19 minute read
Class Notes
Do you have great news to share with fellow FWCD alumni? To submit information for Class Notes and Alumni News, email alumnirelations@fwcd.com.
1960s
Class Agents
1967 – Bill Curtis, curtis@acm.org
1967 – Bill Landreth, blandreth@liferoy.com
1968 – Paul Stouffer, pstouffer@sbcglobal.net
1969 – Steve Geis, stgeis@hotmail.com
1969 – Gail Widmer Landreth, gaillandreth@sbcglobal.net
Dr. Marilyn Weaver Lewis ’67 recently published a textbook titled STEM-H for Mental Health Clinicians through Oxford University Press. The text introduces a new model that adapts scientific, technological, engineering, and mathematical concepts to treat the health (STEM-H) of patients with medical problems. The book begins with a discussion of genetics and continues through current scientific research underlying each bodily system to inform practitioners and advanced students about development, structure and function. Dr. Lewis is a Professor of Social Work at Norfolk State University in Virginia. She began her career as a researcher using animal models to study drug use and brain chemistry and behavior and, later, neurodevelopment of drug-exposed babies. Licensed as an independent, clinical psychotherapist with extensive experience working in outpatient substance use clinics and in-patient psychiatric hospitals, Dr. Lewis has instructed master’s-level social work students (since 2004) in the area of substance misuse and dependency and mental health, and has developed a master’s-level course in STEM-H for the military.
1970s
Class Agents
1971 – Terry Siegel, htsiegel@bvc.com
1972 – Richard Garvey, richard@jagee.com
1976 – Brad Nowlin, brad@bradnowlin.com
Kit Tennison Moncrief ’70 was elected the first female Chair of the TCU Board of Trustees. Kit has served as Board Vice Chair since 2017. Her late husband, Charlie Moncrief, and her mother, Gloria Lupton Tennison, also served as TCU Trustees. Kit was an FWCD Trustee from 1996-2000. She also serves as President of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame and co-chairs the Fort Worth Zoological Association. She is Past President of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association and the Moncrief Cancer Foundation. A member of the UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Institute, the Brown Lupton Foundation, the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo (Executive Committee), The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Kit is a co-founder of Saving Hope Foundation, an organization with the intent to end animal abuse and neglect through advocacy, education and spay-neuter programs.
Class of 1977 graduates Byron Keil, Mike Olcott, David Parker, Huck Newberry, Tom Purvis, Kelly Thompson, Win Ryan and Aaron Siegel all live in Fort Worth and Parker County. They gather every month to enjoy lunch with one another.
1980s
Class Agents
1981 – Martha Cox, marthaccox@yahoo.com
1981 – Dan Tatum, danltatum@live.com
John Holt Smith ’87 had artwork showcased in a June exhibit titled Curvature and Flow at the William Campbell Gallery in Fort Worth. He has a long relationship with the gallery; his first exhibit was there in 2005. The works on view were from John Holt’s Oculus Series, inspired by botanicals. A few pieces were named after the Grand Hotel Cocumella in Sorrento, Italy, and some flowers he captured on a trip there. John Holt also has artwork on display at Fort Worth’s Neiman Marcus: Vertical Wildflower Sequence and Vertical Swim Sequence, both prominently displayed in the store’s upper level. They have been there since the Clearfork store opened in 2017. He has additional pieces in Dallas and New York Neiman Marcus stores. Other familiar large-scale commissions by John Holt are on display locally at both the Joule Hotel and The Mansion in Dallas, inside Terminal D at the DFW International Airport, and at the Toyota Headquarters in Plano. Soon, his work will grace Fort Worth’s firstever Crescent Hotel, currently under construction along Camp Bowie. Paper City featured John Holt and his art in a May 15 article.
Pete Spiro ’88 works for Congressman Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19). Rep. Panetta was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2016. Pete has been working for him for two years. Panetta fights for affordable housing, immigration reform, the continued protection of California's coastline and environment, health care, the state’s agriculture industry, the reduction of gun violence, military installations, veterans benefits and more.
