Class Notes

1960s

Ronald Richmond (’68),

Richmond, Virginia, has completed more than 51 years of federal service that includes two years’ Army service. Currently, he is a senior human resources specialist supporting the Policy and Audit Office, Human Capital Office, Internal Revenue Service.

1970s

Judy Goodwin (’70, ’72),

Murfreesboro, principal of Barfield Elementary School, was celebrated by her school with a crown and scepter after being named Principal of the Year for Rutherford County Schools.

Lana Seivers (’72),

Murfreesboro, was named Linda Gilbert Advocate of the Year for her service in the classroom and school administration, her tenure as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Education, and her decade as dean of MTSU’s College of Education before retiring recently. Now dean emerita, Seivers earned her bachelor’s at MTSU before completing master’s and doctoral degrees.

Cynthia Jenkins (’74),

Landrum, South Carolina, received the 2021 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Preservation, the highest preservation honor given by South Carolina, for her efforts to preserve the architectural and cultural history of the Lowcountry in her role as executive director of the Historic Beaufort Foundation.

Pam Wright

Wright (’73), an MTSU Board of Trustees member, was inducted into the JA Nashville Business Hall of Fame in November. The JA Nashville Business Hall of Fame was established in 1991 by Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee to venerate icons of commerce and industry. Honorees are chosen by a committee of past laureates, which include fellow MTSU Trustee and alum Darrell S. Freeman Sr. (’87, ’90), former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, and music celebrity Amy Grant, among others.

Wright has had a long relationship with Junior Achievement, beginning as a student participating in JA classroom programs. She has been a part of the JA board of directors for more than two decades and is the title sponsor of the JA BizTown facility in Nashville.

“JA was a foundation for me to believe that I could become an entrepreneur,” Wright said. “We hear testimonies from children who tell us how much this program really means to them. Not only is it a fun way to teach kids, but we, as donors, are investing in our social and economic future. It’s all about the kids, and it’s important to remember that.”

Wright founded Wright Travel and built the company into one of the largest travel agencies in the United States, with offices throughout the country. She sold it in 2015 and now is president and managing partner of Wright Development, a real estate investment company.

1980s

Mary Tim McHaffie Cook (’80),

Shelbyville, was chosen in May as Teacher of the Year at Southside Elementary and District Teacher of the Year for Bedford County. Cook has taught for almost 40 years at Southside (her former elementary school).

Benita Jenkins Anderson (’82),

Lynwood, Illinois, a retired secondary education specialist, developed STRETCH Educational Training and Support and currently conducts training sessions for pre-K through post-secondary teachers and other instructional staff. Her mission is to curb the national teacher shortage by stimulating interest in careers in education among students.

Benjamin “Chris” Harris (’83),

Murfreesboro, a star on the Blue Raider basketball team that upset Kentucky in the 1982 NCAA Tournament, was named the first full-time athletic director for Rutherford County Schools. Harris has been an educator for over 30 years.

Ken Wright (’84),

Hoover, Alabama, retired from the University of Alabama where he served as professor and director of the graduate program in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. Wright also was a member of the United States Anti-Doping Agency board of directors.

Reza Baktar

Baktar (’85) won an Emmy award at the 42nd annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Direction: News for his work on Election Week in America.

Baktar has spent the last 20 years with CNN, designing and implementing shows, directing debates and special events, and leading the network directors.

Also a winner at the 34th annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards, Baktar previously helped ABC News launch and support the Special Events 24/7 unit. He also helped implement programs and shows for ABC News and the ABC News Now streaming network.

Mike Starnes

Starnes (’89) has (arguably) the most interesting job commute in America. A captain for United Parcel Service, Starnes (pictured above right), who lives in Murfreesboro, flies for UPS out of Anchorage, Alaska.

This past summer, Starnes brought a brand-new Boeing 747-8F to EAA AirVenture, the world’s largest aviation celebration, held annually in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. At more than 63 feet tall and more than 250 feet long, the long-range jet had only about 30 flight hours on it before Starnes flew it from Louisville, Kentucky, to Oshkosh. It turned a lot of heads at the Wisconsin air show— which in turn drew a lot of attention to Starnes’ alma mater.

MTSU was among the premier aerospace organizations from industry, education, and public service in attendance at EAA AirVenture. During the event, MTSU renewed its partnership for a third time with Civil Air Patrol, the volunteer civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force.

Starnes hosted MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and members of the MTSU Aerospace team at EAA for a tour of the huge jet’s cockpit and massive cargo hold. Starnes credited his alma mater for helping him climb to the rank of captain for UPS. His wife, Valeska, also a pilot, earned her Aerospace degree at MTSU in 1991, and his son, Phillip, graduated from the program in May 2021

1990s

Jeff Ballard (’90),

Brentwood, CFO of Delta Dental of Tennessee, was named Chief Financial Officer of the Year by the Nashville Business Journal.

Greg Jones (’90),

Murfreesboro, was named senior vice president of education and workforce development by the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. In his most recent position at Nissan, as senior director human resources business partner for all U.S. manufacturing, Jones supervised operations at plants in Tennessee and Mississippi and specialized in analyzing and developing talent and workforce strategies.

