that meeting and working with individuals who have played significant roles in the organization’s history has been especially meaningful to him. “The founder of Habitat, Millard Fuller, was such an inspiration,” he explains. “Meeting him and working alongside him was amazing. He continues to be at the top of my list whenever I’m asked who has been inspirational in my life.” “I’ve also had the grand opportunity to meet President Carter, while volunteering at the Jimmy Carter Work Project in Pikeville, Ky., back in 1997,” he said. “I’ve heard him teach Sunday school three times at his home church in Plains, Ga., which is near the longtime headquarters of Habitat in Americus, Ga.” Through the years, Alvin has had many heartwarming experiences in his work with Habitat for Humanity. He shares a favorite story about a future homeowner. “We were holding a ‘blitz’ framing event where we were framing three homes in one week. There were 125 volunteers working during the course of that week,” he explains. “We often use utility trailers for tools and supplies and for some of the trailers, there was a handmade step to make it easier to get into the trailer. I saw one of the upcoming homeowners WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

ALVIN PHILLIPS

Habitat has afforded some wonderful opportunities for me. My first international trip was to Bolivia in 2001. Then I led a work team from my church to El Salvador in 2004. All three of my international trips were inspirational.

fixing a step that had broken and stopped to chat with her. Her comment? ‘Two months ago, I would have told someone that this was broken. Now I’m fixing it myself.’ The confidence that shows just blew me away! That’s it. That’s what we want – to help folks develop into all they can be, by helping them build and purchase a simple decent home.” Alvin and his wife Jeanie will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary this coming June. Jeanie is a retired elementary school teacher/counselor. “We have two sons, Aaron, a research chemist at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis and Adam, who works for Habitat for Humanity in Charlotte,” Alvin says, adding that through Adam’s career, he is “passing on the Habitat passion”. Their family also includes three grandchildren: Baxter, Caroline and Ezra. Alvin and Jeanie enjoy traveling, going to familiar destinations and also “spending time exploring new places”. “Our sons live in Memphis and Charlotte so we often travel there,” Alvin says. “Traveling to visit the grandkids has taken much of our time in recent years.” “Last year, we spent Labor Day week in northern Michigan. It was wonderful!” he says. “And of course, there’s nothing better than the mountains of West Virginia. We try to get ‘home’ to Union once each summer.” Along with travel, Alvin’s pastimes and interests also include performing with several choirs and theater groups. “I enjoy music – singing in church choir and leading our church handbell choir, along with playing the MOVR. COVID has changed all that – everything is on hold!” he said. “I’m also a member of the Mid-Ohio Valley Ringers, the only bronze-level (highest level) handbell CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

choir in West Virginia,” he said. Alvin enjoys performing with community theater and has an impressive list of roles on stage to his credit with groups in Parkersburg and Marietta, Ohio. One in particular interestingly has ties to Habitat for Humanity. “My first experience with community theater was with Cotton Patch Gospel back in 1993. There’s a strong Habitat connection there. The original paraphrase of the scripture, Cotton Patch Gospel, was written by Clarence Jordan who was Millard Fuller’s mentor at Koinonia Farm – a Christian community between Americus and Plains, Ga.,” he explains. “At any rate, our local theater, the Actors Guild of Parkersburg, produced the show and I was lucky enough to be cast as part of the ensemble,” he says. “It’s been my best theater experience by far. We did it for a second time in 2006.” “I’ve also been in Guys & Dolls, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (as Potiphar), Annie (as FDR), The Wizard of Oz (the mayor of Munchkinland), in addition to a few other productions,” he continues. “At the Mid-Ohio Valley Players in Marietta, Ohio, I played Pastor Oglethorpe in Smoke on the Mountain. I was first exposed to that show in Bramwell (W.Va.) and their summer event.” His community service extends to membership in the Rotary Club of Wood County, where he is a past president. Alvin was awarded the Spirit of St. Joseph’s, which he describes as “basically employee of the year” while he was working at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Parkersburg. In 2013, he was one of 10 awardees to receive the Cornerstone of our Community award sponsored by the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation.

READY TO ROCK FRED FRIAR ’86 HAS SUCCESS AS WOODWORKER AND ENTREPRENEUR Who is Fred Friar? That’s the question he poses on the website for his handcrafted chairs. He goes on to answer with a string of more than a dozen occupations, titles and other descriptions for himself. Landing somewhere near the middle of this eclectic mix of avocations is woodworker. Specializing in rocking chairs, Mr. Friar has built quite a reputation and following for his beautifully crafted wooden chairs. He has won awards for his work and is among the artisans who have been juried into Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia. This gifted craftsman even has one of his chairs gracing the residence of a U.S. ambassador. If one were to stop at woodworker and not inquire further about the passions and pursuits

of this most interesting and accomplished gentleman, the fact that he can pilot a Cessna 172, or that he took a composite scout troop to a National Jamboree, or that he has been a paid author of technical articles on water treatment, or even that he aspires to paint rooms and houses like a pro without spatters and drips on the floor, might be missed. So, who is Fred Friar? He’s a storyteller with many tales to share of a life that’s been well and widely lived and has earned him the titles he numerates on his FriarPatch website: Salesman, pilot, carpenter, farmer, scout master, world traveler, fisherman, cook, woodworker, author, grandpa (twice), painter, coal miner, marksman, electrician plus many more too numerous to mention.” »

FRED FRIAR

A native West Virginian, Fred was born in Huntington. His family moved to Beckley, and it was there that he got his start as a woodworker. He says he first fell in love with the art of crafting with wood as a 7th grader in the woodworking shop at Beckley Jr. High School. Since then, he has been honing his skills and today is a gifted craftsman offering his beautiful handcrafted furniture through the FriarPatch. Fred had already crafted an Adirondack chair when he branched out into making rockers. He became interested in this new format following a conversation with a friend who told him about “this beautiful rocking chair somebody had made at Tamarack.” “I thought, ‘I bet I could make one, too,’” he remembers. His daughter Molly, who was expecting a baby at the time, also encouraged him to tackle the project. “Molly said, ‘Daddy I want a rocking chair,’” Fred recalls her saying. With his “first grandson on the way” Fred set about making a chair “to rock the baby in”. The concept behind the design, he said, was to make the chair big enough so

that it would comfortably fit Molly and the baby along with a pillow or two. This first rocker was a huge hit and led to a request for chair number two. “My neighbor saw it and asked me to make one for his wife for Mother’s Day,” Fred says. Since then, Fred has kept his woodcrafter’s shop on top of Friar Mountain busy as he crafts more beautiful rockers and smaller items like clocks and children’s step stools. He estimates that he has made “between 200 and 300 rockers”. Each chair could take from 40 to 50 or more hours to complete. Along with their fine craftsmanship, these rockers also carry interesting names and histories. Molly’s rocker, the chair that started it all, is now named The Ambassador in honor of the U.S. ambassador who owns one. Several kinds of wood can be used in this chair with walnut or cherry the preference. Woven hickory bark – that Fred harvests in the spring – or leather are options for the seat. The Louisville Slugger incorporates genuine Louisville Slugger baseball bats into its design. This WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

FRED FRIAR

Fred Friar's work on display at Tamarack.

chair is fashioned of American white ash timber with walnut or cherry typically used as the contrasting wood. Col. Bill Jackson, who commanded a helicopter battalion with the U.S. Army in Vietnam, shares his name with The Colonel Jackson. Fred says Col. Jackson bought the first chair he made in this particular style, thus earning the namesake. Inspired by the Windsor style, this chair can also be fitted with a removable writing surface and storage drawer. Fred’s customers range from local residents to international buyers. His rocking chairs are found in private homes, businesses, a bed and breakfast, and the aforementioned ambassador’s home on the island of Mauritius. He has been displaying and selling his rocking chairs at Tamarack since being juried into the artisan showcase in August of 1996. Along with being among the artisans at Tamarack in Beckley, Fred has exhibited his work in other state locations and in several major U.S. cities. These include: Design in Wood Show, San Diego, 2005; Kentucky Museum of Art + Design; Rocking Chairs, Contemporary Seating at Its Best, Louisville, Kentucky; CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

The West Virginia Art & Craft Guild show, 2002-2003, Wheeling West Virginia; Artisan Center & Museum in the Community, Hurricane, West Virginia; and Gallery Exhibition, American Woodworker Show, Philadelphia. Among his accolades are two awards from the Cultural Center of Fine Arts in Parkersburg. He was a prize winner in the Wood & Fiber Show 1999-2000 and was named a regional award winner in 2002. Along with his beautiful wood products, Fred also makes decorative – and functional – brooms. “I’m the broom Squire (broom maker) at Heritage Farm Museum & Village (in Huntington). Tamarack also offers my brooms,” he says. One might say that his colorful brooms are almost too pretty to use. In response Fred says “they will sweep flour” when the superstore version “will not”. Fred graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1957. He started college at another West Virginia school, but the fit wasn’t right for him, he said, and his grades suffered. Transferring to Concord put him on the right track. “What a difference it was,” he recalls. Working to build up his GPA while holding onto »

FRED FRIAR

During my Army days, my woodworking got me out of a lot of undesirable details. I built a Battalion field HQ out of an Army truck. aspirations of going to medical school, Fred said he initially “took a lot of art classes” at Concord. He recalled that J. Arthur Butcher was head of the art department while he was a student and that Mr. Peterson and Mr. Casto were also among the faculty. His art classes included portrait painting (oils, pastels, watercolor), graphic design, pottery/sculpture and jewelry making. “In a roundabout way I did some woodwork,” he says. “I used the maintenance department’s band saw to sculpt a cat – still have it. I also still have a selfsculpture.” Now considering himself a “world traveler”, Fred would take his first journey outside of the United States as a Concord student with one of his science professors. He and another student accompanied Dr. Hugh Land on an ornithology research expedition to Guatemala. “Dr. Land had not done anything about shore birds. Santo Tomas is on the east cost of the Atlantic,” Fred recalls. “I was in on the planning of the trip. Lloyd Keff and I were his students. We all suggested Hugh apply for a research grant. He got two, one from the National Science Foundation and one from National Geographic. Fred explains how he assisted Dr. Land in his research during the trip. “Lloyd and I were the bird specimen collectors. The objective was to collect two examples of each species and make museum skins with them. We also collected a lot of plant life for Dr. Meade McNeill,” he says. “Dr. Land was doing photography. He was one of the first to do wildlife photography, of course of the birds.” Fred shares an especially memorable encounter with the wildlife. “One big idea that bombed was to do a snake count,” he recalls. “After a week or two and seeing 8-9 every day we quit counting. They were everywhere. Once Lloyd felt something cold cross his bare foot as we were preparing the bird skins. He calmly used a long pair of forceps to pick up a coral snake and drop him into a bottle of formaldehyde.” Dr. Land published his findings in a book, “Birds of Guatemala”. The book also includes his color illustrations. Fred’s academic career at Concord was cut short when he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1962 during the Vietnam era. While serving his country, he continued to utilize his wood crafting talents. “During my Army days, my woodworking got me out of a lot of undesirable details. I built a Battalion

