Concord University Noteworthy 2020

INSIDE THIS IS-

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Ron Bacigal Class of 1964

Jane Congdon Class of 1966

Pat Tolley Class of 1977

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Special Edition 2020

J. Wade Lopez Class of 1987

Kahlil Joseph Class of 2003

Joni Stepp Class of 2008

MAGAZINE STAFF Vice President for Advancement: Alicia Besenyei Director of Alumni and Donor Relations: Sarah Turner '98 Director of Communications: Amy Pitzer Creative Services Manager: Foster Sheppard '14 Staff Writer: Sarah M. Pritchett Staff Writer: Lindsey Byars '03

Concord University Office of Advancement PO Box 1000 Athens, WV, 24712

1-304-384-6311 • Fax: 1-304-384-6017 advancement@concord.edu • www.concord.edu

Professor Ron Bacigal ’64 Renowned as Criminal Law and Procedure Authority

BY LINDSEY BYARS

he year was 1964. The Beatles stormed the United States with their number one hit, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” sparking what became the British Invasion of pop music. Muhammad Ali was crowned heavyweight boxing champion of the world, and the first Ford Mustang rolled off the assembly line. As race riots broke out across the country in major cities and on college campuses, Lyndon B. Johnson signed The Civil Rights Act, a monumental step towards equality. The U.S. already had troops in Vietnam, and in ’64, the President sent more, increasing our presence in the country and involvement in the war.

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“It was just a wild time in this country,” Ron Bacigal remembers.

While the United States was in the throes of monumental historical change the year Ronald Bacigal graduated from Concord College, Athens was not feeling the effects as much as other parts of the country were.

“It was a quiet, little old town, which was kind of nice. You know, focused on campus. The world didn’t intrude a whole lot, so in some ways it was kind of a nice escape from so much of the turmoil,” Ron says.

A native of Pittsburgh, Penn., Ron came to Concord after his initial college plans fell through. At 18, his goals were like many teenagers’: “I came to college to play football and drink beer.” Ron laughs remembering his NOTEWORTHY CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

earlier aspirations. He only played football one year for Concord due to an injury, and when accounting proved to be less than inspiring, or as he called it, “boring,” Ron switched majors to history and political science. It was in this arena that Ron thrived.

“I had always had an interest in being a lawyer…I sort of returned to where I started from,” Ron says.

While he studied at Concord, there were two professors specifically that shaped Ron’s future. He would continue towards law after graduation, but with the intention of becoming a professor. He enjoyed the campus environment and wanted the opportunity to eventually become part of one as a faculty member. »

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“I think about the outstanding faculty that really inspired me, partly to want to teach and also to just kind of open my mind. There were two professors particularly, there was Benard Kiernan and he taught political philosophy and Doc Moore who taught political science,” Ron says. “I would just sit there with my mouth open. They just taught me so much. I feel like who I am I owe so much to those two professors.”

After graduation, Ron went on to law school at Washington and Lee University School of Law. During his time there, he studied in Europe as a Fulbright Scholar. The focus of his studies was setting up what was called at the time the common market, which later became the European Union. Ron described the experience as a mix of law, political science, and economics.

“It was great in terms of the intellectual community and it was also great because there were students from just about every European country and a couple from South America. It was a great experience,” he said.

In 1971, Ron started teaching law at the University of Richmond and did not leave the university until he retired in 2019. He spent many summers in the United Kingdom teaching at the University of Cambridge, trips he got to enjoy with his children and grandchildren. In his 48 years of service, Ron taught and wrote in the areas of criminal law, criminal process and procedure, and evidence. He is the author and co-author of more than a dozen books and nearly 50 articles on these subjects. When it comes to

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treatises on criminal law, criminal procedure, criminal procedure forms, evidence, and jury instructions, Ron literally wrote the book for West Publishing’s Virginia Practice Series.

Putting these books together requires an extensive amount of research into capital cases, and getting help proved to be a struggle over the years.

“It’s so gruesome,” Ron explains. “I’ve had women research assistants quit because they said, ‘I can’t stand reading these files, all these murders people do, particularly with violence to women.’ So, I mean, they’ve actually quit saying, ‘I just can’t do it.’”

The task of researching and putting together a manual for practicing law may be challenging, but Ron has dedicated many years to making sure that the work is done for the betterment of the Virginia court system.

It was a quiet, little town, which was kind of nice. The world didn't intrude a whole lot, so in some ways it was kind of nice to escape from so much of the turmoil.

“I try to write the manuals from both sides, so it’s not like I’m doing it for the defense or the prosecution. I try to just say what the law is and help them with the trial, so even though it’s gruesome to read the facts, hopefully the manual I do will help them try the case properly and get the right results,” Ron says. “So you just have to suck it up and get past the gruesome facts and assume that you’re doing some good by writing the manual.”

Over the years, Ron has served as Reporter of Criminal Decisions for the Virginia Court of Appeals, which means 10 judges write their comments on cases, send them to Ron, and he then gives any suggestions he might have.

