Class Notes/In Memoriam

Class Notes

Byron Grandy ’85, was promoted to vice president and general manager of Nexstar Broadcasting Inc. operations in Denver, CO. The accomplished media industry executive brings 35 years of station and news management experience to lead KDVR-TV, KWGN-TV and related websites and mobile applications.

Randall Langston

’94, has been selected to lead the University of Central Missouri’s student recruitment efforts in his new role as executive vice provost for enrollment management. Langston previously served at Texas Woman’s University as vice president for enrollment management.

Tomeka Moses Herod

’94, was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Medical Board. Residing in Allen, Herod is president of The Wilkins Group, Inc. She is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Dallas/ Fort Worth Minority Business Council.

Jerry McGinty ’94, has been named director of the Legislative Budget Board, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen confirmed. McGinty has been at TDCJ for 28 years holding several positions before becoming CFO, including Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Budget Director and Senior Budget Analyst.

Donald Bowers

’10, was recognized by Mayor Turner at the 3rd Annual Mayor’s History Makers Awards for his commitment to making a difference in the Houston community. He was nominated for the honor by the Houston East End Chamber.

Ann Lalime ’12, PhD, was named the new

Commit in 2020 with a membership in the SHSU Alumni Association. There is no better way to stay connected to Sam Houston. Keep campus history and tradition alive, support student scholarship and enjoy the many exclusive benefits of membership.

W O M E N W H O S H S U S H A P E D Class Notes

principal of Stockdick Junior High in Katy, TX. Lalime has worked in education for 30 years. In 2009, she joined Katy ISD to serve as the principal of Golbow Elementary.

Jordan Bontke ’12, has served as a KEYE TV reporter for CBS Austin since 2016. During his time as a journalist, he traveled to Afghanistan for three weeks to cover our nation’s armed services. Bontke is a Lone Star Emmy Awards finalist for breaking news coverage. Braden King ’16, is now assistant vice president and commercial lender at Texas Bank and Trust’s Longview location. He is a member of the Longview Greggton Rotary Club and a board member for the Longview Child Development Center.

Christina Perez

’18, has accepted a position on the Public Affairs Team with Entergy. She previously served as Legislative Director for Rep. Jim Murphy in the TX Legislature.

Alumna Named

Seventh-grade science teacher, Rebecca Hiatt, has been recognized by Houston Independent School District leaders with the distinguished title of “HISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.”

Hiatt has spent seven years as an educator and served the past three years at Baylor College of Medicine Biotech Academy at Rusk—a comprehensive health science magnet middle school located in Houston’s East End.

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Teacher of the Year

Hiatt earned her bachelor’s (’10) and master’s (’12) in chemistry from SHSU. She joined the education field after her former principal offered her a job as a high school chemistry teacher. She credits her time at SHSU and the professors she met along the way for playing a valuable role in her passion for teaching.

“I had an absolute blast learning from my professors. I think having such a great college experience prepared me for my career in that it made me want my students to have a positive learning experience too,” Hiatt said. “I learned so much in my time at SHSU and fell in love with learning and today I encourage my students to want the same.”

2020 SHSU Alumni Association Tailgate

2020 Bearkat Football Schedule (Orange denotes Home game)

Sat., Sept. 5 6 p.m. Tarleton State* Sat., Sept. 12 6 p.m. Mississippi Valley State* Sat., Sept. 19 TBA Nicholls (Thibodaux, LA) Sat., Sept. 26 TBA Incarnet Word (San Antonio, TX) Sat., Oct. 3 TBA @SFA - Battle of the Piney Woods (NRG Stadium)* Sat., Oct. 10 2 p.m. Abilene Christian - Kick for a Cause & Bearkat Family Weekend* Sat., Oct. 17 6 p.m. Northwestern State Sat., Oct. 24 2 p.m. McNeese - Homecoming* Sat., Nov. 7 Noon Central Arkansas* Sat., Nov. 14 TBA Lamar Sat., Nov. 21 TBA Houston Baptist *Indicates Alumni Association pre-game tailgates

GO BEARKATS!

