Class Notes

The work of MTSU graduates once again shone at the annual Grammy Awards, with nine alumni nominated in genres ranging from pop to roots to gospel to traditional blues and Latin music at the April 2022 event in Las Vegas.

Maria Elisa Ayerbe (’15), fresh off a 2021 Latin Grammys quadruple nomination for her producing, engineering, and songwriting on fellow Colombian Paula Arenas’ Mis Amores album, was included in this year’s best Latin pop album Grammy category for engineering Arenas’ project. Multi-Grammy winner Tony Castle (’95) was back among the best traditional pop vocal album nominees with That’s Life, Willie Nelson’s second tribute collection of Frank Sinatra’s music, and was also a nominee for the top traditional blues album for engineering Blues Traveler’s latest release, Traveler’s Blues.

Billy Hickey (’06), the go-to guy for studio tracking for stars like Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, and Usher, among others, made the list of best pop vocal album Grammy nominees for his work on Ariana Grande's Positions. F. Reid Shippen (’94) was back among the Grammy nominees with country standout Mickey Guyton, whose 2021 release, Remember Her Name, was nominated for best country album. Jason A. Hall (’00) and Jimmy Mansfield (’14), last year’s best country album Grammy winners, were nominated in the same category in 2022 for engineering the Brothers Osborne’s Skeletons.

Ceylon Wise and Ashley Brooks Wise, Grammy nominees for best children's music album

Wayne Haun (’00), a multi-Grammy award winner, was included in this year’s best roots gospel album category with his longtime collaborators Ernie Haase and Signature Sound and their newest album, Keeping On. And Ceylon Wise (’03) and Ashley Brooks Wise (’03), pictured here at an MTSU reception held in honor of the nominees in Las Vegas the night before the Grammys show, were nominated in the best children’s music album category for their work on All One Tribe, a compilation album featuring 24 family music artists, known collectively as 1 Tribe Collective, who aim to educate, encourage, and inspire Black children.

1960s

Helen Underwood (’63), Charlottesville, Virginia, has published four books: Under Cedar Shades, The House of Lakshmi Chatteerjee, More Than the Eye Can See, and I’ll Never Tell, a work of historical fiction about Oak Ridge.

1980s

Brett Fulford (’84), Cleveland, Ohio, who has more than three decades of experience leading global businesses for Fortune 200 companies, was appointed general manager for Parker Hannifin-Aerospace Group.

Gregory D. Smith (’85), Clarksville, released the second edition of the Tennessee Municipal Judges Benchbook in 2022. The first edition, published in 2013, was cited by the Harvard Law Review in 2021. Smith has served as the city court judge in Pleasant View since 1997.

Dr. Bill Herrick (’87, ’88, ’89), Elkins, New Hampshire, released his book BB Stackers. A retired MTSU Aerospace professor, Herrick was the owner of Herrick Aviation Co. and manager of Taylor County Airport, in Medford, Wisconsin.

Katherine Baker Gaston (’89), Springfield, had her MTSU M.A. thesis, Dr. William A. Cheatham, Tennessee’s First Mental Health Professional, published by Belmont Mansion Press.

1990s

Luis Giacoman (’90), Miami, Florida, was named senior vice president of operations and quality for Barfield Inc., a subsidiary of Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance in the Americas.

Gerald L. Harris (’90), Chattanooga, was appointed principal at Garber Construction Academy, the latest Future Ready Center in Hamilton County. Harris has been a Hamilton County educator and principal since 2007.

Richard Hickey (’90), Nashville, is the new chief of police for the Brentwood Police Department.

Alan Harper (’91), Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, was awarded tenure at Gwynedd Mercy University as associate professor of finance.

Michelle Duke (’94), Manassas, Virginia, president of the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation, was selected by the Mentoring and Inspiring Women in Radio charitable organization as the 2022 recipient of the MIW Preston Trailblazer Award, presented annually to a woman who creates opportunities for other women in radio.

James “Doug” Sloan (’94), Nashville, joined the office of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, leading the firm’s land use and zoning team. Sloan spent more than 20 years working for Metropolitan Nashville government.

Leah Tolbert Lyons

Leah Tolbert Lyons

Leah Tolbert Lyons (’95) was named dean of the MTSU College of Liberal Arts. An MTSU professor of French, Lyons previously served as interim dean of the college. Her research interests include Francophone literature and film from Africa and its diaspora with a particular focus on female writers and gender theory, as well as questions of madness, identity, mother-daughter relationships, and representations of romantic love.

Jon Cooper (’97), Nashville, joined the office of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, practicing real estate law. Cooper pulls from his 20 years of experience with the Metropolitan Nashville government when handling contract negotiation, legislation, municipal finance, and regulatory matters.