Harry Moore (’95),

Decatur, Alabama, recently published a poetry collection, Broken and Blended: Love’s Alchemy, from Kelsay Books. Since retiring from a career of teaching English in community college in 2009, Moore has published six books of poems. In 2014, he was honored by Poets & Writers with the Maureen Egen Writers Exchange Award.

Shelley Armstrong (’96, ’03),

Castalian Springs, was appointed principal of Castle Heights Elementary School. She has 16 years’ experience in education and has been with Lebanon Special School District for the past 10 years.

Torrance Bennett (’98),

Nashville, a 10-year veteran of the Metro Nashville Police Department, was promoted to sergeant and is now a supervisor on the Midtown Hills Precinct’s evening shift.

Karen Petersen (’98),

Ramona, Oklahoma, was named dean of the University of Tulsa’s Henry Kendall College of Arts and Sciences. She previously served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of Political Science at MTSU. Petersen received a B.S. in International Relations as an MTSU undergraduate before going on to earn M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Political Science.

Heather Jensen (’99),

Hermitage, was appointed director of communications for the Music City Center. Jensen previously served as community relations officer, web content coordinator, and multimedia product manager for the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

Angela Tanner Layton (’99),

Joelton, was named chapter operations manager for Meeting Professionals International. Layton has more than 20 years of experience as a meeting planner and is a certified meeting professional with a certificate in meeting management.

2000s

Shawnzia Thomas (’01),

Lithonia, Georgia, was named executive director of the Georgia Technology Authority Board by Gov. Brian Kemp. She has worked for the state of Georgia for more than 13 years, most recently as assistant deputy commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Services.

Gerald “Jay” Rowe III (’02),

Mount Juliet, financial advisor with Ascend Retirement and Investment Services, earned his certified financial planner designation.

Shawn Boyd (’03),

Southhaven, Mississippi, received his Doctor of Education in Leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University and works as the postsecondary program and engagement manager at SCORE (State Collaborative on Reforming Education) in Nashville.

Tara Tietjen-Smith (’03),

Commerce, Texas, who earned her doctorate at MTSU, was named department head of the Department of Health and Human Performance at Northwestern State University in Louisiana.

Akil Lloyd (’05),

Chattanooga, was promoted to human resources administrator at Cempa Community Care.

Jennifer Tipton (’05),

Maryville, was named assistant principal at Mary Blount Elementary School.

Jordan Howell (’06),

Eagleville, and

Justin Howell (’03),

Murfreesboro, are brothers and co-owners of Quality Exteriors, a local, family-owned general contractor that focuses on roofing construction and restoration services. Quality Exteriors was just named the 2020 recipient of the GAF Triple Excellence Award, one of the most coveted awards in the industry.

Amy Lowdermilk (’06),

Graysville, joined the ArtsBuild team as program manager. ArtsBuild, a Hamilton County nonprofit, is a community advocate for arts and culture. Lowdermilk most recently managed constituent services for the city of Chattanooga.

Dustin Chester (’07),

Mount Juliet, an 11-year Metro Nashville Police Department veteran, was recently promoted to sergeant and now serves as a supervisor on the Central Precinct’s overnight shift.

David Feldhaus (’08, ’09, ’19),

Shelbyville, was named chief financial officer at Ascend Federal Credit Union, where he previously served as vice president of internal audit.

John Slowey (’08),

Nashville, rejoined local accounting firm Jacobs Cohen & Associates (JCA) to lead its in-house restaurant service group. He returns to JCA after working 10 years overseeing the financial operations for Strategic Hospitality establishments.

Brady Davis (’09),

Tupelo, Mississippi, was appointed CEO of the Chickasaw Inkana Foundation within the Chickasaw Nation Department of Culture and Humanities. In this position he oversees its mission to preserve, protect, and interpret Chickasaw culture and history in the historic Chickasaw Homeland.

Rachel Gilleland (’09),

Nashville, joined Fridrich & Clark Realty as a real estate agent for the Bedford Commons office in Green Hills.

2010s

Ricki Armstrong (’10),

Burns, an eight-year Metro Nashville Police Department veteran, was promoted to sergeant and is now a supervisor on the North Precinct’s day shift.

Rachel Cook (’10, ’12),

Lebanon, was named principal of Gladeville Elementary School.

Erica Jackson Honeycutt (’10),

Clarksville, wrote a book called Breathless: My NSIP Story, now published on Amazon. The book details Honeycutt’s story of being diagnosed and living with nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP), a rare lung disorder that can cause difficulty breathing, a dry cough, fatigue, and other symptoms, in an effort to bring awareness to NSIP and for people out there battling this disease to find comfort and encouragement.

Melvin Taylor (’12),

Clarksville, a six-year Metro Nashville Police Department veteran, was promoted to sergeant and is now a supervisor on the Hermitage Precinct’s evening shift.

Allyssa Tobitt (’12, ’15),

Reston, Virginia, was named chief operating officer at Reston Hospital Center at HCA Healthcare.

