CAMPUS NEWS Winterfest The Campus Activities Board hosted two evenings of fun at Wolf Ridge Ski Resort for the MHU campus community. On January 31, and February 1, MHU students, faculty and staff could receive a lift ticket and a ski or snowboard rental free.
New Trustee Chair and Vice-Chair Mars Hill University rang in the new year with new leadership on its governing body. The university’s board of trustees began 2019 with a new chair in Linda Judge-McRae and new vicechair in Mike Kelly.
Over 500 students, faculty, and staff took advantage of the opportunity. Dan Morris, Director of Student Involvement and Campus Recreation said he hopes to make Winterfest an annual event.
Linda Judge-McRae ’86 owns Caris Healthcare in Knoxville, Tennessee, with her husband Norman McRae ’84, and provided fundamental vision and financial support to establish the Judge-McRae School of Nursing at Mars Hill University. JudgeMcRae joined the board of trustees in 2014. Mike Kelly ’82 lives in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio. A former vice president at Macy’s, he now owns Kelly Financial Planning and with his wife, Melinda, operates Right Path Enterprises, a consulting, training, and coaching firm. He also joined the trustee board in 2014. New trustees for the 2019-2022 term are Steve Francis of Columbia, South Carolina, and D. Sigsbee Duck of Rock Springs, Wyoming. Francis is a 1972 Mars Hill graduate and retired vice president with Agfirst Farm Credit Bank. He previously had served on Mars Hill’s board of advisors. Duck is a Mars Hill alumnus who practices otolaryngic allergy and was named the 2017 Wyoming Physician of the Year. He is the son of Dr. Otis Duck, a longtime general practitioner in Madison County and former chair of the board of trustees.
The Immigrant Journey
Student Leadership Summit Nearly three dozen MHU students took advantage of an opportunity to learn from one of the region’s top business training programs. The students participated in the Student Leadership Summit presented by the Biltmore Center for Professional Development. The aim of the summit was to inspire students to develop their life goals, vision, and story, while getting a look at professional success from the perspective of a private company like Biltmore. President Tony Floyd made these photos of students during a lunch presentation with executives from the Biltmore Company.
Dr. Greg Clemons, professor of Spanish, is pictured above with MHU Spanish students Natasha Castellano, Jen Evan, and Gabby Siegfried, and Karina Byers. The group met at Gypsy Queen restaurant in Asheville to talk with Byers about her journey as an immigrant in the United States. Byers is originally from Chile and is now a resident of the U.S. The students are taking Clemons’ class, Immigration Literature in Spanish.
Lion Cubs (1) Preston J Gilbert, 7 months, is the son of MHU computer science professor Marty Gilbert ’99, and his wife, Sarai. (2) Libby McLeskey, 5, is the daughter of MHU Chaplain Stephanie McLeskey and her husband, Ken. Here, Libby is enjoying a pottery booth at the Lunsford Festival. 1
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Spirit Teams Announced Cosmo is getting some more company in spreading Mars Hill spirit. The university is bringing together the Bailey Mountain Cloggers, the university cheerleaders, and a brand new sideline spirit dance team. Danielle Plimpton ’06, currently the managing director of the Bailey Mountain Cloggers, will lead the new Spirit Teams initiative. She’s planning tryouts for the three performance teams over the spring and summer. Look for the new spirit teams on the sidelines of Lions athletics games, and in the surrounding community, beginning this fall. 24 Mars Hill, the Magazine | Spring 2019
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(3) and (4): Lily Plemmons, 8, and little brother Raylan, 19 months, have been cheering on the Lions all their lives. Their Nana, Cindy Whitt ’06, takes photos of the team, in addition to being senior business analyst for the MHU IT Department. 4
Want to share photos of the “Lion Cubs” in your life? Send snapshots of your little ones in MHU t-shirts, bibs, hats, etc., to tbuckner@mhu.edu. Email must include a brief statement of consent from a parent. Mars Hill, the Magazine | Spring 2019 25