field HQ out of an Army truck,” he said recalling one especially big project. His military service also had an especially significant romantic aspect to it as well. While he was serving in the Army, Fred met his future wife, Linda. “It turned out that joining the Army was a blessing in that way...divine intervention,” he says. Fred shares the story of how they were first introduced more than half a century ago. When he was stationed at Fort Benning, Ga., Fred says his buddy, Gene, invited him to come home with him to visit his family in Temple, Ga., outside of Atlanta, when they both had 3-day passes. Fred stayed at his friend’s parent’s house. Gene’s mother decided to play matchmaker and suggested that their neighbor, Linda, and Fred should meet. “Linda lived cater-cornered across the street,” Fred explained. The match was a good one as Fred and Linda have been married for 56 years. “Linda is the wind beneath my wings,” Fred says. In addition to seeing his FriarPatch wood crafting venture thrive, Fred has also enjoyed success with another business. In 1973 he started Friar Chemical Company, an industrial water treatment company, that grew to not only have customers in the U.S., but internationally as well. He went into business for himself after having first worked in the Solvent and Chemical Division for Ashland Oil in Columbus, Ohio, and then in sales for seven years with a water treatment business. When this company wanted him to relocate to Chicago, his family friend/boss encouraged him to start his own business. Based near Huntington in the Wayne County community of Lavalette, W.Va., Friar Chemical Company specializes in supplying industrial water treatment facilities with chemicals that help prevent corrosion. The company has been recognized by the State of West Virginia on several occasions including as a recipient of the Small Business Administration’s Small Business Exporter of the Year Award. Another especially notable accomplishment for Friar Chemical Company occurred when Fred represented his business and Huntington during a Partners of the Americas economic and cultural exchange in Brazil. Huntington was matched with Victoria, a city in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo. “Our host there was Companhia Vale do Rio WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

FRED FRIAR

A gathering of Fred’s colorful brooms greats guests at Tamarack.

A craftsman’s touch adds character to Fred’s furniture.

Doce, The Doce River Valley Company CVRD for short. I understand now it is known as the Vale Mining Company,” Fred explains. Along with attending meetings, Fred also had the opportunity to explore the area’s landscapes, architecture and cuisine during his 11-day visit. “That was an adventure I’ll never forget,” he said. While he was growing his professional career, Fred also worked to further his education, first by completing his bachelor’s degree. “I started telling my kids how important it was to get a good education,” he said. But, then, he admits, he started feeling like a hypocrite. “I need to do what I’ve been preaching (to) my kids to do,” he said. Having heard about the Regents Bachelor of Arts degree, Fred pursued this option. With his Concord credits and some hours received through Ohio State University, he went on to earn an RBA from Concord in 1986. Not stopping there, he completed an MBA from Marshall University in 1994. He would later serve the school as a member of Marshall’s business school advisory board for several years and as an adjunct instructor in International Marketing. Fred and Linda currently make their home in Lavalette. “We live in the middle of 50 acres of West Virginia hills and hollers,” Fred says of their property aptly named the FriarPatch. The Friars have two children and two grandchildren. CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

While Fred had at one time considered pursuing a degree in medicine, several members of his family do have careers in the health care field on their resumes. Linda attended West Georgia College and studied medical transcription. “She got a job at Fort Benning Martin Hospital. They loved her; she could take their dictation with shorthand and spell all their long words,” Fred said of the two physicians for whom Linda worked. Daughter Molly earned an MBA (management for nurses) and is the Manager of Programs & Surgeries at the Joan Edwards Cancer Center in Huntington. As for the Friars’ grandsons, Tyler is an RN at St. Mary’s Hospital and Brennan is a Pharmacy tech at Cabell Huntington Hospital. Fred and Linda’s son, Frederic James, followed in his father’s entrepreneurial footsteps by starting a consulting business. The younger Fred is a PE (professional engineer) electrical engineer. “He’s registered in about 20 states,” his father says. “He works all over.” Today, while Fred Friar says he is “unofficially retired” he still keeps an active hand in both of his businesses. With Friar Chemical Company, he is now primarily dealing in exporting his products. “I still do some exporting to Jamaica, he explains. On the wood crafting side of his entrepreneurial ventures, the FriarPatch website continues to beckon customers to order his handcrafted furniture while Tamarack proudly markets some of his finest work.

CU ON THE

Athletic Alumni at Work Interview Series Spotlights CU Memories, Career Success 50

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OTHER SIDE

ince their days on the field, track or court, Mountain Lion alumni have gone on to achieve success in a variety of careers. During the fall semester, Concord University Sports Information Director Wes McKinney has been checking in with athletic alums to talk with them about their Concord memories and their professional lives. Highlights of these conversations are spotlighted here. The full interviews are archived and links are provided with each interview excerpt. Plans call for continuing this series with additional alumni interviews being posted at cumountainlions.com » CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

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On Making Friendships on the Golf Course I made friendships for life. One of my best friends is (former Wheeling golfer) Kasey Frazier. We’re still in contact. I reached out to her (recently). We’re still best of friends. We were the number one rivals (when we played). I don’t think there was a rivalry like it between Kasey and I. I played an LPGA Tournament in Pinehurst a few years ago, and she came to watch me. Having those experiences of traveling to the NCAA Championships, it was so much more than being on the golf course.

STEPHANIE PEARETH

Former women’s golf standout Stephanie Peareth, who now works for the Ladies’ Professional Golf Association (LPGA) in Miami, talks about her organization, LPGA Girls Golf of Miami, overcoming a rare brain condition to thrive in her career as well as taking a walk down memory lane as a student-athlete at Concord. During her two-year career at Concord, Peareth was a two-time all-conference first team player in addition to making two NCAA Tournament appearances as an individual in 2013 and 2014. After transferring from Pfeiffer, Peareth averaged 77.5 per holes as a junior and carded a 79.3 average in 2013-14. Some excerpts from Peareth’s interview are below. The complete interview can be found here: https:// cutt.ly/QfRVInU On Battling a Rare Brain Condition I’ve always been a positive, go-getter person. I’m very competitively aggressive, so I wanted to win in everything I did, and that included winning at life – making sure that no matter what I was faced with I was going to come through it. I wanted to face it the same way I would teeing up on the first hole of a tournament. I was going out there to win. I wasn’t going to take second place; I didn’t want to take third place. I didn’t want to get told that I had to stop what I was doing.

TYRONE ANDERSON

Wes McKinney catches up with former men’s basketball standout Tyrone Anderson. After playing two seasons at Concord and becoming a two-time All-East Region player under head coach Steve Cox, Anderson was drafted by the Anaheim Arsenal of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Developmental League. Anderson then went on to a successful career overseas. Now retired from professional basketball, Anderson works with youth in Indianapolis in his mentoring program while assisting as a basketball coach at a local high school. Some excerpts from Anderson’s interview can be found below. The complete interview can be heard here: https://cutt.ly/DfAIFL5 On Running His Mentoring Program I’ve been mentoring kids. I have a mentoring WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

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program where I work with over 100 kids each summer. We focus on anger control management, police relations and helping kids – once they graduate high school – find a trade if they don’t go to college. I also started a training program called Indiana Supreme. I have about 65 kids, six teams with kids from second grade to tenth grade. This is why I work with kids now because of situations I’ve been through in life. I signed with Butler and Brad Stevens after I left my junior college. I made some mistakes and was kicked out in the summer. After I made my mistakes, Coach Steve Cox gave me a call, he wanted me to come down for a visit. When I got to Concord, I liked the campus, I liked how Coach Cox and the players treated me. I found my way to West Virginia and it was a blessing. On Being Drafted by the NBA D-League I was a nervous wreck because I really didn’t know what my future would hold. I kept hearing a lot of rumors about getting drafted in the D-League or possibly the NBA. Once I got drafted by the D-League it was alright this is where I’m going to be, this is what’s going on. Leading up to it, my mind was all over the place. But once it happened, I was ready, blessed and ready to start my journey.

Greenwood chronicles his time at Concord, and talks about his introduction to the sport of bobsled and eventual elevation to the top of the sport. The complete interview can be heard here: https://cutt. ly/0fXuoE4 On Making It to the National Championship in Track I didn’t know how, but I wanted to figure out a way to make nationals. So when I hit my qualifying throw – I think it was in the decathlon – I was overjoyed. I hit the mark and I knew it was a big throw. They read the mark, and I blacked out. I jumped in the air and I ran out to Coach Cox who was in the sector, so I run out and I’m holding him up in the air celebrating. When we got out to Mt. SAC in southern California – it’s one of the most storied venues around – it was great to be there and training for the meet. To get to go out to southern California, and have that experience and see the competition was great.

DUSTIN GREENWOOD

On Picking up the Sport of Bobsled I took the job at Elite Speed Sports Performance. Jim Hendricks is a co-owner and a former sprinter at the University of Colorado. We’re workout partners. It started as a New Year’s Resolution. We’re sitting in the office and we say let’s find something to compete in or train for or something along those lines. So, we literally start googling things. Jim was the one that suggested let’s look at bobsled. He had been approached to do it at Colorado because he was a taller, bigger guy. We had about six months to train before a testing combine in Colorado. The first time I did bobsled was right after the 2014 Sochi Olympics, and it was perfect timing because eight or nine of the guys on the USA National Team retired. It was like a mass exodus from the sport.

for CU men’s track & field. Once finishing his collegiate eligibility, Greenwood became a strength and conditioning coach. He now lives in Denver. From 2014-17, Greenwood was a member of the USA National Bobsled Team, competing in Canada and Europe.

Former all-region men’s basketball player Rob Reed joins Wes McKinney in two segments. During the first interview, he talks about his imperfect upbringing in Indiana, finding positive influences in his life that paved his basketball path and nearly walking away from a scholarship from Concord in the fall of 2014. »

Wes McKinney catches up with former two-sports star Dustin Greenwood. Greenwood was All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) First Team in football, and was a two-time conference champion in track & field during his time in the Maroon and Gray. Greenwood finished 10th at the NCAA Division II Track & Field Championships in javelin in 2008. He still holds five program records

CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

ROB REED

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Reed went from high school dropout to attending to two different junior colleges to working in a foundry in northern Indiana before landing at Concord. Some excerpts from the interview can be found below while the complete interview is here: https:// cutt.ly/TgSvNKE In the second interview, Reed discusses the culture change for the CU men’s basketball program during his first season at Concord in 2014-15, upsetting the number-one ranked team in all of Division II, West Liberty, during his senior season and hitting his famous shot against WLU in the 2016 MEC Tournament. The interview includes so many good memories of Reed’s two-year run at Concord. The entire interview can be found here: https://cutt.ly/ xgGqFO9 On Helping Raise His Siblings While His Mother and Father Weren’t Around A lot of times, we would be left alone. I remember thinking what if nobody is here to protect my sisters if anything happens. So as much as I could, I was (at home). I was constantly getting suspended from school anyways, and my grandmother was getting upset and didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t handle the situation. I would get on the train and go to Chicago to my mom’s house whether she was there or not. I knew it wasn’t a good situation in a big city with my sisters being left alone. On Second Guessing a Scholarship Offer from Concord In 2014, I had (former Concord men’s basketball player) Brian (Foster) hit up (Coach McBride) again. I instantly sent him my stuff. He told me what to do, and what papers to send in. He said I might need to take an online class – I took it anyway. I had my scholarship sitting in my hand, and I thought, man do I really want to sign this or not? I’m very, very unsure. I called this guy who used to go to Heroes Camp. I remember he said he didn’t want to stop hooping when he did, but he was a young father and he wanted to be home with his family. I felt like I had made that decision twice already. I remember thinking what would he do if he had one more opportunity.

