BESTof EASTERN

From the moment they step foot on campus, through graduation and beyond, Eastern Kentucky University alumni demonstrate phenomenal contributions within their communities and the world with the knowledge they gained at EKU.

The 2022 Best of Eastern include inductees to the Hall of Distinguished Alumni and recipients of the Professional Achievement Award, Distinguished Service Award and Young Alumni Award. Congratulations to the recipients as they continue to make a profound impact in their communities.

— JEFFREY (J.D.) MOORE —

As a graduate student, Jeffrey (J.D.) Moore, ’10 ’14, applied for a safety internship with Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. It led to a full-time position, where he developed and implemented safety programs and procedures for an upcoming Disney resort in Shanghai, China. Today, Moore manages a $21-million budget as senior manager for safety, security and preparedness for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). During his five years there, he has transformed safety and security operations by updating antiquated systems and deployed PCAOB’s first comprehensive active assailant program. Aside from his professional accomplishments, Moore teaches CPR and first responder first aid while also volunteering as a reserve police officer for the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C.

— KATIE SIAHKOOHI —

Katie (Scott) Siahkoohi, ’16, is known as a natural leader with a servant heart. In her senior year, she served as Student Government Association president and student regent, and then graduated cum laude as an Honors Scholar. She joined the World Food Program (WFP) USA in 2017. In less than four years, she increased fundraising from approximately $500,000 to nearly $15 million to benefit more than 120 countries. In 2021, the program fed nearly 90-million people by providing 15-billion meals. “Building the program from scratch and watching it thrive has been an incredibly rewarding experience,” she said. Today, Siahkoohi is senior manager of institutional partnerships with WFP USA, which she said is “making a real impact for people who need it most.”

— SAMUEL PRIEST —

Samuel Priest, ’09, grew up just down the street from Bowman Field in Louisville and would often ride his bicycle to the airport to watch the planes come and go. Across town, his father worked with UPS World Port at what is now Muhammad Ali International Airport. Now Priest is living his dream as acting operations manager at King County International Airport-Boeing Field in Seattle. Equipped with an aviation administration degree from EKU, he went on to earn a master’s degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, his pilot’s license and full accreditation from the American Association of Airport Executives. He joined Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport as an aviation operations representative in 2012, eventually serving as airfield construction manager.

— DR. HUGH BROOKS —

During the 1960s in Atlanta, Dr. Hugh Brooks, ’54, pastored West End Baptist Church, among the city’s largest congregations, and Dr. Martin Luther King-led Ebenezer Baptist Church. “My motivation was personal integrity toward all people as my faith requires,” he said. In 1976, Brooks founded Re-Creation USA, engaging young people to entertain at VA facilities in Pennsylvania. The program, known as “America’s Ambassadors to Hospitalized Veterans,” soon went nationwide, with Brooks serving as administrative director, emcee and writer of more than 60 songs. His work was honored with two Freedom Foundation Awards and a special award from the under-secretary of Health and Veterans Affairs. Brooks formed, programmed and traveled with The Singing Colonels, joining fellow Eastern alumni on seven tours to entertain veterans.

— DR. DEBORAH ALEXANDER —

Dr. Deborah Alexander, ’77, held a long and distinguished career as a senior foreign service specialist with the U.S. Department of State, during which she lived in tents or mud huts alongside soldiers in several warzones, while also rubbing shoulders with heads of state and military leaders worldwide. She oversaw and observed elections in dozens of countries. In Afghanistan, she helped secure women’s right to vote in a new constitution and funded 200-plus schools. Among many awards, she received the Meritorious Honor Award from the State Department and the NATO Public Service Award. Whether home or abroad, her service centered on establishing or improving government services, expanding voting rights, providing humanitarian assistance and advancing equality and justice.

— DR. ROSE SKEPPLE —

Dr. Rose (Gilmore) Skepple, ’93 ’95 ’11, credits her first-grade teacher for showing her “the joy of teaching and learning.” Skepple said, “In my eyes, I am always that little girl excited about learning.” Many of her professors, coaches and others at Eastern were influential in her successful pursuit of her degrees. She currently serves as the coordinator for teacher education at Florida State University. Previously, Skepple taught in Madison County Schools, served as principal with Paris Independent Schools and Model Laboratory Middle School, and held several roles at Eastern. Skepple’s impressive record of scholarship, reflected in numerous publications and presentations, focused on issues of inclusivity in education, sociocultural influences on teacher education programs, culturally responsive assessment, organizational leadership and mentoring.

— DON PERRY —

Don Perry, ’86 ’95, is the senior vice president and investments manager for Kentucky Farmers Bank (KFB). In addition, he chairs the Tri-State Angel Investment Group (TSAIG), was instrumental in the startup of the BankOn financial literacy program in his home region and teaches an investment class for the Kentucky Bankers Association’s Banking School. Don served on EKU’s Business Advisory Committee for approximately 20 years and was among the founding members of the Banking Advisory Committee. Don and his wife, April, met and fell in love as students at EKU. “It’s important to April (CEO at KFB) and I to see our region prosper,” Don said. A generous gift from the Perrys funded a new financial research and investments computer lab.