1990s
Class Agents
1992 – Craig Christopher, craig@tarranttech.com
1995 – Alison E. McManus, amcmanus@post.harvard.edu
1997 – Zareen Khan, zareen@briggsfreeman.com
Bales Nelson ’92 is CEO at Fusion Health. This new platform company was formed with Waud Capital Partners in partnership with Bales and Allen Dye. Fusion Health will provide clinical staffing services to healthcare facilities, providers and health plans, solving a variety of episodic clinical resource needs through technology-enabled solutions. Bales has extensive experience building companies at the intersection of technology and healthcare staffing, having previously served as a Co-founder, President and CEO of CenseoHealth (now SignifyHealth), and Executive Vice President of Merritt Hawkins & Associates.
Holly Green ’98 was named a 2023 Spirit of Texas author by the Texas Library Association for her latest novel, In the Same Boat. She is one of nine authors to earn this year’s honor. The SPOT Reading Program strives to encourage a greater understanding of what it means to be a Texan and to develop an appreciation for the literary works of and about Texas and Texans. SPOT is a recommended reading list developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult Round Table. The purpose of the list is to encourage youths in grades 6-12 to explore a variety of current, quality books from Texas authors and illustrators, develop critical reading skills, and promote greater interaction between Texas authors and illustrators, Texas librarians, and Texas youth. Holly is an Austin-based writer with an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.
2000s
Class Agents
2001 – Craig P. Barbolla, craig.barbolla@gmail.com
2001 – Susanna Gorski Bartolomei, susannagb@protonmail.com
2002 – Ashley Stein Ralston, astein927@gmail.com
2003 – Will Northern, will@northernrealtygroup.com
2004 – Kate Strickland, Jennings kjennings610@gmail.com
2006 – Rachel Holt Hausser, rachelhausser@gmail.com
2007 – Anne Hargis Olson, christina.roxanne@gmail.com
2007 – Stephanie Stouffer, stephaniestouffer@gmail.com
2009 – Mary Dambro, marydambro@mac.com
2009 – Brittany Jenkins, brittanyajenkins07@gmail.com
2009 – Margaret Harper, mpalmerharper@aol.com
Derrius Clark ’02 began a new position as Director of Programmatic Partnerships - Global at Taboola. He has worked at the company for nearly seven years, five of which were in Thailand. Taboola powers recommendations for the open web, helping people discover things they may like. The company’s platform, powered by artificial intelligence, is used by digital properties, including websites, devices and mobile apps, to drive monetization and user engagement.
Lauren Mitchell Acome ’03 recently was named Principal of Hawfields Middle School in the Alamance-Burlington School System in North Carolina. Lauren most recently served as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for K-12 Online Learning in the Wake County Public School System, the 15th largest school district in the nation. She has previous experience as a principal, assistant principal and high school social studies teacher. Lauren holds a Master of School Administration and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
John Brotherton ’04 completed his Ph.D. in Geology at Texas Tech University in August 2022.
Lauren Hunt Brogdon ’05 was featured in a The Texas Lawbook article where she shared her story of surviving childhood domestic abuse and how that shaped who she is as a Crisis Management Lawyer. “As someone with that experience and someone with a law degree, I’m uniquely situated to help other survivors and other women and children struggling from domestic violence,” Brogdon told The Texas Lawbook. She has done pro bono work for domestic violence victims throughout her 11-year career, ever since she began volunteering at legal clinics run by Houston Volunteer Lawyers (the Houston Bar Association’s pro bono service arm), through which she first got connected with Houston Area Women’s Center. She has handled at least 83 pro bono cases in her career, many of which involve domestic violence survivors. Lauren is Chair of the Crisis Management Practice and a Litigation Partner at Haynes and Boone in Houston.