On Changing the Identity of Concord Men’s Basketball I think (2014-15) started the culture that’s there now with Coach (Todd) May. It was business – we were there to work, there to do something with basketball. There were no weak practices or days off. Mike Boyd did a really good job of leading the team his senior year. Paul Byrd did too. Byrd was one of those guys who played well and didn’t have to say much, so you kind of followed his lead there. Mike was a little more vocal. It was a really good atmosphere. I got close with everybody and that made me more comfortable. On Upsetting West Liberty at the Carter Center in 2016 We had just lost to Wheeling Jesuit in overtime (two days before), and we should have won. It was bad the mistakes we made. Right after that game, it was another one of those moments, but it was hot and heavy on both sides, coaches and players. We were angry we lost. We just came in and had real talk the next day. We did what family would do, we talked it out and went to work. The anger was the motivation for us going into that game. I remember when we were at West Liberty the year before, they blew us out. I didn’t like the way they went about it – none of us did. We kind of had it out for them anyway. We prepared and went hard, as hard as you can go in two days of preparation. No messing around. We were usually the goofiest bunch of dudes, but we didn’t talk about anything funny – locked in and ready to go. On Winning the MEC Championship After the Path He Took to CU I definitely felt accomplished. I’m such a weird person. Right after we won, I just sat back and watched how everyone else was reacting to it. I wanted a lot of other people to be happy about it. I was happy about it too. Concord was just so transformational for me that I knew that moment was the key to others down the road. I felt like I was going to get used to that feeling. I was really relaxed and happy to be there. It made me a lot more hopeful for the future because it was physical work we put in. Guys can WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

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get hot in the tournament and put you out. For us to come together on that level, I know it was because we had a spiritual and soul connection with everybody on the team. We were 100 percent transparent with each other. That was a big thing for us. After I touched the trophy, I was able to reflect on it.

running 2:14 in high school after running 2:42 my sophomore year. (Coach Carroll) always talked well about Coach Cox. I embraced the 800. On Winning Her First National Title in May 2011 In (the indoor championships of 2011 in) New Mexico I felt like I sat back a little too far. I always sat back, but Coach (Cox) was like let’s make sure that we’re in the game. It ended up being 40 degrees in California – the temperature was terrible and it was windy. So we go out the first 200 pretty quick, so I’m thinking I learned my lesson I’m going to stay in this. All of a sudden, we drop to 40 seconds for the next 200 which is really slow. Coach (Cox) is telling me to back off and let them play the games. I just waited it out, and it started to pick up a little bit. Then, I just dropped the last 200 in like 30 seconds—that’s what it took. Everybody was kicking to win the last 200.

SHAWNEE CARNETT KEGLEY

Shawnee Carnett Kegley is a two-time NCAA Division II National Champion in the 800-meter run in track & field, six-time All-American and 2016 Concord Hall of Fame inductee. Kegley spoke with Wes McKinney about her introduction to running, overcoming adversity throughout her career and winning two national championships. Some excerpts of the interview are below. The complete interview can be heard here: https://cutt.ly/ qgYq0Lm On Getting into the Sport of Track & Field In middle school, the basketball coach was like you should come run track. I seemed to like to run, but I didn’t know anything about it, you’re not trained in middle school. You just go to the races and race. I thought I wanted to run something shorter, but I tried the mile. I went out fast with all the boys. I walked to the finish line and I remember thinking this is crazy. I got to high school and started doing cross country, and that was definitely hard for me. But then Joey Carroll, who ran for Coach Cox, came my sophomore year. He says to me, “I’m going to make you a 58-second 400-runner.” I just kind of laughed. At that time, I was running 68 seconds. He kept putting me in the 800 even though I did not like it, and I ended up CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

ROB MAJORS

Two-time CU football All-American and twotime conference champion Rob Majors. Majors, who is a 2013 member of the Concord Athletics Hall of Fame, talks about his playing career from 1988-1991 at Concord, how he got to Concord after a couple other stops at colleges in Virginia, the lifelong friendships he created in Athens and the start of his third decade as a football official, both at the high school and college level. »

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Some excerpts from the interview can be found below. The complete interview is here: https://cutt.ly/ wgxPHzI On Winning Back-To-Back Conference Championships in 1989 and 1990 The West Virginia Conference – that was a heck of a conference. One thing about it though is we had players at every position that made an impact. We had a secondary with Tracey Gravely on one side – All-American coming back – Forrest Irving, who should have been an All-American, but he was in between me and Tracy. We had a heck of a linebacking crew. The defensive line was tough. We had a great defensive coordinator. The schemes we had allowed us to get to the ball. On Viewing the Game as An Official I’m a side judge, back judge or field judge. It allows you to have the best seat in the house – if they ain’t passing it. If the ball is in the air and it’s coming your direction, you have to be in position. If the offense is running the ball, players will hear me say, “oh man, good hit.” Or if the tight end goes across the middle and someone hits him, (us officials) will pass it on through the mic, “did you see that hit? That was a good hit.” You can’t get caught watching the game if the ball is coming your direction. I know when to watch and when to play.

08, finishing as the program’s all-time leader in assists (655) and steals (277) while earning All-West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) Second Team in 2007 and 2008. She was also named All-WVIAC Tournament Team in 2007. Cluesman talked about the rise of women’s basketball during her time in the Maroon and Gray, getting into the coaching ranks right after graduation and building her own program at UVa.-Wise. Some excerpts from the interview can be found below. The interview in its entirety is here: https:// cutt.ly/igfDcP2 On Back-To-Back 20-Win Seasons in 2006-07 and 2007-08 When you’re at that age, it’s hard to see the bigger picture. To see what we’re doing (my freshman and sophomore season) is only setting us up for 2-3 years down the road. Looking back on it, Coach Osborne knew what he was doing – he was getting the right pieces in, recruiting wise, to fill certain voids or to improve in certain positions. Coach Osborne may disagree with me, majority of the time we were very competitive in practice. At times, he may not have been completely pleased with our effort. Looking back on it, we tried to pour into it as much as we could and give back to how much he had invested in us and the program. On Being a Head Coach at the Carter Center as a Visitor I’m super competitive. I never wanted to lose to him (and Concord). He got the best of me a few times. It’s all fun and games. Going back to Concord as a head coach to see all those familiar faces in the stands, and to still welcome me with open arms, it was a great feeling. There were mixed emotions because Concord is always going to be a huge part of me, so going against them and knowing a lot of people on that team through the recruiting trail. You always want to see success from your alma mater. Yes, I want to beat Concord, and that’s one game I don’t want to lose. Outside of that game, I want Concord to win every single game.

ALYSSA MORRIS JAMIE CLUESMAN Former Concord University women’s basketball standout, 2019 CU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and current UVa.-Wise women’s basketball head coach Jamie Cluesman played at Concord from 2003-

Alyssa Morris holds the distinction of being the first Concord softball All-American in program history. She is currently head coach at Union College (Ky.) Morris talks with Wes McKinney about being part of a complete turnaround for the CU softball program, her transition into being a softball coach WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

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and now the challenges of taking on her first head coaching job in the current times. Some excerpts from the interview are below. The complete interview can be found here: https://cutt. ly/2gtiphd On the Turnaround of the Softball Program at Concord We became more self-sufficient. Coach Tasler is still in charge, but we’re taking in everything she’s telling us to do. We’re able to run our own team. Being on the other side now, I shouldn’t have to tell my team what to do every single moment. I should just guide them. And I feel like that’s where we were at – doing the little things right. We were bought in, we wanted to succeed, we wanted to gain that respect – the drive was there. We all had great talent, but we all wanted the same thing. We were united. On Gaining Lessons as a Head Coach It’s more than softball. I’ve also known that for the most part. I want to (be invested) in these girls and let them know that I care about them. I have an open door policy and we genuinely care about them. Sometimes, they think it’s all softball because the majority of the time we see them at practice – they may come by and see me in the office. I want to help them prepare for life outside of college. You never know when your last game is going to be. CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

DREW BAILEY

Current Concord University baseball pitching coach Drew Bailey discusses his experiences in the minor leagues with the Oakland Athletics franchise, his rise to being a 35th round pick of the Athletics organization in 2010 and his journey back to his alma mater for his first season as CU’s pitching coach. Some excerpts from Bailey’s interview can be found below. Meanwhile, the complete interview can be found here: https://cutt.ly/Cf73Ty1 On Journey to Getting Drafted I was never an academic guy where everything came easy. Other parents would tell my dad in the grocery store I don’t know how I’m going to get through college and be a student-athlete. I’m three classes away from my MBA. The competition and the doubters always fuel me. I’m the second player out of Christiansburg, (Virginia) to be drafted behind Randy Lawrence who played at Ferrum. I was just excited to hear my name called. On Coming Back to Work on the Concord Baseball Staff I got my first head coaching job (at Averett University) when I was 28 years old. I came back and coached softball at Bluefield College. »

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It was a great experience. Females are so overlooked in the sports world and life in general. I had a great time coaching girls for two years. It made me a better coach in the long run. I started to fall in love with softball, but baseball is my love. Coach Garrett and I had talked over the last two years about making this happen.

the complete interview can be found here: https:// cutt.ly/BgVQCYR On Adjusting to College Life at Concord I always wanted to get out and explore more than just Baltimore. A lot of my trips that I’ve taken have been business trips. I’ve never really been on a vacation – the only vacation I can say I’ve been on is to Alaska. I’ve been trying to expand my mind outside of Baltimore, and by doing that giving back to the youth – letting them step out of their comfort zone, go to college and experience it. I got my two cousins to come to Concord for a short period of time. They were able to interact and meet people. For me, it was a leap of faith, trusting the process. Going to a small school, knowing I can play on the top level. I’m used to being the underdog. On the 2014 Season We did feel something special. I just soaked it all in. The day before games (our team chaplain) J.B. (Hurt) would come out with the cards and the quotes on the cards. We would be sitting on the field, and he would talk then we would pray. When we were praying, I peeked around one time to see if everyone had their heads bowed. I noticed how dialed in everyone was. I felt as though we were all on the same mission. We had that one mission to win it all, beat Shepherd because we didn’t like that feeling.