“They either accept that or they ignore me,” Ron says. “When the chief justices hired me, they said, ‘We want you to think of yourself as one of us. Only you don’t get a vote.’”

Even if he doesn’t get a vote on the final

Ron with his daughter, son-in-law and his three grandchildren playing croquet on the beautiful grounds of Cambridge University in England.

outcome, Ron Bacigal is widely regarded as the leading authority on Virginia criminal law and procedure. He has weighed in on many highprofile cases, including the D.C. Sniper case in October of 2002, when 10 people were killed and three others critically wounded in a series of coordinated shootings in the BaltimoreWashington Metropolitan Area.

Ron began his career at the height of the civil rights movement, and over the last five decades, he has seen many changes in terms of how the U.S. Constitution is interpreted.

“It’s interesting to see the change from when I was young and you had a Warren court which was kind of more liberal and the pendulum swinging to a much more conservative Supreme Court,” Ron says. “It’s been interesting to watch that transition over the years.”

Ron Bacigal’s accomplishments since leaving Concord College in ’64 are extensive.

His award recognitions include the University of Richmond’s Distinguished Educator Award (twice), the Virginia State Council of Higher

Education’s Outstanding Faculty Award, and the Criminal Law Section of the Virginia State Bar’s Harry L. Carrico Professionalism Award.

These days, Ron may be spending more time on the golf course than in the classroom, but he still intends on working with the Virginia court system throughout retirement. Publishing is a different story.

“I think I’m burnt out on writing,” Ron says.

“I’ve written over 20 some books in my life, so I think it’s time that I stop that.”

Looking back across his career and education, Ron holds the faculty of Concord in high esteem.

“Obviously I went to law school and had professors there and I did Fulbright and had international professors and all that, but some of the people at Concord were probably some of the best teachers I’ve ever had…those were topnotch people at Concord,” he says. █

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Author Jane Congdon ’66 Spotlights Travels, Trails and Transylvania in

BY SARAH M. PRITCHETT

ward-winning author Jane Barnett Congdon says she had originally planned to minor in Physical Education at Concord, but turned her focus to English instead, thanks to some wise faculty advice.

“One of my English professors, Dr. James Shrewsbury, took me aside and said, ‘What are you doing [taking Physical Education]?’” she recalls.

Heeding Dr. Shrewsbury’s counsel, she switched her minor to English. “I discovered my love of words,” she said. “I discovered literature. I discovered I could write.”

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“This college was responsible for my love of the English language, and every career I’ve ever had has been related,” she said. “I found out here what I was best suited for and what I loved.”

Jane was 16 when she graduated from high school. Arriving on “The Campus Beautiful” from the small Fayette County community of Glen Ferris, W.Va., she said, “I was unsophisticated compared with kids from other states, primarily the Northeast, but I made friends and enjoyed my time at Concord.”

Becoming a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma, and serving as the sorority’s corresponding secretary, was one way she became involved in campus life.

Jane graduated from Concord in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science in Education degree.

While initially considering graduate school, NOTEWORTHY CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

she opted for another path in life, one that took her to several states and saw her working in a variety of settings.

“In 1966 I was accepted to graduate school at Ohio State to study for a master’s degree in English, but instead I chose to marry my boyfriend, another Concord student. I was first to graduate. We married that summer, and I worked in Mercer County while he finished school,” she said.

English was at the heart of both of her gigs during that time. She was a classroom English teacher for a year at Central Junior High School in Bluefield. “Teaching wasn’t the best fit for me,” she admitted, and she moved on to the newspaper business.

As a reporter for the Bluefield Daily Telegraph and the Sunset News-Observer, she literally walked a beat – up and down Bland »

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Street in Bluefield – looking for story ideas. She said another world of writing opened up for her when she began doing feature stories.

Her time in the newsroom was short lived, however. “My husband was drafted in 1968. He joined the Navy and I moved back to Glen Ferris,”

This college was responsible for my love of the English language, and every career I've ever had has been related. I found out here what I was best suited for and what I loved.

she explains. “As it turned out, his allergy to bee stings kept him out of the service. He took a job and we resumed our lives together in New England.”

Jane put her college art major to work in New Hampshire drawing a cartoon character for an advertising job. Her creation – Mini Price – was used to sell cars.

She and her husband moved to Connecticut where their son was born in 1970. Landing back in the classroom, Jane worked as a substitute teacher for a time. Following a divorce, she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to be close to her brother and his family.

“It was 1978. A coal strike was in progress, and jobs were few. I started working in a figure salon, selling memberships and leading exercises,” she said. “The man I had dated in Connecticut after my divorce relocated and we were married. He was hired at a local plant.”

Leaving the salon, Jane spent a few months at the factory where her husband worked, all the while looking for another job. Her persistence paid off when in 1979, she was hired by SouthWestern, a Cincinnati based textbook publisher that specialized in business education books for high schools and colleges. Starting in an entrylevel editing position, she began her 30-year career with the company.

Calling publishing “an accidental profession” Jane said, “I didn’t think of it as a career goal until I was hired…It was perfect for me. I started out editing business textbooks and later traveled

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and spoke to educators about my own list of products. It was good training for my future.”