Mayra Hernandez ’05 is part of the Chubb IMPACT Women’s Coaching Circle this year. This program brings together participants from the U.S., Canada, and Bermuda each month to discuss a new topic and share experiences and knowledge under the guidance of more experienced coaches. Participants in the program expand their organizational insight, build new skills and seize new opportunities. Mayra is Business Development Manager at Chubb, the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company.
Stephanie Stouffer Joyce ’07 was promoted to Senior Director of Communications at the American Gas Association in Washington, D.C. In this role, Stephanie leads AGA’s digital communications and advertising strategy, as well as the association’s Cooking With Gas campaign, which focuses on the benefits of natural gas cooking.
Mike O’Brien ’08 started a new position as Director - Season Pass at Cedar Fair Entertainment Company in Charlotte, North Carolina. Prior to this position, he worked in Las Vegas with Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and Caesars Entertainment Corporation. A self-proclaimed theme park and roller coaster enthusiast, Mike was a Disney intern while pursuing his MBA, which he earned in 2018 from USC Marshall School of Business.
2010s
Class Agents
2010 – Claire Davidovich, clairedavidovich@gmail.com
2010 – Ashley Uptegraft, auptegraft10@gmail.com
2010 – Miles Bratton, mebratton91@gmail.com
2011 – Alex Manson, Klinedinst laklinedinst29@gmail.com
2011 – Kate Petsche, kate.aep@gmail.com
2011 – Nayelly Dominguez, ndominguez@smu.edu
2013 – Jonny Clum, clumjonny@gmail.com
2013 – Oliver Newberry, oliver.newberry@utexas.edu
2015 – Connor Cassady, connorcassady@sbcglobal.net
2015 – Madelyn Luskey, madelyn.luskey@gmail.com
2015 – Shelby Sanford, shelby.e.sanford@vanderbilt.edu
2016 – Delaney Fleming, delaney.fleming97@gmail.com
2016 – Branson Nelson, branson.nelson5@gmail.com
2016 – Jacob Rains, jrains22@gmail.com
2018 – Sam Carlile, fwcd@samkc.me
2018 – Kacey Melton, kcmelton@umich.edu kmelton0000@gmail.com
2018 – Kathleen Clum, kathleen.clum22@gmail.com
2018 – Maggie Brants, margaretbrants@gmail.com
2019 – Alexandra Galloway, alexandragalloway@icloud.com
2019 – Sarah Clark, clarksarah160@gmail.com
2019 – Megan Lammons, meganlammons18@gmail.com
Troy Fore ’10 earned the Certified Financial Planner designation, the standard of excellence in financial planning. These professionals meet rigorous education, training, and ethical standards and are committed to serving their clients’ best interests today to prepare them for a more secure tomorrow.
Megan Felton ’11 began a position as Communications and Advocacy Manager at CeraVe at L’Oreal in London. At L’Oreal, she is responsible for the communication and PR strategy of the CeraVe brand across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Megan previously served as Co-Founder and Head of Operations of Lionne, an education platform that shares tailored skincare advice and recommendations to help users reach their skincare goals. Through skin education, one-on-one mentoring masterclasses, brand learning and development, and digital content, Megan presented a new approach to skincare. In addition, she was the cohost of “The Beauty Voice of Reason,” a podcast made for the skin-curious.
Taylor Stein White ’11 taught a hybrid creative writing course for the University of Montana's MOLLI Program. A writer herself, Taylor writes with wild truth and a wicked sensibility about the unusual grotesque. Her story, “The Wilting House on the Mountain,” can be read in Duplicitous: A WriteHive Compilation, available on Amazon. Taylor began teaching in 2016 with the Free Verse Writing Project, which brings literature, songs, creativity, and humanity into jails and prisons to amplify the voices of incarcerated and other historically erased youth across rural Montana. Taylor also works as the Grants Manager and Development Coordinator at Youth Homes in Missoula, a nonprofit organization that cares for children facing abuse, neglect, emotional trauma and substance abuse problems.