Richard Stone Jr. (’98, ’04), Murfreesboro, joined CapStar Bank, a subsidiary of CapStar Financial Holdings Inc., as senior vice president, Rutherford and Williamson counties market president. Stone previously led Reliant Bank’s expansion into Rutherford County as market president.

2000s

Briana Mullenax (’04), Brentwood, was named vice president at the Carter Hooper Group, a Nashville branch office of Baird Private Wealth Management.

Diane Brown (’05, ’09), Tallahassee, Florida, selfpublished her book My Journey: Life as a Nursing Home Administrator.

Mikki Rose (’05), White Plains, New York, joined Mikros Animation as a groom and CFX (character simulation) supervisor. Mikros Animation is part of the wider Technicolor Creative Studios family, with studios in Paris, Bangalore, and Montreal, where Rose predominantly works.

Sara Jo Houghland Walker (’05), Nashville, was promoted to senior director of public relations for Comcast’s South Region, based in Nashville. Walker previously served as director of communications for the Tennessee Department of Revenue and as a liaison to the Tennessee Film Commission.

Clarence Plank (’08), Lewisburg, has published seven books of poetry, including Death of a Gentleman.

Russell Luna (’09), Dallas, was named senior communications specialist for engineering/architecture firm Halff Associates in Richardson, Texas.

Eliezer “Eli” Ponce

Eliezer “Eli” Ponce

Eliezer “Eli” Ponce (’09) was once again in 2021 named to the Billboard Latin Power players list, highlighting the executives behind Latin music’s explosive move into the pop music mainstream. Director of A&R for BMG Music Publishing, overseeing the Latin music genre for the company, Ponce celebrated nine platinum and two gold singles by writers on BMG’s roster in 2021, plus multiplatinum certification of the single “Yo Ya No Vuelvo Contigo,” by Lenin Ramirez (featuring Grupo Firme).

Adam Wells (’09), Paducah, Kentucky, was promoted to sports director for television station WPSD.

2010s

M.R. Chaney (’10), Tullahoma, released a “World War 3” novel, A Vision to Die For, about one man who will do whatever it takes to rescue the love of his life from behind enemy lines.

Minh Le

Minh Lee

Minh Le (’11, ’12) is senior vice president in the Nashville office of Finn Partners, a leading global marketing agency, where for the last nine years he has led marketing campaigns for global business brands—most notably, Jack Daniel’s. Le was selected to the Nashville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list of emerging business leaders in 2022.

Kellie N. Roby (’11), Lakeland, who works for Arizona-based aviation safety software company Polaris Aero, helping flight departments identify and address their safety challenges, achieved the status of Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) through the National Business Aviation Association.

James “Jimmy” Mosier, Morristown, a CPA, was named partner at the accounting firm of Purkey, Carter, Compton, Swann & Carter, PLLC.

Amber Stewart (’12), Hendersonville, was appointed director of facilities maintenance for the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.

Brittany Taylor (’12), Murfreesboro, a Rockvale Middle School teacher, is the most recent winner of the Tennessee Council for the Social Studies Teacher of the Year award.

Raeven Brooks and Tyler Hallstedt

Tyler Hallstedt

Two MTSU College of Education graduates were recently named Milken Educator Award winners— dubbed the “Oscars of Teaching”—by Teacher Magazine. Tyler Hallstedt (’13), an eighth-grade teacher at Mount Juliet Middle School, and Raeven Brooks (’15), a second-grade teacher at Black Fox Elementary in Murfreesboro, each earned the prestigious award and $25,000 from the Milken Family Foundation.

Raeven Brooks

Haley Adams (’15), Smyrna, joined the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties as director of marketing and communications. Adams previously served as marketing coordinator for Murfreesboro Medical Clinic and director of fund development for the Tennessee Breast Cancer Coalition.

Colton Gray

Colton Gray

MTSU, its Aerospace Department, and Delta Air Lines celebrated the fourth anniversary of their pilot pipeline partnership in April 2022 by recognizing alumnus Colton Gray (’18) as the first graduate of Delta’s Propel pilot program. In 2018, MTSU was among the first universities to enter the partnership with Delta to encourage qualified Professional Pilot students to pursue a defined, accelerated path allowing candidates to earn their flight certifications, build their experience, and meet all requirements to become a Delta pilot in 42 months or less. Gray began training in May 2022 to fly for Delta as the next step in the accelerated program to fill a growing industry need for aviators. Gray applied early, flew three years with Republic Airways, and became the first Propel pilot for Delta, which now has similar partnerships with 15 aviation schools nationwide.

Valon Brown (’19), Nashville, joined U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty’s staff as a constituent services representative in the Nashville office after previously working for Calvert Street Group and the Tennessee Republican Party.

2020s

Luke Herring (’21), Franklin, joined Dowdle Construction Group as superintendent. Herring brings more than 17 years of construction experience to the job, including as co-owner of Natural Design LLC, specializing in custom building.