She took business classes through Cincinnati State intent on advancing in the company.

“Eventually, I was made acquisitions editor,” she said.

Jane retired from the publishing company in 2009, but not before she was well on her way to seeing her own work in print. At age 59, a fascination with Count Dracula since watching him in the movies as a 13-year-old compelled her to visit Transylvania in Romania, intent on writing a book about her travel experiences.

The focus of her work changed, however, as the landscape and surroundings reminded her of West Virginia and her childhood there.

The trip triggered decades-buried memories of growing up with an alcoholic mother, and a life changing inner journey ensued for Jane.

Revisiting her childhood, she ultimately found new happiness.

These two journeys melded into the account she shares in her first book “It Started with Dracula: The Count, My Mother, and Me”. The memoir was published by Bettie Youngs Books in 2011.

Jane teamed up with her brother, Joseph Barnett, for her second book. The siblings coauthored “Mr. Joe: Tales from a Haunted Life” which was published in 2013. In the memoir, Joseph shares painful aspects of his life and his experiences working as custodian Mr. Joe at a haunted school.

“Mr. Joe” was one of Cyrus Webb’s 25 top books of 2014 and a finalist for the nonfiction Ohioana Book Award the same year.

Inspired by Cheryl Strayed’s memoir “Wild”, Jane chronicles her own steps as a hiker in a third book, “How the WILD EFFECT Turned Me into a Hiker at 69: An Appalachian Trail Adventure”.

Hitting the stands in 2018, the memoir won an American BookFest Best Book Award in its category and was a nonfiction finalist for a 2019 Ohioana Book Award.

An interesting Concord connection in the book is Ms. Rabbit, Jane’s traveling companion who accompanied her while she hiked the trail.

Turns out, Ms. Rabbit was a gift from Anita Skeen, one of Jane’s sorority sisters and good friends at Concord. When Anita found out that Jane was hiking the Appalachian Trail, she mailed her the small glass charm. Jane says Anita told her, “‘I’m sending you a package. It’s

something that I have had for 40 years.”

Anita went on to explain that when she would “do anything new or scary, I had it in my pocket.” “‘I’m sending it to you because you are going on a new adventure,’” Jane recalls her friend saying.

Ms. Rabbit found a new home in Jane’s pocket.

“Ms. Rabbit was my companion through the Smokies and Hot Springs. I talked to her. She didn’t argue,” Jane said.

When she tried to return the blue rabbit to her friend, Anita replied, ‘Why don’t you keep it, you might need it again.’”

“I still have it…and that’s the story of Ms. Rabbit,” Jane said.

Jane says she and Joe enjoy traveling to promote their books. One stop found her back at Concord in 2011 where she held a book signing in the Marsh Library for her first memoir. She also fine-tunes her writing skills at conferences including the Fall Writing Festival at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, which coincidently was created

by Anita Skeen.

Today, 10 years into retirement, Jane describes her lifestyle. “My life in a Cincinnati suburb is

mostly quiet. I walk 2.5 miles every morning and still hike occasionally,” she said.

This summer she spent a week trekking about in England’s national parks, visiting the cliffs over the North Sea and the Lake District.

“I travel for pleasure once or twice a year, and I spend time with family when I can,” she added.

She said her brother’s family lives nearby in Ohio while her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter are in Georgia.

Looking ahead, Jane anticipates more hiking and writing adventures. She hints about the possibility of collaborating again with her brother for another book project. “We’ve discussed writing a second book,” she confides.

“I like to have a project. Another one might be coming along.”

And, with aspirations of walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain, she isn’t planning on putting away her hiking boots any time soon. █

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‘Radio Lady’ Pat Tolley ’77 Shines in the Business of Broadcasting

BY LINDSEY BYARS

f you live in the Princeton area, or even drive through southern West Virginia, you cannot push the seek button on your radio without stopping on at least one station co-owned and operated

by Concord alumna Pat Tolley. Her award-winning stations and programing, not to mention her tireless community support endeavors, are all evidence of Pat’s devotion to her career and her home.

Before becoming the savvy business leader she is today, Pat Tolley was an Athens High School graduate – Class of ’73 – eager to transition to the next step in her education. For this southern West Virginia native, that decision was made without hesitation.

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“I have always lived in the Princeton area, and growing up, I knew I wanted to attend Concord College,” Pat says.

Since the campus was close to home, choosing Concord allowed her to commute and save money while she worked toward her Business Administration degree.

“The campus was so beautiful, and I felt like I was at home there,” Pat remembers. “I made so many friends while at CC. And along with gaining a great education, I had fun during my four years there.”

When Pat finished her business degree in 1977, she took a job at a local bank. Thinking back to her $600 a month paycheck, she says it seemed like making “big bucks” at the time.

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This meager beginning was just the first stop in her path to eventually co-owning four successful radio stations.

After leaving her position at the bank, Pat took a job with a real estate company as their bookkeeper. Eventually, she became a licensed agent and spent many years selling properties in the area.