JEREMIAH JOHNSON

Jeremiah Johnson was a two-time All-American (2015, 2017) for the Concord University football program. Over his career, Johnson was a four-time selection to the All-Mountain East Conference First Team, made all-region squads from 2014-17 and is in the top five in program history in interceptions and pass break-ups. Johnson talks with Wes McKinney about the transition from his hometown of Baltimore to Concord’s campus, the special bond of the history-making 2014 CU football team that made the Division II National Semifinals, and his professional football experiences to this point in his career. After graduating from Concord in 2017, Johnson was in the Indianapolis Colts’ minicamp during the spring of 2018, played for the Salt Lake City Stallions of the now-defunct American Alliance of Football and was a starter for the Houston Roughnecks for the XFL during the 2020 season. Some excerpts of the interview are below while

On Playing for the Roughnecks in the XFL It was great. From the coaching staff to the stories to the meeting to the quote of the day. June Jones is a brilliant guy. When we were in practice, we would barely use chains. The receivers might run a deep route every time. He’s a smart guy. Our defense was great. We had a defensive line that could get to the quarterback and it took pressure off the defensive backs. We had some hitters at linebacker. I think I’ve been a part of some great teams with great coaching staffs that had the team in line, and I think the XFL is at the top of the board with what I see as a pro team the way we handle things.

EVAN MUSCARI

Former Concord University men’s golf standout Dr. Evan Muscari was a three-time all-conference first team selection as well as a three-time all-region performer during his years in the Maroon and Gray of Concord (2011-14). Muscari helped lead the Mountain Lions to two conference championships in 2012 and 2013, and was the Mountain East Conference Individual Champion during his senior season of 2013. WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

ATHLETICS

Since retiring the golf clubs – as a collegiate athlete at least – Muscari has gone on to to become a doctor after graduating from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, W.Va. in the spring of 2020. Muscari chats with Wes McKinney about picking up the game of golf as he followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming part of a very tradition-rich program at Concord after starting his career at Furman University and coming from behind to win the MEC Championship. Some excerpts of the interview are found below while the entire interview is posted here: https://cutt. ly/Ug5fmsG

on. During the summers, I basically got dropped off at daylight and picked up at dark, and was told not to come back (home) until it was dark.

On Being Introduced to the Game of Golf My dad played golf at Concord. He graduated from Concord in 1980, him and my mom both. I’ve been around the game of golf since an early age. I didn’t pick up clubs and start playing – I was more interested in driving the cart and looking at deer and running around the course – until going into my freshman year of high school. When I picked the club up, I got pretty serious about it pretty quick. I was walking 45-54 holes at Twin Falls. You couldn’t get a cart until you were 16-years old. My mom would take me up sometimes after school and get a cart for me when there wasn’t enough time to walk or she didn’t have work going

On Winning MEC Championship as an Individual That’s one of the only times I put pressure on myself because we had some success going into the tournament. I shot 79 in the first round, so I got on the phone with my dad and my coach from South Carolina, Doug Weaver. Golf is one of those dayto-day things that being consistent is big. My dad and my coach just told me to let it go. I was able to cut the ball in the final round which got me back in a playoff. It was all me being a feel player. It was a special moment for me to able to call my dad after the round. To hear my dad after all the money and effort he had put into it and kind of get a little emotional.

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On Learning Around the Tradition of Concord Men’s Golf Once I got back (to Concord) and started being able to hang out with (Coach Donaldson) and Coach Johnson and some of the guys and seeing some of the trophies they had stacked up, that’s when I actually learned that, daggone, I came into a pretty good program. Coming back and seeing that, it’s not time to just relax, it’s time to put the pedal to the metal and see how much more we can achieve.

ATHLETICS

Walker Rounds Out Coaching Staff

oncord University head football coach Dave Walker announced his completed coaching staff for the 2020-2021 academic year in August. Along with Walker, offensive coordinator Brian Ferguson, defensive coordinator Logan Williams, offensive line coach Ben Luther and defensive backs coach Max Lilly, the makeup of the rest of the staff includes wide receivers coach Bobby Grishaber, defensive line coach Harry Lewis, tight ends coach Carter Mangel and running backs coach Troy Walker. Originally from Charleston, W.Va., Grishaber comes to Concord after completing his playing career at Division III Waynesburg University in Pennsylvania. In his career, Grishaber played in 34 career games with 50 receptions at receiver. Before playing collegiate at Waynesburg, Grishaber was a letterman in football and baseball for George Washington High School. Lewis played under Williams at West Virginia Wesleyan before making the transition with the new CU defensive coordinator for the fall of 2020. Lewis disrupted opponents’ backfield during his final season at Wesleyan as he earned All-Mountain East Conference Second Team in 2019, finishing with 30 total tackles and four tackles for loss. Over his career, Lewis had 95 total tackles and 17.5 for loss, including a career-best 9.5 tackles for loss in 2017 when he was named All-MEC Honorable Mention as a sophomore. Lewis is a native of Hampton, Va. Mangel also has familiarity with the Concord staff having played under Ferguson and Luther at Tusculum University in Greenville, Tenn. After trans-

Coach Dave Walker

ferring from Hocking College for his final two years of eligibility, Mangel appeared in 18 games for the Pioneers in 2018 and 2019 as a tight end. A native of Bogart, Ga., Mangel will coach the same position on Walker’s staff. Rounding out the football staff is Troy Walker, who played collegiately at Dave Walker’s alma mater, Glenville State. The

younger Walker played a season at Shepherd in 2014 before transferring to Glenville State. In 2016, Walker caught eight passes for 60 yards as a tight end as he appeared in 10 games for GSC. Walker is a native of Martinsburg, W.Va. All four new assistants will study in Concord’s master’s program.

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ATHLETICS

Bolte, Hopewell, Kovac Sign Pro Contracts

trio of former Concord University men’s basketball players have signed professional contracts in three different European countries. Tommy Bolte, Terry Hopewell and Simun Kovac were tapped to put their Mountain Lion experience into the international spotlight. After spending time in Spain last season with Real Murcia and Albacete, Bolte signed to play for Benfica in Portugal during the 202021 season. Benfica is located in the Portuguese capital city of Lisbon, and plays in the top division of Portuguese basketball (LPB). Bolte appeared in 21 games between Murcia and Albacete, averaging 10.5 points per game and shooting 44.4 percent from the floor. Bolte was a two-time All-American in the Maroon and Gray as he left CU as the sixth alltime scorer with 2,084 points. Hopewell begins his second season with US Laval in France. During the 2019-20 season, Hopewell averaged 15 points and 16 rebounds per game while shooting 62 percent from the floor. His performance last season came on the heels of his averaging 17.8 points and 17.5 rebounds per game for CE Bisbal Basquet in Spain. Overall, this is Hopewell’s fourth season of pro basketball, having also played in Uruguay for a short stint. Hopewell was a centerpiece of Concord’s 2016 Mountain East Conference Championship team as he averaged 12.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game during the 201516 season. Kovac starts his first season of pro basketball in the German Second Division with Speyer. Kovac’s new club is located in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. In nine games last season for Concord, Kovac averaged 10 points and 9.2 rebounds per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the field. In 34 career games at CU, Kovac pulled down 322 rebounds and shot 53.1 percent from the floor. CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

Tommy Bolte

Simun Kovac

Terry Hopewell

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ACHIEVEMENTS 1980s ____________ DEBORAH CURRY ’80 has been named to West Virginia Executive magazine’s Lawyers & Leaders Class of 2020. This award, presented in partnership with the West Virginia University College of Law, recognizes individuals “who strive to do the best for their clients, their communities and their fellow people”. Deborah is the director of rural outreach and development at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. She received her law degree from Washington & Lee University School of Law. JEFFREY GROTE ’80 was recently accepted by Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA for the Doctor of Ministry-Chaplaincy program. Since receiving an RBA from Concord, Jeffrey has earned the following degrees and certificates: Paralegal Certificate, Blackstone Career Institute, Allentown, PA, A.A., General Studies, Charles County Community College, La Plata, MD, B.S., Sociology, Excelsior College, Albany, NY, B.A.S., Applied Studies, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, M.A., Religion, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA and a Ph.D., Education, Walden University, Minneapolis, MN. He was a pitcher for the Mountain Lions baseball team and was selected to the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All Conference Team in 1976. Jef-

2000s ____________

frey currently works with St. Mary’s County Public Schools as a long-term substitute at Chopticon High School, Morganza, MD. He has also been the tennis coach at Chopticon.

1990s ____________

MATTHEW “PETE” LESTER ’93 has published his first novel, “The Tobacco Barn”. Writing under the pen name Tennessee Gunns – the name of the book’s main character – Pete specializes in the genres of southern fiction and friendship fiction. He is enjoying success with this first work, having made sales both nationally and internationally. Out of the 2.8 million books on Amazon, “The Tobacco Barn” peaked in the top 600 and received multiple Five Star ratings from readers. At present, “The Tobacco Barn” is being distributed in South Africa, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Lester’s second novel, “Saddles of Barringer”, will be published in January 2021, and a third, “Andy Oliver” is due for release in the summer of 2021. After Concord, Pete joined the Army and a decade later, graduated from Liberty University and received his doctorate at Tennessee Temple University, now known as Carolina University, in Winston Salem, NC.

JINA BELCHER ‘09 has been named executive director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA). Jina received a bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Tourism Management from Concord. She has a professional background in community development, finance and social enterprise. She has served the NRGRDA in several capacities, and in October was named interim executive director by the board with plans to step into the executive director role in December. The mission of the NRGRDA is to “initiate, facilitate and support the economic and community development efforts within the counties of Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh and Summers located in this region of southern West Virginia.”

2010s ____________

COLLEEN PULSFORD ’10 is a recipient of Delta Zeta Sorority’s 2020 35 Under 35 Award. This award highlights Delta Zeta alumnae who are outstanding young professionals that have achieved success by making a significant impact in their industry, before the age of 35. Colleen is a senior business development associate at Emerus Holdings, Inc. LAURA BUCHANAN ’19 has published her latest book, “Routines” along with signing a three year contract with W & B Publishers. “Routines” is a young adult dystopian novel that deals with the “daily grind” of life. The book, which leans toward science fiction, is set in a future world of perpetual winter. Buchanan, who writes under the pen name Laura Lin, self-published her first book in 2007.