The Alumni Association is proud to be a part of this time-honored tradition. Join us in Bearkat Alley 2 hours prior to kick-off. Members—Free, non-members—$10

W O M E N W H O S H A P E D In Memoriam*

S H S U

Norma (Rich) Bush ’41 Larry Neil Childs ’60

Mary Katheryn (Anderson) Taber ’42 William Clayburn Hamble, Jr. ’60

Nola Ruth (Yeager) Hanson ’44 Margaret Sue (Letts) Hopper ’60, ’73

Ella Lucille (Murphy) Cavell ’46 Leonard Eugene Speaker ’60

Ila Louise (Cabaniss) McCrury ’48 Bruce Jackson Caldwell ’61

Richard Marion Traylor III ’48 James David Carey ’61✩

Joyce Gaynelle (Boone) Burden ’49 David Samuel Gallant, Jr. ’61, ’67

Davy Odell (Houser) Green ’49 Jerry Neal Streater ’61

Janet Edith (Grigsby) Jones ’49 Franklin Darwin Wittneben ’61, ’67

Edward Garrett Bender ’50 James Fred Hanscom ’62✩

Roy Lanier Henry ’50, ’56 Jon Jeral La Baume ’62

Ellis Lee Herron, Sr. ’50, ’51 Robert Quin McWhirter ’62 Tolbert William Nash, Jr. ’50 John Clark Roberts ’62 ’70

Ruth Anna (Bell) Zuckero ’50 Errol Wayne Slaton ’62

Billy Alan Sprayberry ’52 Frances Marie (Parrish) Church ’63, ’73

Dixie Lee (Martin) Woodell ’52 Bobbie Eugene Elliott ’63

Patricia Anne (Pyle) Gore ’53, ’78 John Victor Eriksson ’63, ’66✩

Stanley Ray Humphrey ’53, ’55 Clyde Morrison ’63 Bruce Posey, Sr. ’53 Linda Joy (Allbritton) Oldham ’63

James Robert Adair ’54, ’58 Gary Gunselman ’64

Frank William Domorad ’54 Joyce Gaye (Hoke) Cole ’65

Virginia (Kerr) Holmes ’54 Elaine Margaret (Tate) Manning ’65, ’68

Dora Elizabeth (Clark) Johnson ’54 Joe Parkhurst ’65 Helen Lee Reid ’54, ’65 William David Ainsworth ’66

Billy Earle Cheatham ’55 Judith Fay (White) Eitel ’66 Floyd Robert Janek ’55 LaRue Hopson ’66

Herbert Charles Muckleroy ’55, ’61 Sherry Lee (Handorf) Morse ’66

Sunshine Jackson Coffey ’56 Barbara Jean Russell ’66 Arvalee Dial ’56 Benjamin Cade Anderson ’67

Elmer Marvin Faykus ’56, ’62 Homero Cantu ’67, ’70

Thomas Benford Frizzell ’56, ’63 Donald Judson Cole ’67 Clint LeRoy Hines ’56 James Larry Duke ’67 ’68

Mary June (Kimes) Byford ’57 Bert Lynn Harrison, Sr. ’67

James Herbert Downe ’57, ’60 Sharron (Pou) Leggett ’67

Lawrence Earl Richards ’57, ’68 Wilma LeEsther (Leiber) Schulze ’67 Richard Phillips Bell, Sr. ’58 Dixie Elaine (Starbuck) Walker ’67, ’74

Patrick Hardy Dudley ’58, ’59 Horace Michael Alexander ’68 Nelda Grace (White) Somerford ’58, ’66 Ruby Elaine (Walling) Hand ’68, ’88 Dan Allen Thomas ’58, ’63 Glenn Kraege Polan ’68 Thomas Scott Waldrip ’58 Edith D’Anne (Davis) Rogers ’68 Keith Adams ’59 Edgar Robert Taylor III ’68, ’76