“What led me to radio was actually real estate,” Pat says.

She was showing homes to the manager of WAEY FM and he mentioned a job opening in sales at the radio station. Selling houses was something tangible, so it took some serious contemplation before Pat was willing to make the leap to selling radio time. »

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“I can remember saying, ‘Are you kidding me?

I have a hard enough time selling a house. I can’t imagine trying to sell air!’”

Despite Pat’s reservations, she took a chance and switched from selling real estate to advertising time slots for WAEY. This career move not only changed what Pat sold for a living, but it eventually offered her the opportunity to purchase the station.

“Fast forward seven years and the owner of the radio station decided he would like to sell, and the next thing I knew, my sister (Linda Witt) and I, with shaky hands, were signing our lives away at the bank to become the proud new owners of WAEY FM.” Pat and Linda embarked on a journey together that not only proved successful, but led to them acquiring three more FM radio stations. Star 95 is exclusively home to Tiger football and basketball.

Their sister station, 103.3 FM carries Marshall sports, and WRIC FM carries Blue Tornado football.

“Our legendary 103.3 FM is also home to Southern Gospel and carries a local showcase artist on Wednesdays, helping local artists to become known,” Pat says.

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When she made the switch from sales to owning radio stations, Pat says she was particularly thankful for the education she received at Concord.

“Taking business classes there, I learned how to read financial statements, balance a checkbook, and make sure debits and credits equal,” she says. “This is knowledge I use every single day at work, and I cannot begin to say how valuable this has been as a business owner.”

As business owners, this sister duo has done well, managing stations and providing content worthy of recognition. Two years ago, they received the “legendary ‘Station of the Year’ award” for the state of West Virginia. They won AC Station of the Year 10 times and Best Promotion five times.

“We are very proud and honored to have received these awards,” Pat says.

In 2019, the West Virginia Broadcasters Association bestowed one of their stations with the “Best Adult Contemporary Station” award, and they also received the “Best Radio Promotion” award for their annual Veteran’s Ball.

“We just finished our fourth annual Veteran’s

Ball and had over 225 attend,” Pat says. “After expenses, we were able to give close to $1400 to four veteran organizations in Mercer County!”

This event is free for area veterans and includes a sit-down formal dinner, a dance, guest speakers, and a silent auction.

Service is a central aspect of their business model. They are proud sponsors of the STAR 95 Salvation Army Radiothon that raises over $10,000 dollars in one day to send kids to camp

The campus was so beautiful, and I felt like I was at home there. I made so many friends at Concord College.

And along with gaining a great education, I had fun during my four years there. each year. For the past 31 years, they have sponsored an annual Coats for Kids drive. Each donated coat is professionally dry-cleaned by Service Cleaners, and the drive produces over 500 coats annually. Each one is distributed in their listening area by the Salvation Army.

The holiday season brings even more generosity. Pat says they partner with Grant’s Supermarkets two weeks before Thanksgiving to give away turkeys, and at Christmas, they partner with 4 Seasons Pharmacy and The Shoppes at Willow Gift Gallery for their Twelve Days of Christmas toy giveaway where twelve of the most wanted toys for Christmas that year are given out.

Pat says they are currently working on their 28th Annual Star 95 Bridal & Special Events Spectacular that they hold at Mercer Mall. This event attracts more than 3,000 community members.

“We do a state of the art wedding fashion show along with many giveaways and games for the brides-to-be, including a ‘Dive in the Cake and Find the Ring’ game where a ladies diamond solitaire is hidden,” Pat explains.

They also give away a honeymoon trip during this event, one of the many trips they give away each year.

“We give away a concert flyaway every summer

to two people to see a big-name artist,” Pat says.

“This includes airfare, hotel accommodations, and front row tickets! Some of the past artists we sent them to see are Lady Gaga, Ariane Grande, Taylor Swift, and Maroon Five.”

Pat and Linda are dedicated servants tuned into the needs of the community around them. They spend a great deal of their free time working to make a difference in a variety of ways. They are both active members of many local boards, including the Chamber of Commerce, the Salvation Army, the Princeton Community Hospital Foundation, and the Rotary Club. They are also members of the Princeton Church of God. “We always want to give back to the community that has been so good to us,” Pat says.

Pat’s sister and partner retired in July of 2019, so she is working solo these days. But while Linda may have moved into a new phase of life, Pat does not have plans to join her any time soon.

“It’s not even on my radar,” Pat says. “I love radio and feel blessed to get up every day and go to a job I love.”

Pat Tolley’s career is making an impact on the community, one she hopes will be remembered long after she is gone.

“I hope when this life is over and someone says, ‘Did you know that Pat Tolley girl?’ they can say with a certain degree of honesty, ‘Yeah, the radio lady. She was pretty nice and gave back to our community on numerous occasions!’”

Anyone working towards a successful career in radio can learn many lessons from Pat, but regardless what aspirations future alumni have, Pat’s advice to students is to finish your education.