— APRIL PERRY —

As a child, April (Russell) Perry, ’86 ’96, would accompany her grandfather, bank president Charles Russell, to an empty, quiet office on Sunday afternoons and pretend to wait on customers and practice speaking through the drive-through microphone. Today, she is chairman of the board and CEO of that same bank, Kentucky Farmers Bank, headquartered in Boyd County, Kentucky. She is highly respected throughout northeastern Kentucky for her efforts to advance economic development and financial literacy. “I always strive to leave everything better than I found it,” April said. “If I can help people achieve their dreams through financial empowerment and increased opportunities for economic prosperity, I will consider my life well lived.”

— SUE LUDWIG —

Passionate about improving the quality of life for infants who begin their lives in a neonatal intensive care unit, Sue (Beischel) Ludwig, ’92, founded the National Association of Neonatal Therapists (NANT) in 2009 and serves as its president. The organization provides neonatal therapists with education, resources and connections while advancing the field clinically, scientifically and academically. She authored “Tiny Humans, Big Lessons: How the NICU Taught Me to Live with Energy, Intention and Purpose,” co-authored “InfantDriven Feeding Scales” and co-founded Infant-Driven Feeding®, LLC, which advanced neonatal oral feeding practices. “Neonatal therapy became a passion for me because babies are awesome people, and because the NICU presents therapists with a unique opportunity to positively affect a person’s development for a lifetime,” Ludwig said.

— DR. JIM EVANS —

First-generation college graduate, Dr. Jim Evans, ’92 ’99, began his career as an instruction aide in Lee County Schools. He then worked through the ranks as a bus driver, teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal and transportation director before beginning an awardwinning, 12-year tenure as superintendent. “The experience I gained in all those positions gave me a true picture of the importance of each in the success of the district as a whole,” he said. Among many awards, he received Superintendent of the Year recognition from various Kentucky organizations. Through his leadership, Lee County Schools emerged as a model district for Kentucky, earning District of Distinction status. Today, Evans impacts educators and learners through his work with the Kentucky Education Development Corporation.

— JANETTE ARENCIBIA —

With nearly 20 years as a global health professional, U.S. Navy Commander Janette (Workman) Arencibia, ’95 ’96, is the deputy surgeon for the United States Forces Korea, where she works with her South Korean counterparts to develop and implement disease mitigation strategies to bolster security. Previously, she served in Afghanistan, Haiti, Jordan and Central and South America. In Jordan, she was assigned to the Marine Corps to coordinate security cooperation strategies, strengthening U.S.-Jordanian partnerships. She continues to serve with the Marine Corps, having earned the Fleet Marine Forces warfare device. “My world travels have enlightened me with how small the world really is and that humans around the world have more in common than what is currently emphasized,” Arencibia said.

— CHRIS AND GRACIE HAGER —

Chris, ’88, and Gracie (Talley) Hager, ’94, were well known to the Richmond community not just for their real estate, home renovation and entrepreneurial successes, but also for living out their strong faith, spreading smiles and selflessly serving others. They met at Belfry High School, married, and then worked their way through college and remained in Richmond after graduation. Chris was a realtor and landlord in Richmond and Naples, Florida, and the couple owned University Shell on the Eastern Bypass, where Gracie sold her homemade baked goods. They were beloved for their generosity throughout Madison County and even Guatemala, where they attended mission trips and assisted with the Prince of Peace Home for Girls. The couple tragically passed away in 2021.

— PHILLIS ADAMS —

Those who grew up in Richmond, Kentucky, since 1976, likely benefited in some way because of Phillis (Wirtz) Adams, ’69 ’70. Her list of civic contributions include: director of Madison County’s Head Start program for 35 years; president of the Madison County Children’s Champions program for 20 years; Richmond Little League board member for 40 years, including 20 as its president; Madison County Kindergarten Academy Advisory Board for nine years; and the Madison County Schools Local Facilities Planning Committee for 10 years. She is currently president of the Madison County Library Board. Adams received the Children’s Empower Award from Kid’s Day America, and a local baseball field was named in her honor, among many other awards and tributes.

— ANDREW STOFLETH —

After Hurricane Dorian carved a path of destruction across the Bahamas in 2019, former Marine Andrew Stofleth, ’15, then serving as national director of communications for SBP (a non-profit, disaster-relief organization), arrived on the islands for a fact-finding tour. By February 2020, he was heading a massive recovery operation. Now as SBP executive director for the entire Caribbean, Stofleth has led efforts to raise more than $7.1 million, rebuild more than 450 homes and launch a project with the CDC Foundation and Bahamas Public Hospital Authority to retrofit five hospitals and clinics with water purification and greater storage capacity. His most recent project, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, involves upcycling volcanic ash for use in a block-making machine to assist in rebuilding.

— DR. MICHAEL CADORE —

Dr. Michael Cadore Sr., ’88, set records and earned all-OVC honors and the Roy Kidd Achievement Award before playing for Montreal in the World League of American Football. He is a member of the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame and the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame. Cadore served as a police officer until his retirement in 2019, and is currently executive director of community engagement for external affairs and adjunct instructor at Eastern Florida State College. As founder and president of Magnus Solutions, he continues to support his community through consulting, mentoring, life-skills coaching, workshops on leadership and more. “As a child, I watched my parents give back, so it was natural for me to do the same,” said Cadore.