Stay informed about happenings at CU! Complete the Contact Information Update online at: https://apps.concord.edu/forms/view.php?id=22384 62

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Ben Crawford ’58 Publishes Book on Leadership and Volunteerism An alum who has contributed countless hours serving with the Concord University Alumni Association (CUAA) has penned a book about his life of leadership and volunteerism. The author, Robert B. Crawford ’58, has great credentials, having spent a career in volunteer service and leadership with the Boy Scouts, Ruritan, and AARP, among others. Ben is a past president of the CUAA. “Volunteer Development and Leadership” (August 2020) is an instructive and entertaining book of value for anyone interested in improving their leadership and organization effectiveness. Case studies and examples, along with basic information mixed with humor, are based on Ben’s personal experience. The 23 chapters go from A to Z with “how to” information and feature chapters about BSA, 4-H, AARP, Ruritan, that aid in understanding these organizations. The last two chapters offer some food for thought about politics, the future and life after the pandemic. Within the Bylaws chapter is a

BIRTH NICOLE COLEMAN ’13 AND RASHID BAKER ’12 announce the birth of Remington Baker. Remington was born on June 3, 2020.

section about how Interstate -77 was born. There are 240 pages with 26 color photos. The book costs $24.95, but Ben offers a discount to friends and CUAA members who may purchase the book for $20 which is his cost. To order, contact Ben at ben.crawford@ vt.edu or call 540-961-5733. He said,

OBITUARIES 1940s ____________

MARTHA SPANGLER ROYALL ’46: September 8, 2020. Martha was the only child of Walter Hugh Spangler and Virginia Britts Spangler. She was born in Richlands, VA on September 14, 1925. Martha lived in Richlands for one year and the remainder of her life in

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“I’ll send it to you. If it’s not worth your money, don’t pay me anything and give the book to your local library.” Ben was born in Bluefield and is a veteran of the Korean War. He went to school on the GI Bill graduating from Concord in 1958 with a BS in Business Administration followed by an MS from Virginia Tech, earned while employed as a Boy Scout executive. Crawford taught economics at Concord in the ‘60s while serving as Assistant Director of the Center for Economic Action. He then went to WVU as an Assistant Professor of Management and Director of Continuing Business Education. In the mid-70s he returned again to Concord and Bluefield State. Crawford was honored in 1975 as the CUAA Alumnus of the Year, in 2000 as a Golden Alumnus and in 2012 as Outstanding Alumnus. He retired from Virginia Tech in 1995 and lives in Blacksburg with his wife, Carol. During the pandemic, Ben and Carol have spent time walking nearly a hundred miles on local trails. Bluefield. Martha was a graduate of Beaver High School and Concord College. Also, she attended Bluefield State College and did her graduate work at West Virginia University. She taught school in McDowell, Mercer and Tazewell counties. Martha was a very active and lifelong member of the First Christian Church of Bluefield serving in many capacities. She was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, Edwin Gratton Royall, her parents, half siblings, Robert Hugh Spangler, Helen Sue Tyree, Nell Hardwick and Willie June Woods. Survivors are her daughter Connie Akers and husband Bill of Bluefield, Virginia, grandson Christopher Michael Akers and wife Hillary, great grandchild Aniston,

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of Bristol, Virginia, granddaughter Sarah Kathryn Akers of Alexandria, Virginia, and special relatives Martha and Geroge Birklebach and Francis Shumaker. Martha loved her church family, vegetable garden, flowers and her cats. LAHOMA LEE FARLEY SCHULLER ’48: August 2, 2020. Born May 13, 1926, in a small town outside of Williamson, WV, she was the daughter of the late Dr. James Robert “Dr. Bob” Farley of Delbarton, WV, and Gladys Mae Carnes Farley Palmer of Bluefield, WV. Lahoma was a former art teacher at Fairview Junior High in Bluefield, WV, and retired from Bluefield Middle School in the early 1980s. She earned her degrees and her Masters’ plus 30 from Concord, Marshall University and Bluefield State College. Mrs. Schuller was a member of Bluewell United Methodist Church and lived in Bluewell for over 20 years. She was preceded in death by her husband William Schuller, a 7-year-old daughter, Candice Lynn Schuller and a brother, Randy Gilman of Georgia. Left to cherish her memory are her loving son, Breton Lee Schuller and his wife Brenda Calfee Schuller; loving daughter, Tamara L. Schuller Zeigler and husband Donald of Bluefield, WV; sister, Rebecca Jean Farley O’Dell and husband David of Columbus, OH and their family; brother, James David Farley and wife Beth Baldwin Farley and their son, J.R. of Delbarton, WV; Son, Michael Allen Schuller of Beckley, WV and his daughter, Hannah Michelle Schuller of Huntington, WV; Step-grandchildren, Kimberly Zeigler of Atlanta, GA, Derek Zeigler of Palatka, FL; Step-great-grandchildren, Ayv Ree and Aryanna Zeigler.

1950s ____________

JACKSON L. KISER ’51: October 20, 2020. He was born on June 24, 1929 to the late William Robinette Kiser and Florence Linticum Kiser. Judge Kiser

served the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia and the citizens of the Western District for nearly 40 years. A native of Welch, W.Va., Judge Kiser graduated from Concord College in 1951, before enrolling at Washington and Lee University School of Law, where he received his LL.B. After law school, he served as an officer in the United States Army JAG Corps, and later, in the United States Army Reserves, attaining the rank of Captain. After his military service, Judge Kiser worked as a United States Commissioner for the United States District Court and an Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Virginia, before entering private practice in Martinsville. Over the next 20 years, Judge Kiser practiced general civil and criminal litigation, trying cases throughout the Commonwealth and establishing a reputation as a skilled trial lawyer. In November 1981, President Ronald Reagan nominated Judge Kiser to the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, and the Senate confirmed his nomination the following month. During his long tenure, Judge Kiser was the presiding judge in the Danville Division, and he ably served as Chief Judge from 1993-1997. He assumed senior status in 1997, but continued to maintain an active docket in Danville for the next 23 years. Over the course of his career on the bench, Judge Kiser presided over thousands of civil and criminal cases, including trials in United States v. Virginia, the landmark case involving the Virginia Military Institute’s male-only admissions policy, and United States v. Morrison, a matter involving Congress’ authority to enact the Violence Against Women Act. Both cases were eventually decided by the U.S. Supreme Court and are regularly taught in law schools across the country. Judge Kiser had a demanding standard for all those who appeared in his court, including himself. Generations of lawyers who appeared before Judge Kiser, including several who later became his judicial colleagues, fondly recall his kind and gentlemanly demeanor, steel-trap legal mind, and genuine delight during an effective cross examination. His devoted Danville court staff, including his courtroom deputy Heather McDonald and career law clerk Scott Jones, will remember his quick wit, kindness, and devotion to the cause of justice. Judge Kiser is survived by his wife, Carole, to whom he was married

for 66 years. Judge Kiser is also survived by his children, Bill, John, and Beth; his four grandchildren, Jack, Olivia, Linus, and Augusta; and his brother, William. As a father and a husband, he was always loving and devoted. His ready wit was always present and made things right for everyone. JOAN SPIGLE FIREBAUGH ’52: October 10, 2020. JoAn (aka Mom, Gaga, “The Lady Gaga”), was born January 4, 1931, in Coopers, WV, to Dexter Frazier McMullin and Stella Williamson McMullin. She was predeceased by her parents; sister, Alene McMullin Flynn; first husband, Edward Spigle; second husband, Ray Firebaugh; son-in-law, Richard Gitlin; and a niece and nephew. JoAn grew up in Bramwell, WV and graduated from Concord College in 1952. A lifelong learner, JoAn pursued post graduate studies at the University of Virginia and William & Mary. She taught in Hampton, Roanoke and Fairfax County. She finished her career inspiring students in geography, civics, creative writing, anthropology and history at Queen Anne School in Upper Marlboro, MD. JoAn married Edward Spigle in 1955. She is survived by their daughter, Rebecca (Becky) Collie and her husband, Johnnie Collie. After Edward’s untimely death, JoAn married Ray Firebaugh in 1966 and is survived by their daughter, Judith ( Judy) Gitlin. In addition, she is survived by her grandsons, Taylor and Patrick Collie. Also holding a special place in her heart were Becky’s friends, Judy Glenn, Cindy Szadokierski, Michele Williamson, Patricia Thornton and Kim Allan. JoAn had a smile for everyone she met and also a lot of stories to tell them. Smart and fierce, her many passions include the Redskins, bridge, crossword puzzles and books (usually reading three to four at a time). Her light will forever shine in our hearts. DONALD CHESTER MIKUSH, SR. ’56: July 14, 2020. He was born February 8, 1935 in Wilkes-Barre, PA to the late Chester Sylvester Mikush and

WINTER 2020 CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

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Elizabeth Yurgatis Mikush. A basketball scholarship took him to Concord College, where he played three sports and was leading scorer on the basketball team all four years. He was ranked among the leading scorers in the NAIA in 1955-56 and still held several school records when he was inducted into the Concord College Hall of Fame in 2002. He met the love of his life, Mary Lou Pruett, at a Christmas party in Baltimore, MD while both were teaching. He earned a degree in Physical Therapy from University of Pennsylvania and established a private practice in Baltimore and Ellicott City, MD, where he was beloved by patients during his 44 years as a physical therapist. Don and Mary Lou lived in Ellicott City and Annapolis, MD before retiring to Jacksonville in 2001. In addition to his beloved Mary Lou, he is survived by four children, Donald Chester Mikush, Jr. (Sandra) of Todd, NC; Deborah Mikush Powers (Carl) of Midlothian, VA; David Lawrence Mikush of Windermere, FL; and Donna Mikush Smith (Field) of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. He also leaves to cherish the memories of Pop Pop 14 grandchildren, David Mikush (Cambey), Katie Fogleman (Nick), Jay Mikush; Adam Powers (Deanna), Alex Powers, Mitchell Powers, Ryan Powers and Molly Powers; Clay Mikush (Keri), Courtney Mikush, Melissa Mikush; Kayla Smith, Emma Smith and Reid Smith; and by four great-grandchildren, Lila and Hardin Fogleman and Percy and Russell Mikush. He is survived by three sisters, Bernice Revit, Lisa Mikush and Anita Mikush of Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Amy and Aaron Briers; Casey, Elyse, and Allyson Boland; six great-grandchildren – Sarah, Aiden, and Natalie Walters, Ava Briers, Lyra Briers, Lehea Shannon, and Addilynd Boland; brother Thomas B. Briers and wife Joyce of Bonita Springs, FL; special nephews and nieces Jody Richmond (Angela), Mike Briers (Chandra), Rachel Bell (Ed), Karen Lind (David), and Ronnie Keaton (Lori) also survive. He was a 1953 graduate of Hinton High School. He attended Mars Hill College and received his BS degree in Accounting from Concord College in 1957. Scott was a faithful lifelong member of Miller Memorial United Methodist Church in

CHARLES “SCOTT” BRIERS, JR. ’57: August 31, 2020. Scott was born November 24, 1935, in Hinton, to the late Charles S. Briers, Sr. and Mary V. Long Briers. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 60 years, Emily Keaton Briers, his sister Nancy Richmond, and infant grandson Christopher N. Briers. Left to cherish his memory are: three children, Greg and wife Kelly of Huntington, Jeff and wife Carolyn of Oak Hill, Susan Boland and husband Mitch of Shady Spring; nine grandchildren that loved him dearly – Grant and Delaney Briers; Sam Walters, Heather Shannon, CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

1) Visit smile.amazon.com. It’s exactly like shopping on amazon.com. 2) Select Concord University Foundation, Inc. as your charity of choice. 3) Start shopping! After you’ve chosen Concord University Foundation, Inc. as your charity, your experience will be the same as it is on the Amazon website. And there’s no extra cost for you at checkout! Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of your purchase to the Concord University Foundation, Inc.