Reid Meyer ’12 spoke to FWCD students, parents and guardians at the April NCAA Night sponsored by FWCD’s College Counseling Office. Reid is the Co-founder and CEO of Athletes to Athletes, a consulting company designed to assist high school student-athletes who wish to pursue college athletics. The organization’s consulting addresses the academic, athletic, social, and financial aspects of the student-athlete to help them find their best college fit both on and off the field.
Shree Bose ’12 matched with the University of Chicago Physician Scientist Development Program for an Internal Medicine Residency and Oncology Fellowship. A Harvard University alumna, Shree graduated from Duke University School of Medicine in May with her Ph.D./M.D. She plans to pursue a career as a Medical Oncologist, where she would make research discoveries in the lab and translate them into practice to improve the lives of patients affected by cancer.
Fallon Appleton ’13 is Senior Associate of Marketing and Communications for Lucchese Bootmaker. Fallon’s roots are in the rodeo. Her father, born in Australia, became the first Australian to win a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Championship. He later marketed his own Western clothing line. In a Fort Worth Business Press article, Fallon recalls receiving her first pair of Lucchese boots. “They were red with blue and white stitching that at the time matched my Fort Worth Country Day uniform perfectly – cowboy boots were one of the few footwear options allowed in the FWCD dress code at the time,” she said. “I wore them to class almost every day, and now, 13 years later, I still wear those boots, and they look just like they did when I was a junior in high school. I believe that speaks to the craftsmanship that goes into Lucchese’s cowboy boots.”
Meghann Kasal ’13 successfully defended her Ph.D. thesis. She has been at MIT in the Department of Biology since 2017, working in Tania Baker’s lab studying AAA+ proteases using a combination of biochemical and single-molecule biophysical techniques. Meghann’s thesis title is “Lon degrades stable substrates slowly but with enhanced processivity, redefining the attributes of a successful AAA+ protease.” She is applying for research positions in the Boston area biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.
Xavier White ’13 is a Senior Regional Sales Manager at Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc. Zeiss is one of the world’s leading innovators in the design and development of medical devices. The company creates and supplies cuttingedge technologies and applicationoriented solutions for ophthalmology and microsurgery. For Xavier, the best part of his day is working with the OR personnel who rely on Zeiss’s innovative technology to impact the lives of their patients.
Sarah Harrison ’14 graduated from Creighton University School of Medicine in May. She moved to the Boston area for an Internal Medicine Residency at Cambridge Health Alliance.
Hayden Redmon ’14 started a new position as Assistant Director of Business at Moody’s Analytics. The company provides financial intelligence and analytical tools to help business leaders make better, faster decisions. A subsidiary of Moody’s Corporation, it offers tools, solutions, and best practices for measuring and managing risk.
Melody Rodriquez ’15 competed at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in St. George, Utah, in 2022. Also known as a Half Ironman, this event is a series of long-distance triathlon races. 70.3 refers to the total distance in miles covered in the race, which consists of a ½ mile swim, a 56mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run.
Carleen Wenner ’15 is now a Senior Sustainability Associate at Dentons Global Advisors-Albright Stonebridge Group. Dentons Global Advisors is an independent strategic advisory firm that provides integrated, multidisciplinary counsel and support for clients facing complex challenges spanning legal, reputational, financial, regulatory and governance dimensions. In her role, Carleen advises local and global initiatives across environmental and social impact for corporations, foundations, nonprofits and coalitions. She is a global thought master’s graduate from Columbia University with a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Boston University.