Shatina Marshall

Marshall (’00), a Social Work graduate, was a catalyst for a recent renovation project with NFL standout Kevin Byard (’15) for the Resource Linkage Office that temporarily houses and provides a “safe space” for children entering the Davidson County foster care system.

With both sharing MTSU roots, Marshall originally had requested Byard’s involvement in an annual graduation ceremony for foster youth before Byard and his wife expressed interest in a project that would have a broader impact. Marshall, through her work as the resource linkage coordinator for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, suggested upgrades to the space which was renamed The Byard Family Safety Room in homage to Byard’s position with the Tennessee Titans defense.

Paid for by Byard and wife Clarke through The Byard Family Legacy Fund and in partnership with Campbell's Chunky Soup, the safe house now features new furnishings, countertops, a clothing room, kitchenette with new microwave appliances, full shower space, playroom for the smaller children, a dedicated space for teens, new flooring, smart televisions, toys, and other amenities.

“Rather than finding one home or one family that they can do something for, now they can pretty much impact every child that comes through custody here in Davidson County,” Marshall said. “They touched pretty much every part of our building.”

Marshall said there remains a tremendous need for foster care families in Tennessee, particularly for teenagers. Many times teens find themselves in the foster care system through no fault of their own, she said, but rather because of a circumstance involving the parent that requires a removal from custody.

Jared Adams (’13),

Chattanooga, joined Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel PC as an associate attorney serving health care, nonprofit, and startup clients.

Claire Hill (’13),

Columbia, recently became the assistant editor at Tennessee Farmers Cooperative. She previously served as marketing director at a community bank in Columbia.

Kimberly Barker (’14),

Joplin, Missouri, a reporter for The Joplin Globe, earned the 2021 William E. James Outstanding Young Journalist Award from the Missouri Press Association.

Monica Johnson (’14),

Crossville, was named park manager for Roan Mountain State Park. She previously served as a park ranger at Tims Ford State Park and at Cumberland Mountain State Park.

Jacob West (’14),

Bell Buckle, a five-year Metro Nashville Police Department veteran, was promoted to sergeant and is now a supervisor on the North Precinct’s evening shift.

Brittney Spencer

Photo courtesy of Anthony Stone

When MTSU alumna Brittney Spencer (’17) relocated to Nashville to build a career as a mainstream country music artist and songwriter, she knew the mountain she’d have to scale would be formidable. After all, the genre is dominated by white, male megastars and a seemingly endless supply of soundalikes.

Spencer started singing gospel in her hometown of Baltimore, then became a backup singer for several notable artists, including Carrie Underwood and Christopher Cross. When she moved to Nashville in 2013, she attended writing workshops during the day and busked downtown at night.

Spencer already had two years’ worth of credits under her belt from attending community college in Maryland. She resumed her academic career in MTSU’s acclaimed Recording Industry program. But then she concluded that what she needed most from MTSU were tools to brand and market herself as she prepared to continue her expedition.

“I decided to study Public Relations with a concentration on Music Business,” Spencer said. “I told myself when I moved to Nashville that if I wanted to sing, I could sing in the shower. But if I wanted to be successful, I needed to understand how the business works.”

While a student, Spencer continued to drive from Murfreesboro to Nashville to do songwriting sessions with other songwriters. After graduation, her songwriting sessions would include heavy-hitters Brandy Clark, Jason Isbell, Ashley Monroe, and Amanda Shires, among others. Since graduating, Spencer has become a legitimate contender for airtime on country radio stations.

And, in a shift from the long-established pattern, the industry dominated by white performers seems to be embracing her. Despite only having released one EP to date as a solo artist, Compassion (2020), and remaining an independent artist (for now), she was named to CMT’s annual “Next Women of Country” list in 2021. In May, she made her network television debut, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where she and Brandi Carlile sang with the soulful Allison Russell. Spencer later served as the opening act for Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit for three dates in 2021, and most significantly made her debut at the Grand Ole Opry in May. She also signed with United Talent Agency for booking.

Catie Adams (’19),

Woodbury, joined Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) as an associate game artist. SAIC is a Fortune 500 technology integrator focused on digital transformation.

Jessica Young

The Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association named Young (’19, ’20) its office manager and industry outreach coordinator.

While at MTSU, Young held leadership roles with the MTSU Block & Bridle Club, MTSU Equestrian Team, the MTSU Dairy Show Team (the former student farm manager, Young also aided in the operations of the MTSU Beef and Swine units), and MTSU Agriculture Ambassadors. She went on to earn her master’s degree in Agricultural Education Leadership.

Young and husband Chad (pictured above) also assist with the Young family's commercial cow-calf and hay operation, and one day she hopes to purchase and breed registered stock. She currently serves on the Tennessee Stock Horse Association board of directors, is chair of the Rutherford County Young Farmers and Ranchers, and is a member of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation’s ACE Team

Stefanie Edgell (’20),

Murfreesboro, was recognized as Teacher of the Year at Christiana Elementary, where she is a fifthgrade teacher.

Caitlin Able (’21),

McMinnville, is the new community editor of the Newton County Enterprise and Kankakee ValleyPost-News.