Duncan Clark Gimpel, Jr. ’59 Daniel Louis Wasik ’68

Billy Jon McConal ’59 Frank Enos Bielec, Jr. ’69, ’74

mourning the loss of Dr. During Payne’s

Almon Loyd Havenstrite ’69 Stone Thomas Murray ’69 Lucille (Anthony) Cox ’70, ’76 Michael David Cromeens ’70 Robert Bennett Fowlkes, Jr. ’70 John Stephen Jacoby ’70 James Wayne Reid ’70, ’90 Ben Lee Sargent ’70 Martin Dennis Smith ’70, ’72 Thomas Lindly Agerton ’71 Curtis Wayne Corley ’71 Joan Elaine Garrett ’71 Billy Ray Moreland ’71 Ray Rodenbeck ’71 Joe Buell Woodland ’71 Robert McCutcheon ’72 Robert Edgar McKinney, Sr. ’72 Ernest Emmet Leboueuf ’73 William Scott Tyson, Jr. ’73 Brenda Kaye (Childers) Barron ’74 Bonnie (Cleaveland) Donaldson ’74 Sandra (Higgins) Dorrell ’74 Bobby Joe Meloy ’74 George Hampton Strawder ’74 Mark Edward Handel ’75 Brenda Joyce (Kalina) Humberson ’75 Tommy Moore ’75 Virginia Lea (Carson) Schooley ’75 Graham Vernon Aker ’76 Jolynn (Schultz) Daugherty ’77 Ronald Stephen Grasse ’78 Keith Daniel Harvey ’78 Gene Eldon Shine ’78 Nancy Ilene (Burns) Thomas ’78 Elton Lewis Blanchard, Jr. ’79 Larry Donald Moore ’79 Margaret (Benedict) Moss ’80✩ Mary Helen (Vela) Novark ’80 Susan Harriett (Bevil) Parker ’80 Steve Douglas Allen ’81 John Morris Geary ’81 Doris Louise (Stern) Schomburg ’81

Re e ering D r. Davi

The Bearkat community is David Payne who served as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Sam Houston State University starting in 1997. From 2004 to 2011, he served as Provost and VP of Academic Affairs.

Judy (Cryer) Webb ’81 administration, the university increased the quality and breadth of offerings in undergraduate and graduate programs. Sam Houston State experienced two major organizational changes creating

the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication (known today as the College of Arts and Media).

Payne’s unwavering stance on the importance of quality instruction resulted in an approximate 44 percent increase in the number of tenure/tenure track faculty at SHSU during his time. His dedication made a lasting impact on the university, with his establishment of the Office of Student Success Initiatives, the Office of

Payne

International Programs, and the Professional and Academic Center for Excellence.

Under his leadership and commitment to civic duty, SHSU was awarded a Carnegie Community Engaged classification. Payne also played a vital role in establishing SHSU’s involvement in the American Democracy Project, a network of state colleges that equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to be engaged members of their communities.

An important testament to

Maryann Pahler Costa ’82 Karen Ruth Tackett ’82 Lajean (Roberts) Volanski ’82 Wesley Paul Kidd ’84 Danny Udell Brewer ’85 Olga Maria Heldring ’86 Judy Powers Ainsworth ’87 Kari Lynn (Sanders) Clay ’87 Kenneth Ray Knippel ’87 Anita Ann Arnet ’88 James Lee Stanesic ’90 Jack Alton Strawn ’90 Kathryn Louise Reeves ’91 Barry Nelson Hollis ’92 Mitzi Lynn (Croye) Pate ’92 Melanie (Lawyer) Reeser ’92 Yasuko Shinohara (Shinohara) Wilson ’93 Dwuan Deray Anderson ’94 James Michael Brasher ’94 Amy Elaine Riddle ’94 ’06 Jeffrey Michael Aitken ’95 Jon Hernandez ’95 Molly Janean (Gray) Hoke ’95 Lavera Lestell (Mickan) Oliphant ’95 Sammy Lee Jobe ’96 Catherine Ann Uher ’97 James William Goldston ’98 Mark Edward Helton ’00 Carolee Dawn Taylor ’01 Leon Jay Harvey ’02 Akbar Nurid-Din Shabazz II ’04 Ryan Lee Landrum ’06 Brett Rader Wiggins ’10 Marnie Ann (Hardin) Breazeale ’14 Craig Allen Foster ’14 Kameion Scott Kitchen ’15 John Allan Wyscarver ’15 Christi Rae Keelen ’18 Felicia Ann Aceves ’19 Anitra Lashun Tusie ’20

*12/9/19 through 6/22/20 ✩ SHSU Distinguished Alumni

Payne’s work is the university award bearing his name. The David Payne Award for Academic Community Engagement is the fourth University Award for Excellence and is presented each year to select SHSU faculty members.★