Nina Cloven ’16 was recently honored with the Medical Group Management Association’s (MGMA) 2022 Future Five Award. The award is bestowed annually to five people in the U.S. within the first five years of their careers who have impacted the healthcare industry or their organization. Nina received a Master's of Health Administration from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in May 2022, where she was named the recipient of the John P. Young Memorial Prize. As the Manager of Primary Care Advancement at Elation Health, Nina leverages her healthcare expertise to drive strategic initiatives and thought leadership assets. Most recently, she authored an Elation Health blog article titled “On the Bright Side: Women’s Health Innovation and the Rise of FemTech,” which addresses the promising growth in popularity of health technologies designed to reduce health disparities for women. Outside of her work with Elation Health, Nina is working toward her Digital Health Innovation Certificate at Brown University.
Whitney Bruhl ’18 accepted a new position as a Junior Interior Designer at Jessica McIntyre Interiors in Fort Worth. She is excited to move back home to be closer to family and friends. Whitney earned a B.S. in Interior Design from TCU in 2022 and had been working in Dallas as an Interior Designer for A Well Dressed Home.
Nate Wallace ’18 and his father, past parent Neil Wallace, served as Huddle Coaches in Breakthrough Fort Worth’s annual Career Huddles event. Held each fall with the Junior League Day of Giving, the activity enables BTFW students to explore a variety of career fields and talk with professionals about their own college paths.
2020s
Class Agents
2020 – Stephanie Cook, smcook350@gmail.com
2022 – Mary McGann, marygmcgann@icloud.com
2023 – Lillian Buchanan, lillianbuchanan0722@gmail.com
2023 – Chelsey Etta, chelseyetta@icloud.com
2023 – Aurnoosh Eelani, aurnoosheelani@gmail.com
Grace Cauble ’20 was honored as the 2023 Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University Thomas S. Gathright Outstanding Junior at an April awards ceremony in Rudder Theater. Named in honor of the first President of A&M College of Texas, this prestigious award, established in 1973, recognizes outstanding scholastic achievement on a university-wide scale. The selection is based on an evaluation of research and/or creative production, community engagement, accomplishments/awards, and academic record, with the final selection determined by the dean of each respective college. A political science major with a double minor in history and psychology and a 4.0 GPA, Grace was also inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society and will study at Oxford University over the summer.
Liberty Croutch ’20 launched Jackson Apparel, a women’s online boutique, with business partner Rachel Jackson. They create trend-forward, timeless and chic pieces in a unique limited collection; the clothing offered directly represents Liberty’s and Rachel’s personal style. The duo is dedicated to maintaining excellent quality, offering inclusive pricing, providing styles for various occasions and, most importantly, instilling a sense of confidence. Liberty attributes her business success to FWCD faculty and staff, including Andrew Thomas, from whom she learned the basics of economics and business ventures; the always supportive Myrna Sam and Jennifer Giroir; and Shelley Rains, who taught her to persevere. Follow Jackson Apparel on Instagram @jackson.apparel.
Lily Melcher ’20 is a Legislative Intern in the Texas House of Representatives. She serves as a liaison between constituents and Representative Morgan Meyer (District 108). Lily is a student at The University of Texas at Austin, studying accounting in the McCombs School of Business.
Will Tuomey ’20 joined NBCUniversal as an Unscripted TV Entertainment Communications Intern in Los Angeles for summer 2023. In the position, he worked to secure press for unscripted programming across Bravo and E! Networks. Will attends The University of Texas at Austin, where he plans to finish a B.S. in Public Relations in May 2024.
Reese Nelson ’21 was named to the Virginia Sports Information Directors College Division All-State First-Team (Butterfly) in men’s swimming at Washington and Lee. He also earned Old Dominion Athletic Conference First-Team honors. As a member of the Generals team, Reese was part of the ODAC Champion team for the 202223 season.
Madison Aust ’23 raced her second Pro Series TC America with BMW and Fast Track Racing in May, the weekend after she graduated from FWCD. She was in the lead for over half the race in race one, ultimately placing third and earning the fastest lap accolade. In race two, Madison placed second. She is creating quite a stir as the youngest driver and as a female driver. Past races are available on YouTube (search TC America and look for 2023 races). All races are live on race day.
