CLASS NOTES

Class N�tes

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and weekly community newspapers, shoppers and new media development. For the past 10 years, he has owned and operated an internet marketing company. ’97 STEVEN FOUST, M.B.A., was named Senior Vice President of Operations for TurbineAero, Inc. In his new duties, Foust leads North American operations and day-to-day product line activities headquartered at the company’s Chandler, Ariz. facility. Foust, who began his aviation career more than three decades ago, joins TurbineAero from Honeywell Aerospace, where he led ’68 LANCE ZIMMERMAN, B.A. has been inducted into the Texas Distance Learning Hall of the Americas avionics aftermarket center, consisting of eight facilities across North America. Fame. Zimmerman, a published author, helped create the first state-wide videoconferencing network. He was Entrepreneur-President and CEO of C&Z Systems, the ’97 MICHAEL GARCIA, M.ED., has been selected principal at Abilene High School. Garcia, a first authorized Autocad Distributor and first authorized former Abilene High assistant principal and currently Autocad Training Center in the U.S. Zimmerman later the principal at Martinez Elementary School, began taught Computer Science at Texas State Technical College his AISD career 27 years ago as a computer literacy throughout most of the 1980s and 1990s, serving as teacher and coach at Franklin Middle School. He entered Department Chair of the Computer Networking and administration as an assistant principal at AHS in 2003 Systems Administration program, 1993-1998. He became and was named in 2009 as the Region 14 Outstanding Director of Distance Education at TSTC Waco in 1996 Principal by the Texas Association of Secondary School until his retirement in 2011. Principals. His first head principal opportunity came later in 2009 when he was named to lead Jane Long ’80 RANDY MCCAMEY, B.S. in Chemistry, ’82 MBA, ’98 M.Ed., has been named an Elementary. After Long closed as an elementary campus in 2015, he became principal at Martinez. A native of associate editor of The Journal of Social Media in Society Anson, Garcia has a bachelor’s degree from Abilene (JSMS). A professor of human resource management Christian University. at Tarleton’s College of Business Administration, Dr. McCamey teaches graduate courses in human resource management, human resource development, ’97 NATALIE GRIFFIN, B.S. in Education, was promoted to Executive Director of Elementary organizational development and strategic human Education by the Mineral Wells ISD Board of Trustees. resources. He has more than 25 years of experience Griffin began her professional career at MWISD in 1997 in business and industry as a consultant, coach and and included roles as a classroom teacher, instructional human resource specialist, with articles in Performance specialist, assistant principal and, recently, as principal Improvement Quarterly, Hospital Topics and The Journal of Travis Elementary. As a lifelong educator, Griffin of Management and Entrepreneurship. His current said she believes in the foundational power of strong research interests include employee engagement, teacher-student relationships combined with excellent workplace bullying and organizational justice. A three- curriculum and instruction. time Tarleton alumnus, McCamey earned a doctorate from the University of North Texas in applied technology training and development. ’01 DARIAN DULIN, M.S. in Education, has been named the defensive coordinator for the University of West Florida football team. Dulin has 20 ’83 KEN HELVEY, B.S. in Agriculture Education, has been named to the board of directors years’ experience as a college coach, including 17 as a head coach and coordinator. He spent the past five of the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas. The Board of seasons as defensive coordinator and special teams Directors is the governing body for the organization coach at Abilene Christian. Dulin previously was head and is responsible for advising management on financial coach at Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, where he and policy issues that shape the council’s strategic led the team to a 22-19 record from 2008-11. plans. GSNETX board members are volunteers who serve two-year terms in their positions. Dr. Helvey, assistant professor of the Texas Wesleyan University SOE Doctoral ’01 JAMES LENAMON, M.ED., was named superintendent of the McGregor ISD. Lenamon Program, will serve until 2019. has been the district’s assistant superintendent since 2007. He also has degrees from Baylor University, and ’96 BILL ATKINSON, B.B.A. magna cum laude, was hired as part of the management and a superintendent’s certification from the University of Houston-Victoria. He started his career as social studies advertising team at the Crossville (Tenn.) Chronicle. teacher at Wortham High School. He also taught in Axtell A Crossville native, Atkinson returned to Crossville in and then served as assistant principal and then principal 2012 following 28 years working as a multi- of Robinson Junior High School before joining the media executive in Texas, Alabama and McGregor ISD in 2001 as a principal. Maine. He has publishing experience in daily