“I promise you will use [your education] and need it whether you are selling real estate or selling air, or any other career you choose in life,” Pat says. “And you won’t find a better place than Concord University to get that education to help set you on the path to a great future and life.” █

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Teamwork and Vision Guide J. Wade Lopez ’86 in Wealth Management CaBY LINDSEY BYARS

hen J. Wade Lopez graduated from Concord in 1986, his career started immediately. The founder and CEO of Concord Wealth Partners in Abingdon, Va. began working in wealth management with First Investors in Tysons Corner, Va. This company underwent a number of mergers, and through the periods of transition, Wade found his passion.

“At times, you didn’t know who you were employed by,” Wade says. “I eventually fell in love with the financial planning side of an acquisition by American Express/Lehmon Brothers and became a certified financial planner.”

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After three years, Wade was given the opportunity to relocate to Abingdon, his hometown, and he has been there ever since.

Concord Wealth Partners is family owned and operated. The team includes his wife Sheila as the Director of Marketing, his daughter Carrie as an Operations Associate, and his son Justin as a Wealth Advisor and Partner.

While the name of his firm happens to include that of his alma mater, Wade says the story behind the change is one of coincidence.

“We hired a marketing firm to help us rename and re-brand our company from Lopez Wealth Management Group to a name synonymous with professionals working in unison, as a team, in the client’s best NOTEWORTHY CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

interest to produce results that exceed their expectations. They came back Concord Wealth Partners.”

If you visit the company website, you’ll notice a maroon and gray color scheme. Wade says he wanted to keep the company’s original colors, but the marketing firm insisted on the change in addition to the name. Years have passed since Wade’s time on “The Campus Beautiful,” but his roots seem to have found him again.

Concord can also be defined as a sense of unity and friendship, both of which Wade found during his time on campus, especially on the football field.

“I still miss my teammates, the locker »

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J. Wade Lopez with Concord Wealth Partners Justin Lopez and Jon Weatherly.

room, breaking down film, practice, spring ball – except for the weight room,” Wade says. “I am allergic to iron now because of the off season lifting.”

Football was a key factor in Wade’s decision to come to Concord for his education. Wade says two of his coaches – Coach Colobro and Coach Williams – taught him important life lessons during his time as a Mountain Lion.

“Coach Colobro taught me the importance of organization and detail,” Wade says.

“Coach Williams taught me the importance of preparation and belief, not just in yourself, but in others.”

During Wade’s time playing for Concord, he says their defense led every statistical category in the nation: rushing, passing, scoring, and total yards.

“That was done through preparation and trust, along with some very talented, wonderful teammates that never complained about putting in the extra work required to be a dominating force.”

Dr. Bergstein, a business professor at the time, also made an impact on Wade’s future career.

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Bergstein was a small business owner, so Wade says he related well to the practical issues that all small business owners struggle with, even today. The professor’s method for “thin[ing] the herd” still stands out in Wade’s memory: “My very first class on campus was in his class. It was over full and he immediately handed out a test that was maybe 20 pages long…I knew I was in trouble.”

The class was given specific instructions, to wait until everyone had a test and to read the entire test before beginning. While the first questions were basic, Wade says the more he read, the more the test surpassed what he thought his aptitude was. Luckily, Wade wasn’t easily intimidated.

“The last sentence on the last page said something like ‘Now you have read the entire test, sign your name, turn the test in and do not say anything as you walk out the door. See you in two days.’”

When Wade returned to the next class, he says the number of students had been reduced by nearly half. And even though that first encounter left Wade wondering, “What the hell

just happened?” Dr. Bergstein proved to be the great teacher Wade knew he would be.

“I learned a tremendous amount about business from Dr. Bergstein.”

Since graduating from Concord, Wade Lopez has created a thriving business. Concord Wealth Partners has offices in Abingdon, Rockville, Md., Roanoke, Va., and Huntington, W.Va. But it’s the customer feedback that provides Wade the most career satisfaction.

“We consistently score among the very best [client retention and client satisfaction scores] in the industry, and my team deserves 100% of the credit for that,” Wade says.

Building a successful business has allowed Wade to expand his interests into the sport of racing. The green and white number 96 Lopez Wealth Management Ford crossed the finish line in Bristol, Tenn. on May 18, 2018, a victory that Wade and his driver, Josh Reeves, will never forget.

“We cut a left rear tire and we were sitting on pit road during a red flag with five laps to go and the air was draining out. We were devastated,” Wade remembers.

Luckily, the rain delay lasted so long, officials let everyone put air in their tires before going back out. With a leaking tire pumped up to 60 pounds, the next move was up to the driver. Wade says he could have taken it easy or ran it hard, but either way, the tire was going flat. It was up to Reeves.

“He never said a word and to the green flag, drove off into turn one wide open like he had a new set of tires,” Wade says. “Not too many people could have done it, he probably shouldn’t have, but he won.”

In addition to bringing home a win for Wade’s race team, Josh Reeves also happens to be a future family member.

“Josh is my future son-in-law. I told my daughter she had to marry him,” Wade says. The couple is planning a ceremony for spring of 2020.