Bellepoint. He owned and operated Briers Inc. (furniture store) until he retired in 2007. He was active in many organizations and devoted to the success of Hinton and Summers County. He loved reading his Bible, traveling with Emily, and spending time with his family, friends, and especially his grandchildren. RUTH LIVESAY TYLER ’59: August 25, 2020. She is survived by her loyal and loving daughter, Lisa Lynne Tyler of Bluefield, WV; sister, Frances (Charles) Derenge of Bluefield, WV; and many beloved nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved children, Mark Andrew Tyler, who passed away in 1980, and Stacy Lea Tyler, who passed away in 2013; her brother Glen (Martha) Livesay of Hinton, WV; and sister Agnes (Bruce) Sorensen of Austin, TX. Mrs. Tyler was born December 24, 1929 in Williamsburg, WV to Harry Coe Livesay and Pearl Alma Cockerham who worked as Postmaster and Assistant Postmaster in Williamsburg. After graduating from Concord’s Teaching College Ruth taught for nine years in Greenbrier County. She moved to Florida, got married, and taught in Palm Beach County until she retired in December 1995. She was a resident of Bluefield, W.Va. She was a beautiful, kind, and caring person to all that knew her.

1960s ____________

DONALD CAREY KENSINGER ’60: March 16, 2020. He was a prominent musician and native of Bluefield. Born September 23, 1937, he was the youngest son of James Allen and Faye Fannon Kensinger. A 1955 graduate of Beaver High School, he received his bachelor’s degree in music education from Concord College and a Master’s degree from Radford College. He also studied at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Michigan State University, and Westmin-

Class Notes XXXXXXXXXXX

ster Choir College. After beginning his teaching career as a traveling music teacher in Mercer County, he moved to Bluefield High School as Choral Music Director. In the tradition of his high school mentor Elizabeth Shelton, he boasted an enrollment of two hundred singers in his choir. Advancing for a short tenure at Concord College, he transferred to Bluefield State College as instructor of music education courses. Forever a community servant, he founded and directed the Flat Top National Bank Christmas choir. For ten years he served as musical director for Summit Players. When the current Fine Arts Center was threatened with demolition, he helped raise funds for its restoration and renovation. In more recent years, he played a major role in securing two concert grand pianos for the Bluefield Fine Arts stage. One of his proudest achievements was serving as choir director/organist at First Presbyterian Church for fifty-seven years. He was also an ordained deacon and elder at his church. In recent years, he assisted the local Jewish synagogue as accompanist for their special services. After his retirement from Bluefield State College, he organized and directed the BSC Community Chorus. The recipient of some well-deserved honors, he was elected Teacher of the Year at Bluefield State College. Upon his retirement from that institution in 2000, he was named Professor Emeritus. Proudly, he was elected to the Bluefield High School Hall of Fame in 2014. Survivors include his wife of thirty-eight years, Eleanor Douthat Kensinger; a sister, Janice Heath (Raeford) of Summerfield, North Carolina. He is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews, by his “angel” caregiver, Evelyn Davis, and by his felines that he loved dearly. JOEL EDWARD BAILEY ’61: September 27, 2020. Joel was born September 30, 1931, in Hinton, WV, to Alfred and Pauline Bailey. A graduate of Princeton High School in West Virginia, he attended Montgomery Tech and earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Concord University. Joel retired from WPAFB, where he worked as a systems analyst. Following that, he

drove a school bus for Beavercreek for ten years. Joel volunteered his time to Beavercreek schools, as well as the Xenia Adult Recreation and Services Center. He was a resident of Columbus and formerly of Fairborn. Joel had a big heart and gave to others selflessly. He is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Virginia, siblings, Joeline Snider Phipps, Alfred Bailey, Mary Katherine Thomas. Joel is survived by his children, Leah Bailey of Fairborn, Keith (Andria) Bailey of North Carolina, Regina (Larry) Deese of Georgia, Stephen Bailey of Columbus, and Virgil (Karen) Bailey of Colorado; grandchildren Janene, Matthew, Amanda, Angela, Richard, Scott and Ricky; nine great-grandchildren, several nieces, nephews, and numerous friends, including a very special life-long friend Doug Thomas of Princeton, WV. SARA ANN MARTIN ’61: October 22, 2020. Ann was a loving, faithful, and devoted mother, grandmother, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. Her family deeply grieves her loss, but celebrates the unconditional love she gave so freely. Ann was born on February 2, 1941 in Coopers, WV, to the late Sarah (Nisewander) and Harless Cook. Ann attended Bramwell High School, and then continued her education at Concord College, where she completed her bachelor’s degree, in Education. While in school, Ann was a sorority member, participated in intramural activities, and was a majorette with the band. Ann was a dedicated lifelong teacher. After her college graduation and marriage in 1961, she and her husband, Richard “Dick” Martin, moved to Morgantown, WV, where she began her teaching career in Preston County. Dick’s career took them to Buies Creek, NC, where all three of their children were born, then back to West Virginia. Each relocation brought a new teaching opportunity to Ann. Once settling their family in Lost Creek, WV in the early 1980s, Ann took a job teaching mathematics at Gore Junior High School. She completed her career 20-plus years later, in 2001 at the very same school. Ann, or Mrs. Martin, as most knew her, taught her students just as she lived her life, with

kindness, enthusiasm, and compassion. Following retirement, Dick and Ann moved to Southport, NC where she enjoyed the warmer temperatures and, above all, spending time with her loved ones. Many summers were spent with family and friends visiting, fishing, boating, and taking in the sunsets from their family home. Ann was her fullest self in the relationships, moments and milestones shared and celebrated with her grandchildren and children. She was a resident of Saint Cloud, FL. Ann was preceded in death by her parents, and husband. She is survived by her three children and their spouses, Lisa and Kevin Reed, of Winchester, VA, Richie and Lori Martin, of Morgantown, WV, and Karen and Jason Veit, of Orlando, FL; her four grandchildren, Lauren and Erika Reed, Jacob Martin, and Sarah Veit; her sister, Mary Sue Hickock of Charleston, WV; her sister-in-law, Marilyn (Martin) Curtin, of Smithfield, VA; two nephews, and three nieces. Ann, our beautiful “Mom”, “Memaw”, “Nemaw”, will live forever in our hearts and be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her. LEETA GAE WARREN SINK ’62: August 20, 2020. Leeta made her entrance into this world on October 10, 1940. The love of her life was Johnny Sink. Leeta leaves behind her daughters, Sandra Sink, Lisa (Scott) Eagle; grandchildren, Erika (Chris) Gibson, Eyan Eagle and many loyal friends both silver and gold. RONALD EDWARD KEISER ‘64: September 3, 2020. Beloved husband, father, grandfather, teacher and coach, Ronald Edward Keiser was born to Edward B. Keiser and Mary Franes Keiser on May 8, 1941 in Northfork, WV. He fully lived 79 years. Ron, or as he was better known, “Bone”, attended Concord on a baseball, basketball and football scholarship. It was there he met the love

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of his life, Norma Lee German. After a whirlwind courtship they were married on December 28, 1963. After Norma graduated in 1966, they moved back to her home town of Seaford where they began their journey together. In the winter of 1970, Ron and Lee adopted two brothers, aged 6 and 7. They brought them home to Seaford to share their lives, love and never looked back. The quiet and uncluttered home quickly transformed into a place of brotherly brawls, skinned knees, sticky fingers and muddy feet. Ron loved every minute of it. Ron always told everyone “they say you can’t choose your family; they are wrong, I choose everyone.” Coach Keiser left teaching and worked briefly in the family trucking business and then in the car business. It wasn’t long before he was called back to his love of teaching and coaching football and he returned to teaching in 1974. He went on to teach and coach in Indian River, Woodbridge, Seaford, St. Michaels and Denton until he retired in 1997. He spent his retirement working in real estate, playing golf, enjoying his family and friends and of course watching football every chance he got. Those left to cherish fond memories are his loving wife, Norma German Keiser; two sons, Edward Keiser of Bluefield, WV and Ronald J. Keiser of Sharptown, MD; Eight grandchildren; one great-granddaughter; and many other relatives and friends. DON ELLIS AUTRY YONTZ ’64: September 14, 2020. He was born in Saltville, Va., on June 20, 1940, to the late Nelia Shortt and Garland Thomas Yontz. He was the fourth of seven children. Don lettered all four years in both high school (Saltville Shakers) and Concord College football and track. Many of the records set by Don still stand today. Don enjoyed the game of golf tremendously as well as fly fishing. Don was approached by several NFL teams. However, he chose to continue with college, raise his family, and focus on a business career. Don was HR manager with DuPont and Mohasco Industries before

starting his own business, Human Resource & Quality, an HR and management consulting firm. Don was preceded in death by his parents, Nelia S. and Garland T. Yontz; and two brothers, Neil Yontz and Fred Yontz. He is survived by his wife, Marie; three children, Cynthia Yontz of Abingdon, Va., Rob Yontz (Shannon) of Olympia, Wash., and Bill Yontz (Ruth) of Raleigh, N.C.; two brothers, Warren Yontz (Marlene) of China Grove, N.C., and Dale Yontz (Wynette) of Wytheville, Va.; two sisters, Doris Falter (Dennis) of Raleigh, N.C., and Joy Cole ( Jack) of Abingdon, Va.; Don’s stepson, Scott Wharton of Clearwater, Fla.; granddaughter, Carley Yontz (Rob’s daughter) of Costa Mesa, Calif.; granddaughter, Brooke Wharton (Scott’s daughter), at University of Alabama; and Betty Soyars Eades, the mother of Don’s children, of Abingdon Va.

1970s ____________

TERRENCE SHANE ST. CLAIR, SR. ’72: August 2, 2020. Born August 28, 1943 in Princeton, he was the son of the late Elmer J. St. Clair and Eva Nelson St. Clair. He was a 1960 graduate of Princeton High School where he played football and a 1972 graduate of Concord University. Terry was a retired Allstate Insurance Agent. He formerly worked at Kendrick Men’s Store, Stag Men’s Store, and former manager at Sears in Elizabethton, TN. He attended Immanuel Baptist Church in Princeton and formerly coached Little League basketball. Formerly of Princeton, he was a resident of Radford, VA. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Jane Carr St. Clair. Survivors include one daughter, D. Paige Marshall and husband Jeff of Fairlawn, VA; one son, T. Shane St. Clair, II and wife Laura of Jumping Branch, WV; three grandchildren, Carley St. Clair, Matthew St. Clair, and Daniel Wimmer; one brother, Dr. Thomas “Tom” St. Clair and wife Denise of Bastian, VA; and a half sister, Janet St. Clair Norman and husband Stan of Beckley, WV.

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EVONNE HARVEY ’74: September 18, 2020. Evonne was born to Bernard and Jacqueline Pennington of Princeton WV, June 11, 1952. Evonne was a 1970 graduate of Princeton Sr. High School, 1974 graduate of Concord College, and completed her Master of Education & Safety from Marshall University. She lovingly touched the lives of numerous students as a primary education teacher for 35 years for the Mercer County School System. Evonne was married to Stanley Harvey of Athens on August, 10, 1972, both faithful members of Mount Jackson Baptist Church of Athens. Evonne was preceded in death by parents Bernard and Jacquline Pennington of Princeton WV, father-in-law Cecil Harvey, mother-in-law Pauline Harvey, sister-in-law Rita Lovern of Athens, nephew Scott McMillan of Athens, and brother-in-law Minor “Ray” Edgell of Princeton. She is survived by her loving husband of 48 years, Stanley Harvey of Athens, sister Vera and husband Tom Johnson of Princeton, brother Jason Pennington and wife Renea of Bastian, VA, her sister-in-law Judy and husband Sam McMillan of Athens, and brotherin-law Dale Lovern of Athens. Surviving nephews and nieces include niece Jessica Edgell Muncy and husband Michael, great nephews Britton and Isaac Muncy, nephew David Edgell and wife Elisha, great nephew Deegan Edgell great niece Cora Edgell, nephew Dustin Pennington and wife Haley, niece Emma Pennington, niece Staci McMillan Holliday and husband Jamaal, great nephew Brycen Holliday, nephew Brad Lovern and wife, Ashley and great nephew Brodi Lovern and great niece, Anniston Lovern. BONNIE GAYLE DYKES LAVENDER ’74: August 21, 2020. Bonnie was a devoted wife, sister, aunt and friend. She was born on November 10, 1951, in Welch, WV, the youngest of five children, to Julius and Rosa Lee Dykes. In 1969,

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she met and married her soul mate of the last 51 years, Wallace Lavender. Bonnie earned her undergraduate degree in Business from Concord University and a master’s degree in Counseling from Marshall University. For 28 years, she joyfully served her community and her “kids” in McDowell County, West Virginia, as their mentor, teacher, and guidance counselor. She was also the Coordinator for their Drug Free Schools Program, where she wrote many grants that provided funds and resources for the students. She retired in 2004 and relocated to High Point, NC, where she and Wallace began and, very much enjoyed, their next chapter. Bonnie will be remembered as a great cook, an avid golfer, who also enjoyed pickleball, and someone who had a passion for playing cards and games, especially with her family and friends. She was the life of any gathering and always greeted everyone with a huge smile and hug. She was preceded in death by her parents, Julius and Rosa Lee Dykes; her sister, Anna Mae Roncaglione; and a brother, Rex Eugene Dykes. She is survived by her husband, Wallace Lavender of High Point, NC; her sister, Linda (Bill) Pantili of Princeton, WV; her brother J.A. “Sonny” (Debra) Dykes of High Point, NC; her sisters-in-law, Billie Dykes of Richmond, VA, and Jodie Lavender Lewis of Allisonia, VA; and her only brother-in-law, Kent Lavender of Durham, NC; as well as many nieces and nephews. She had two very special lifelong friends, Ellen Wood of Farmville, VA, and Tanya Cook of Welch, WV, with whom she worked most of her career in the McDowell County School System.

1980s ____________

KATHRYN KEYES SPIVEY ’85: April 27, 2020. Katie was born in Mercer County, WV on July 2, 1964, to Olin P. Keyes, Jr. and Mary Lou Baldwin Keyes. She was the owner of Carolina Legal Beagle in Raleigh. After leaving Raleigh, Katie and her husband, Robbie, moved to West End and built Katie’s dream home in the country. She enjoyed feeling the wind riding motorcycles with her husband as well as being an excellent marksman.

Katie will also be remembered as being a fighter during her battle with cancer. She leaves behind her husband, Robert “Robbie” Spivey; her sister, Karol Denniston, and her husband James; her brother, Charles Keys; her step-daughter, Jennifer Harvey and her husband, Brian; her step-grandchildren, Blythe, Addison, and Mallory.

1990s ____________

MARK LEE FISCHER ’90: February 17, 2019. Mark left an indelible legacy of pride, strength, commitment and toughness for those who knew and loved him to cherish forever. His passion for coaching, his love for the Louisa community and his desire to positively impact the lives of those around him will shine on forever. Those left to carry on Mark’s legacy are his beloved and devoted wife, Pamela Hope Fischer; children, Mackenzie Leigh and Troy Joseph, of Mineral; parents, Fred and Virginia Fischer, of Louisa; siblings, Kate Fischer Bir and her husband, Tom, and their children, Hope and Drew, of Raleigh, N.C.; uncle and aunt, Roy and Marilyn Self, of Pilot Point, Texas; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Delmer and Shirley Blankenship, of Biasden, W.Va.; his brothers-in-law, Rodney Blankenship (Kim), of Wharncliffe, W.Va., and Darrick Blankenship (Rebecca), of Louisville, Tenn.; loving nieces, Ashton Hope Walls ( Jon), of Wharncliffe, W.Va., and Briley Hope Blankenship, of Louisville, Tenn.; and great-nephew, Jenson Wade Walls. Mark was preceded in death by grandparents, George and Alma Fischer, of Fall River, Mass., and Roy and Mary Self, of Arlington, Texas. Mark’s earthly race began in Corpus Christi, Texas on June 14, 1964. Mark graduated from Mills E. Godwin High School in 1983. He played football at Concord University where he graduated with a business degree. Mark’s calling in life was as a football coach, teacher and mentor. Mark began his coaching career in Henrico County by serving on the coaching staff at Brookland Middle School and Henrico High School. He also

served as the head coach at Armstrong High School, in Richmond. In what would become his dream job, Mark became the head coach at Louisa County High School in 2003. In 12 seasons with the program, the Lions won 96 games, completed three undefeated seasons, won five Jefferson District championships and appeared in the state championship game in 2006 and 2017. From 2011 to 2014, Mark served as the head coach at St. James High School in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Fischer family will always cherish their time as a member of the Shark family. Mark was named Jefferson District Coach of the Year six times by his peers (2004, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2017). He was named the Virginia Coach of the Year by the Associated Press in 2006. The field at Louisa County High School was also dedicated as The Mark L. Fischer Field in 2017, an honor for which Mark was eternally grateful. Mark courageously battled multiple myeloma for seven years. During that time, he inspired thousands of people worldwide with his will to live. Mark’s fight became his platform to motivate the masses, and ultimately, the path to a redeeming relationship with his Creator. Mark has fought his good fight, he has kept his faith and he has finished his race. Mark transcended each challenge that met him – both on and off the field – through his unwavering determination to run through it. Mark will forever be known for having the will of a warrior, and the heart of a lion. KIMBERLY CHRISTINE HATCHER HARRISON ’93: August 7, 2020. She was born on October 29, 1971 in Beckley, the daughter of Fred and June Christian Hatcher She was a social studies teacher at Westside High School. She loved her students and was loved by them. She graduated from Oceana High School and Concord College. She received master’s degrees in geography and history from Marshall University. She was a faithful member of Lillyhaven Baptist Church, Daughters of the American Revolution and American Federation of Teachers. In addition to her parents, survivors include her husband of 19 years, Kevin, daughters Erin Lea Harrison and Emily (Adam) Cozort, and her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Darrell and Mary Adams.

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FRIEND OF CONCORD LINDA LEE CASSELL HAWKINS: September 2, 2020. Born November 14, 1933 in Charleston, she was the daughter of the late Nancy Taylor Cassell. In addition to her mother, she was preceded in death by her husband, John W. Hawkins, and a son, David Peter Hawkins. She was a 1952 graduate of Green Bank High School, and received her bachelor’s degree in Music from Marshall University in 1956 and earned her master’s degree in Music from Eastern New Mexico University. Mrs. Hawkins was well-known in the community for her capacity to deliver musical perfection. She had called Princeton home since 1972, and was one of the most beloved directors of

the Princeton High School Madrigals from 1982-1993, where many of her students affectionately called her “Mrs. H”. She said one of her proudest teaching moments was when her 1988 Madrigal group was selected as the Honor Choir to sing for the West Virginia Music Educators Conference. Though her humility stopped her from mentioning her many musical accomplishments, she would always say she had too many fond memories to list them. Mrs. Hawkins had sung at many memorable weddings and funerals. Her favorite Easter Song was “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” from Handel’s Messiah. She performed this composition with the Elkins Community Choir for many years. Mrs. Hawkins had a simple philosophy, “Music expresses what words cannot”, and she will be remembered for developing the musical talents of hundreds of students. Mrs. Hawkins was a music educator in the public-school system for 34 years and an adjunct professor of music at Concord University for 15 years post-re-

tirement. Outside the classroom, Mrs. Hawkins worked tirelessly directing several church choirs in the area. She had directed multiple Christmas and Easter Cantatas with both the First United Methodist Church and Kee Street United Methodist Church, both in Princeton, while serving as their respective choir director. She also served as the co-founder and co-director for the Four Season’s Vocal Arts Ensemble. Mrs. Hawkins would admit she fell into the category of “once a teacher always a teacher”. Her instruction, sprinkled with humor and enthusiasm, inspired many throughout her life to pursue education and the arts. With all the recognition and accolades that Linda Hawkins enjoyed, her family was her priority and her joy. Those left to cherish her memory are her five children, William John Hawkins, Nancy Mathwich Price and husband Steve, Elizabeth Hawkins Ball, John W. Hawkins Jr. and wife Peggy, James R. Hawkins and wife Mindy; ten grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Colin Worthington ’99 Honored by Ga. Broadcasters The Georgia Association of Broadcasters recently gave their annual awards to broadcasters in a virtual ceremony. Colin Worthington, who graduated from Concord University with a major in Broadcasting and Communications, was awarded the Best Newscast Small Market Radio for the state of Georgia. Worthington is the news director for Gradick Communications and is the on-air personality for their newscasts, including WLBB. Gradick Communications operates 6 radio stations and is headquartered in Carrollton Ga., west of Atlanta. Worthington’s newscasts appear on all the stations, which cover both AM and FM. In addition, he is featured on WLBB Newstalk Radio as an in-depth interviewer. He has covered a wide variety of community and state-wide news in his newscast and interviews. The Georgia Association of Broadcasters awards recognize broadcast engineers who over their careers have displayed

outstanding leadership and have contributed significantly to Georgia’s broadcast industry. The winners are selected by a committee of previous award recipients. The award categories are general, digital and radio in both small and large markets. Worthington’s award was for the Best Newscast Small Market Radio. This award recognized the best short-form spot newscast. The judges consider original writing, production, use of sound and compelling delivery. 2020 was the first year that Gradick Communications ever submitted an entry to the association. In addition to acknowledging Worthington’s individual award, his news team was also recognized for Best Feature Story. This is not the first time that Worthington has been recognized for excel-

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lence in news reporting. In 2014, he was awarded the Georgia School Boards Association Beacon Award. This award recognizes print and electronic media outlets whose coverage has created an understanding of public education to the general public. Worthington has been an on-air news personality and news director for WLBB and the other stations for 12 years. He lives in Carrollton, Ga. with his son, Liam. Worthington graduated from Concord University in 1999. He jokingly says that his years at Concord were the “best 10 years of his life.” Colin fondly remembers hanging out in Ron Burgher’s office and watching Days of Our Lives in the Concordian office with fellow communications students. Ironically, Worthington’s mother, Karen Vuranch who is on the faculty of Concord University, now has the office that formerly belonged to Dr. Burgher, where her son spent much of his time as a Concord student.