The community knows Wade for his successful business, his race team, and also the support he provides to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Mountain Empires. Each year, his company holds a fund raiser for the clubs called the Bobby Lee Hurd Jr. Memorial Golf Classic.

“It was named after the son of one of our very dear clients who died in a tragic boating accident off the coast of North Carolina,” Wade says. “We do this to honor him and also raise money for a very worthy cause.”

The Boys and Girls Club centers around mentorship that encourages young people to reach their full potential. Wade knows the importance of mentors in his own life, and he wants to carry on the tradition.

“I had a mentor, David Herscher, who always found time to help me become a better player,” Wade says. “One day I asked him why he was so willing to take all the extra time he did, and he simply said, ‘I had someone willing to do the same for me, and it was my time to do the same.’”

Wade says he made a point to do the same for the rest of his career at Concord, as in his profession today.

“Otherwise, we were just all players on the same sideline, not teammates.”

Teamwork is a central thread throughout Wade’s career, and he has built a successful team with his family, his business partner Jon Weatherly, and the other associates at Concord Wealth Partners. As for business advice, Wade says you must set clear goals. For himself and the business owners he works with, Wade has clear guidelines for goal setting: “Goals are written on paper. A one-year, three-year, and ten-year vision of your future…in my opinion, a goal is only a dream if you can’t actually visit it, exactly as it was originally intended, on a weekly basis.”

Wade says to start at the ten-year vision of where you want to be and work backwards. The year three goal represents what you need to do be on track for your ten-year vision, and then your one-year goals are very detailed and easily tracked to hit your three-year goal.

“It’s much simpler than it sounds, but it works. At least it has for us, and for a lot of our clients and small business owners.” █ CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE NOTEWORTHY

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Alumnus Kahlil Joseph ’03 Makes His Mark On Hollywood

BY LINDSEY BYARS

he first time I interviewed Kahlil Joseph, it was for The Concordian in the early 2000s. He was directing the theater department’s production of True West, a play about two estranged brothers. I can’t remember the exact year, but I do remember Kahlil saying, “Make sure you spell my name right.” An actor’s name is his brand, and from the beginning of his career, Kahlil Joseph was determined to make his brand clearly known.

Even before coming to Athens, W.Va. in 1999 from his home in New Delhi, Kahlil’s dream of performing under the bright lights had already begun. At the age of five, his father Kurien Joseph, a theater practitioner and public speaking teacher, had his son on the stage playing Noah in a production of Noah’s Ark. This first stage experience ignited a passion to perform in Kahlil that only grew with time and education, and his father and mother did everything they could to fan the flame.

While his father instructed Kahlil in voice and diction, his mother Mary, an English Literature professor and author, encouraged him to explore different cultures and cultivate his interests through reading.

One interest that also spawned during this time was a lifelong love of martial arts.

Watching and mimicking Bruce Lee, Kahlil

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was in awe of the physical demands of the art.

He pursued training in Shotokan Karate, then later Tae Kwon Do, Hung Gar Kung Fu, and boxing. He competed on the amateur level, but these combat skills would also prove useful throughout his future acting career when it came to choreographing fight scenes for the stage.

Kahlil earned his Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Ramjas College, University of Delhi, India. He may have been studying the written word, but Kahlil couldn’t help but find himself drawn to the stage. He became the lead singer for various heavy metal and hard rock bands in New Delhi, a genre that demanded a vocal and physical strength he learned to respect.

After graduation in 1998, Kahlil traded his metal sound for a more operatic one. He »

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Kahlil with his family on vacation in Bergen, Norway this past summer.

was cast as Jean Valjean in a Delhi production of the Broadway musical Les Misérables, an experience that he credits as the moment that made him realize he wanted to become a professional actor. His performance attracted the attention of a casting director for a primetime TV drama series called Khwahish, and in 1999, he joined the show. As if that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, he also landed a role in the stage musical A Chorus Line at Kamani Auditorium, Delhi. Bollywood was calling his name, but Kahlil’s desire to work as an actor in the United States proved to be stronger. In the fall of 1999, he found himself at Concord where he would focus his studies this time on theater and broadcasting.

Kahlil remembers arriving on “The Campus Beautiful” late at night, so it wasn’t until the next morning that he got to take in the natural beauty.

“I was struck by the location in beautiful nature that defines West Virginia. The air felt so fresh and crisp, and the hilly campus was so inviting to walk around, but what surprised me most was the friendly natures of small town folk,” he recalls.

Coming from a metropolitan area, speaking to strangers when you pass was far from usual, but he quickly adjusted to the new custom.

“I was encouraged by the student taking me around campus to do so here, when other people greeted me in passing,” Kahlil says. “When I realized this was the norm, it was the start of me

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making tons of friends and acquaintances in every department at CU for the next four years.”

It didn’t take Kahlil long to make a name for himself on campus. He was cast in the lead role of the first play he auditioned for.

“That role was written for a young, white male, but Dr. Jim Lile picked me for my ability, not my race - a kindness I will always remember him for.”

During his time at Concord, Kahlil was always working on a project for stage or film.

“I worked professionally during my summer vacations in highly rated stage shows and starred in my first feature film,” Kahlil says.

Concord not only gave Kahlil the opportunity to work on his craft, but because of mentors like the late Dr. Ron Burgher, he gained the confidence that would eventually lead him to Los Angeles after graduation.

“Most other students and other faculty members did not understand how vital it is for a performer to aggressively promote his/her own work for future use,” Kahlil says. “Burgher got that, was able to distinguish that from arrogance, and truly helped me shine.”

During his senior year, Kahlil applied to UCLA’s School of Theater, which at the time, seemed impossible to get into. With thousands of applicants from across the globe, the program only accepted ten. Not only did Kahlil Joseph take one of those spots, but he received scholarships to attend, something that was rarely offered. After graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2003, Kahlil headed to Hollywood where his career continued to prosper.

In 2004, he played Faruq Abdullah in the acclaimed play The Road to Damascus. LA Weekly praised his “persuasive performance.” In 2005, he made his debut on American television on E! as Martin Bashir in The Michael Jackson Trial.

In the years that followed, Kahlil graduated with his MFA, taught and coached other actors, including Sean Connery’s son, and continued to build an impressive list of appearances and roles.

One of his longest running appearances came in 2006 when he landed the part of Dr. Myers on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, a role that reoccurred in 14 episodes. He went on to appear in several TV series including 24, Numb3rs, Castle and Desperate Housewives. In 2009, he played the part of Omar in the film The Line, which stars Ray Liotta, Andy Garcia, and Esai Morales.

Kahlil starring as Professor Callahan in the traveling production of the musical Legally Blonde.

From 2010 to 2011, Kahlil traveled across the United States with the musical version of Legally Blonde. He played one of the main roles, the villain Professor Callahan.

“As Professor Callahan, Kahlil Joseph demands respect and is so smooth that you’re not sure at first if he’s villain or hero,” writes Sue Merrell in The Grand Rapids Press review of the play. “[Legally Blonde] was definitely my most financially lucrative job to date, and one which provided me with the most press and travel,” Kahlil says.

From the East Coast to the West, Kahlil made his way to Hollywood, but he didn’t make this trip alone. During his first semester at Concord, he met and fell in love with Spaska Dvoiatchka (A.K.A. Patzi), another international student that eventually became his wife and “best memory” from Concord.

“Patzi was a star in her own way, though her approach was much quieter,” Kahlil says. She was one of the three valedictorians in 2003 with a 4.0 GPA, she was a leader in the student tutors

program through the Student Support Services Office, and she had big career dreams of her own. Since their move, Patzi has cultivated a successful career in psychology. She is the program director at Exodus Recovery, Inc. and a licensed marriage and family therapist at a private practice in Los Angeles. The two were married in December of 2003, and now are raising two beautiful daughters.

Being there for his little ones has slowed the volume of auditions slightly over the last few years, but only temporarily. Kahlil’s professional passions still lie in those bright lights of Hollywood.

“I miss it, I crave it, and yearn for it!” Kahlil says. “My passion since I was a teenager has always been performing and full-contact martial arts.”

Kahlil recently signed with Trinity Artists International, and the agency is representing him for film and television work. You can keep up with Kahlil’s career on his website kahliljoesph.com. █ CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE NOTEWORTHY

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Joni Cline Stepp ’08 Striving to Meet the Physical and Spiritual Needs of the Community studied and then I went home on the weekends. I was that kid,” Joni Cline says. Joni, a graduate of Iaeger High School, didn’t move to Athens, W.Va. for the stereotypical college experience. She could have attended other schools, but because of its reputation and distance from home, Concord University felt like a better fit.

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“This is such a more tightknit atmosphere to me. I felt like you got swallowed up at WVU or somewhere at these other bigger schools, and I think that’s great for people who like that, or want that, but I didn’t want to be just lost in it,” Joni says. “I felt like I was in a smaller classroom, the professor knew my name, and I could go and ask a question. I had professors here that helped me write my letter to get into med school, who helped me write my letter to get into residency. That’s way after I had graduated from here. [Dr. Elizabeth Roth] helped me way beyond me graduating from Concord, so I think I wouldn’t have had that at some big school.”

From an early age, Joni wanted to work in the medical field, so she used her time at NOTEWORTHY CONCORD UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE

CU wisely, graduating in 2008 and moving directly into a program of study at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg, W.Va. “I thought I was going to do, for sure, OBGYN. That was always the plan,” Joni remembers. “Then I got into rotating and realized I didn’t like surgery.”

After spending some time with family practice doctors, Joni quickly learned that she could focus on women’s health and caring for children without the operating room.

“A lot of what I see is women and children, so I sort of tailored it that way,” Joni says.

Joni ran her own practice for a time, but she decided that working in a clinic setting allowed her to focus on the medicine as »

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Joni Stepp and her husband Aaron Stepp with their dog Mayer.

opposed to the business details. You can find Joni, or as her patients call her, Dr. Stepp, at the Mercer Medical Group beside of Princeton Community Hospital.