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DR. JOHN RUSH ELKINS Dr. John Rush Elkins of Beaver, W.Va., passed away on September 21, 2020. He was born on November 16, 1941, in Beckley to the late Delmas Elkins and Willa Peters Elkins. John graduated in 1959 from Woodrow Wilson High School in Beckley where he was a class valedictorian. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at West Virginia Tech in Montgomery in 1963 and his Ph.D. in organic chemistry at West Virginia University in 1966. He began his professional career as a member of the faculty at Bluefield State College, and retired as Professor of Chemistry in 2000 after 29 years of service at Concord. His passion was the preparation of competitive students for post-graduate programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and academics, and he was widely recog-

PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY, EMERITUS nized for his success. John’s second passion was restoration of the American chestnut in hardwood forests of the eastern United States. He and his colleagues, Dr. Gary and Lucille Griffin, founded the American Chestnut Cooperators’ Foundation, a nonprofit scientific and educational foundation, in 1986, and together they have pursued the development of blight-resistant all-American chestnut trees (www.accf-online. org). In recognition of this work, John was enshrined in the West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame in 2001. John was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife, Jane Armstrong Elkins (1945 - 1985), the mother of his two sons and his sister Nancy Ellen Elkins. He is survived by his second wife, Joyce Foster, whom he

ELLEN LOUISE SHORTS PENNINGTON Ellen Louise Shorts Pennington of Speedway passed away on October 23, 2020. Born September 2, 1938 at Princeton, she was the daughter of the late Emuel Lee “Charlie” Shorts and Sarah Katherine Wright Shorts. Ellen was a graduate of Princeton High School Class of 1956. Ellen began working at a young age while in school, G.C. Murphy’s in Princeton was her first job. She later worked at Concord College in Athens for more than 30 years. She was a faithful member of Painter’s Chapel United Methodist Church of Speedway where she held every position in the church at one time or another. She was a preacher for Christ and was the life of the

married in 1991. He is also survived by his son Perry John Elkins and daughter-in-law, Billie Follensbee, of Springfield, Missouri, and his son, Gregory Lewis Elkins, and daughter-in-law, Tracie Adams Elkins, of Suffolk, Virginia.

LONGTIME CONCORD EMPLOYEE

church. Her love for music was well known, having played the piano for both Painter’s Chapel and James Chapel churches. Ellen was well known and highly respected for her abilities for arranging and organizing weddings, receptions and cake making for hundreds of couples getting married through a family business “Mountaineer Catering”. She was a prayer warrior and great witness for her Lord and Savior, she never met a stranger nor did she ever fail to tell someone of how good God is, and all that He has done for her and her family. Ellen was the glue that kept her family together, having shared the history and her knowledge of the area and her family. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sweetheart

and husband of 60 years, Matthew Arnold Pennington along with a brother Emuel L. Shorts Jr. and brothers-in-law: Clarence “Bill” Woolridge and Larry Pennington. Those left to cherish her memory, three loving and devoted children, Kimberly Catron and husband Gilbert, Keith Pennington and wife Donna, Karen Patton and husband Tony, ten grandchildren, Matthew ( Jessica) Catron, Sara ( James) Hart, Michael (Kellie) Catron, Sonya (Randy) McPherson, Josiah (Nicole) Pennington, Bryan Pennington, Kayla (Mark) Parson, Brittany (Robert) Blevins, Daniel (Kiersten) Pennington and Laura Bragg. Twenty-three great-grandchildren; sisters Beulah Woolridge, Margaret Pennington and Mary Matherly and husband Ellis, brother Jim Shorts and wife Shirley, special nephew, Freddie Conner and wife Anita along with a host of nieces, nephews, and her church family.

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DR. JOHN DURST SEAGO Dr. John Durst Seago passed away on September 09, 2020. John was born June 13, 1937, in Greenwood, SC to Pierce and Helen Durst Seago who preceded him in death along with his brothers, Pete and Keith Seago and his first wife, Frances “Boots” Seago. He graduated from Sarasota High School, was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Florida State University and a PhD. in PhysioPsychology from Texas Christian University. He retired from Concord as Professor of Psychology and Chairman of the Division of Social Sciences. Survivors include his wife, Faye (Lawhorn/Robertson) Seago. Faye and John were married on May 12, 2001 and on July 14, 2002, they renewed their vows before family and friends. Faye says, “For 19 years, John lived to make me happy. He is the most honest, kind, intelligent and disciplined gentlemen I have ever known. John had no love for lying, racism, bigotry but adoring love for me, his family and friends. When you remember John, put your arms around anyone and give them the love you want to give John, because he would want to leave as his legacy something more than thoughts

PROFESSOR PSYCHOLOGY, EMERITUS or words. Let him live on in the sparkle in your eyes, your bravery and your acts of kindness. Remember that love does not die. People do. So now, all that is left of John is love, please share it. Please give him away!” Additional survivors include son and daughter-in-law, Dr. John D. Seago, III and Melissa; grandchildren, Derek and Matthew Seago and McKenzie Grubb of Virginia Beach, VA; step-son, Sean Robertson; step-granddaughter, Victoria Robertson of Princeton, WV. John was an adoring “PawPaw” to Darcy and Marlee Chapman who made his eyes sparkle and his heart sing. His survivors also include sisters-in-law, Margaret Seago of The Villages, FL, Virginia Seago of Boca Raton, FL; nieces, Helen Miller of Houston, TX and Diane Lazko of Mooresville, NC; and nephew, Keith Seago of Boca Raton, FL. John had a special relationship with nephews, Mark Seago, his wife, Angy (whom John called “Sweetie Pie”), David, Kyle and Emma of Earlysville, VA and Kevin, Jenny and Jada Karnes of Roanoke, VA and his sweet neighbors Allen and Angie Hampton, Jada and Blake and Joe and Sandra Grizzel.

John golfed for many years with Red Jones, Bud Hager, Mac McKinney and Gayle Bolton, whom he loved like brothers. He and his pool partner at Princeton Elks Lodge, Jim Willis, enjoyed beating Bud, Tom, Ben, Bob and Ron, although it didn’t happen often. John and Faye treasure the friendships they made at ballroom dance classes. John’s favorite charity is the Five Aces Scholarship Fund at Concord University, also enjoyed by Danny Meade, Greg Ball, Phillip Ball, Dr. Jerry Beasley, Dr. Joe Manzo, Ray Mull and Dr. David Bard.

SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE! We want to hear from you! Send us your personal and professional accomplishments, news on marriages and family additions and updates on other noteworthy events in your life. Photographs are always welcome! Mail: Concord University ATTN: Office of Advancement P.O. Box 1000, Athens, WV 24712 Email: advancement@concord.edu

CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE WINTER 2020

2021 SPRING SPORTS SCHEDULES All game dates are subject to change. Game times will be announced at a later date.

Men’s Basketball 1/7/21 Away 1/10/21 Home 1/13/21 Home 1/16/21 Away 1/20/21 Home 1/23/21 Away 1/27/21 Away 1/30/21 Home 2/3/21 Home 2/6/21 Away 2/10/21 Home 2/13/21 Home 2/17/21 Away 2/20/21 Home 2/24/21 Away 2/27/21 Away 3/3/21-3/7/21 MEC Tournament

U. of Charleston WV State WV Wesleyan Davis & Elkins West Liberty Wheeling Fairmont St. Frostburg St. Alderson Broaddus Notre Dame Glenville Davis and Elkins WV State U. of Charleston WV Wesleyan Glenville Wheeling, WV

Men’s Soccer 2/19/21 Home 2/26/21 Away 3/5/21 Home 3/12/21 Away 3/19/21 Away 3/26/21 Home 4/2/21 Home 4/16/21 Away

Davis & Elkins WV Wesleyan Frostburg State Charleston Wheeling West Liberty Alderson-Broaddus Notre Dame

Women’s Basketball 1/7/21 Away 1/10/21 Home 1/13/21 Home 1/16/21 Away 1/20/21 Home 1/23/21 Away 1/27/21 Away 1/30/21 Home 2/3/21 Home 2/6/21 Away 2/10/21 Home 2/13/21 Home 2/17/21 Away 2/20/21 Home 2/24/21 Away 2/27/21 Away 3/3/21-3/7/21 MEC Tournament

Women's Soccer 2/26/21 Away 3/5/21 Beckley 3/12/21 Beckley 3/21/21 Away 3/26/21 Beckley 4/2/21 Away 4/9/21 Beckley 4/16/21 Away

WV State Charleston Glenville Davis & Elkins Wheeling U. of Charleston WV State Glenville

All 2021 Soccer Home Games will be played at the Paul Cline Sports Complex in Beckley, West Virginia.

Baseball 3/20/21 Home 3/21/21 Home 3/27/21 Away 3/28/21 Away 4/2/21 Home 4/3/21 Home 4/10/21 Away 4/10/21 Away 4/17/21 Away 4/18/21 Away 4/24/21 Home 4/25/21 Home 5/1/21 Home 5/2/21 Home 5/7/21 Away 5/9/21 Home

Softball Wheeling West Liberty Alderson-Broaddus Notre Dame Frostburg State Fairmont State WV State WV State WV Wesleyan WV Wesleyan Davis & Elkins Davis & Elkins Charleston Charleston Glenville State Glenville State

Football 3/13/21 3/20/21 3/27/21 4/3/21 4/10/21

Home Away Away Home Away

Charleston WV State WV Wesleyan Glenville State UNC-Pembroke

3/20/21 Away 3/21/21 Away 3/27/21 Away 3/28/21 Away 4/2/21 Home 4/3/21 Home 4/7/21 Away 4/10/21 Home 4/11/21 Home 4/17/21 Away 4/18/21 Away 4/21/21 Home 4/24/21 Away 4/25/21 Away 4/30/21 Home 5/1/21 Home

Charleston WV State Davis & Elkins WV Wesleyan WV State Charleston Glenville State Wheeling West Liberty Frostburg State Fairmont State Glenville State Alderson-Broaddus Notre Dame WV Wesleyan Davis & Elkins