This is such a more tightknit atmosphere to me…I felt like I was in a smaller classroom, the professors knew my name, and I could go and ask a question.

As Joni was achieving her professional goals, the medical path led her to a relationship that would eventually call for a name change. Aaron Stepp had just graduated from Concord and was shadowing a doctor at Princeton Community Hospital before making medical school decisions.

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The doctor wanted to introduce Aaron to Joni, who was doing a med school rotation at the time, but Aaron said he wasn’t interested in a relationship. When Joni came around the corner, his tune quickly changed.

“He was like, ‘Is that her? Go ahead.’” Joni laughs now, remembering how he acted while she took him to review a patient. “He smacked his head on the TV, almost a concussion, in the first five minutes of us meeting.”

Concussion or not, Aaron played the injury off and didn’t let their rocky introduction keep him from pursuing Joni socially. He invited her to come to church with him, but Joni already had plans to attend a church that night with some friends.

“Which church?” he asked. And when she told him Princeton Church of God, he said, “That’s where I go!”

Joni was expecting to see Aaron that night, but not on stage singing.

“Oh, ok, you go there,” she laughs. This connection was the start of a relationship that would not only lead to marriage, but a ministry together as husband and wife. Shortly after this

period of time, Aaron decided against med school and accepted a call into the ministry.

“Now he tells everybody that he went through four years of pre-med at Concord so that he could meet me,” Joni says.

The couple celebrated six years of marriage in November. In that time, their ministry together has grown. Aaron is a worship pastor, youth pastor, and assistant pastor at Lifeline Church, a contemporary branch of Princeton Church of God, and Joni’s calling to care for the health of women in the community has grown into a mission to meet their spiritual needs as well as their physical ones.

“I’ve always felt [a call to help women] for as long as I can remember. Even asking God what I was supposed to do with my life, that just feels like my purpose. I’m here on the planet to minister to women, to help women know who they are, know who God is, know who God says they are. That’s what drives me,” Joni explains.

In the medical community, Joni has been a crisis pregnancy councilor, helping young women facing unwanted pregnancy. She oversees the Women’s Initiative, which offers free pap smears and mammograms in October each year.

Through Lifeline, she started Bibles and Brunch, an opportunity for women to study the bible in a community setting. This endeavor also led to a movement she started called Hype Girl.

“The sole purpose of that is for women to encourage other women, and when they see something in another woman, to speak that, not just keep it inside yourself. Even if it’s ‘you’re having a good hair day.’ It doesn’t have to be a girl you know…Be a woman who opens her mouth and says the nice things you think about someone. And that in turn helps us decrease how much ‘mean girl’ we see in the world and that is something that is so prevalent is women bashing other women, saying even online things like that.

So we call it being a hype girl.”

What started as a church movement to inspire the young women Joni was ministering to quickly became a social media trend. #HypeGirl shirts were sold in 15 states, and even some gyms reached out for permission to use the concept.

Joni says she is moved by the different ways women in lots of different areas are encouraging and lifting up other women, and through her social media accounts, she can see the impact first hand. Bibles and Brunch may have spawned the Hype Girl movement, but Joni’s online presence and the persistence of her bible study

group is reaching far beyond the Princeton area.

“I think our culture would like women to be against each other and tear each other down and compete and mom shame and wife shame and do all this stuff, and it’s like, can we shift it?

The only way we’re going to do it is to start with us and say, ‘I can’t change the whole world, but I can change how I talk, and I can change what I say.’”

Neither Joni nor Aaron grew up in Mercer County, West Virginia, but they have found a family at Lifeline and a purpose to stay and work in the Princeton community.

“If you don’t have roots here, there are better paying jobs, I’m sure. So I get that. But I also know why people stay, too,” Joni says.

Looking back, she believes their time at Concord University helped start those roots.

“I think it kept me here local. Obviously I had thought about going off to WVU or going to Marshall or somewhere else, but it kept me here in this small community. And when I went off to Lewisburg and had to come back, I didn’t know where I wanted to be and I ended up back where Concord was,” she said. “So it really sort of started those roots. I didn’t know that then. I didn’t feel that then. But I think it was starting to put those roots down, and so I ended up back in Princeton.”

Dr. Joni Stepp has achieved the goals she set as an undergrad at Concord University. Looking forward, she hopes to grow where she is planted.

“To be in this community, to be a light in this community, to continue to help my husband in what he does, those are my goals now. To continue to grow as a doctor and to be able to help the people in this area the best that I can.” █

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Concord University Office of Advancement PO Box 1000 Athens, WV 24712

Pick a Seat. Just for You. This is your chance to help make a difference at Concord, It Starts With You! Come take a seat with us and leave a lasting legacy at Concord University by naming a seat in the Fine Arts Center Main Theatre.

Supporting the A Seat for U campaign is a generous act of philanthropy that creates a lasting legacy for the donor in one of the most public spaces on campus. This special one-time gift will also take this project further by making renovations and upgrades in other areas of the Main Theatre.

To purchase seats or for more information, visit

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