’02 JENNY FAJKUS, B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, was named assistant principal for the district’s elementary school by Needville ISD trustees. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in educational administration from Lamar University in Beaumont.

’03 RACHEL BURLESON, B.S. in Kinesiology and Exercise Science, has been named athletic director at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H. Burleson has been associate athletic director for administration and compliance, as well as the senior woman administrator and the sport supervisor for golf, volleyball, soccer, baseball and softball. ’04 JUDD THRASH, B.S. in Education, was selected athletic director and head football coach at McGregor ISD. Thrash, who began his coaching career in 2005 at Kaufman High School, has the distinction of helping previous high school football teams to two 4A state championships, two “7 on 7” state championships, and six district championships. ’05 JIM BAUM, M.ED. in Education, Biology and Physical Education, was chosen superintendent at Lockney ISD. Baum, principal of Iraan High School, is a former teacher, coach and principal at Comanche ISD, former teacher and coach at Lorenzo ISD, and former teacher and coach at Deer Park ISD. ’08 KATHY BECKER, B.S. in Family and Consumer Sciences (summa cum laude), has run the Liberty High School culinary arts program since its inception in 2011. The program, rooted in traditional home economics classes offering cooking, nutrition and health studies, has 18 students in its current class. To enhance the curriculum, students are offered opportunities for hands-on training in supporting school and community events and organizations. Several of her former students have used their high school training as a springboard to a career in culinary sciences.

’09 SUNNY BROUS ERASMUS B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, has been recognized as a TRIO Achiever. She received the honor at the 2017 TRIO State Conference in Tyler for outstanding professional and civic contributions in the Upward Bound program. Upward Bound is one of eight TRIO programs located on more than 2,800 college campuses and community centers around the country, serving nearly 820,000 people. TRIO programs provide tutoring, personal counseling, cultural enrichment, financial guidance and other services for young adults.

’09 CAMILLE RAMIREZ-LONGORIA, M.ED., was named principal at Pflugerville ISD’s Spring Hill Elementary School. Ramirez-Longoria has been the principal at Wieland Elementary since 2014. Before that, she was the assistant principal at Delco Primary and Caldwell Elementary from 2010-2014. From 1993-2010, she held several teaching and administrative positions with Austin ISD. ’09 JANCE MORRIS, B.S. in Kinesiology, has been named head basketball coach at Odessa High School. Morris spent the previous two seasons as the boys’ basketball coach at Perryton. He began coaching at Lingleville and, when he completed graduate school in 2012, Morris became the boys’ basketball coach at Dalhart. He would later accept the same job at Tulia in 2014 and at Perryton in 2015. ’14 LAUREN WRIGHT B.S. in Communications, has been selected the new Executive Meetings Specialist by the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau. Before joining the ACVB team, Wright was Director of Events at Clark Gardens in Weatherford, where she served on a committee to enhance tourism in the Mineral Wells area and became a Mineral Wells Chamber Ambassador. ’16 AMBER HARDY, M.S. in Agricultural and Environmental Science, has received a research grant from the Nature Conservancy and the University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Institute for research projects that advance the conservation and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems. Hardy, a URI doctoral candidate, is studying the effect of sea level rise on tidal marshes. As part of this project, she is also evaluating a management approach for conserving tidal marshes called thin-layer deposition, which involves spreading a layer of dredge materials on top of the marsh surface to increase its elevation.

’16 TAYLOR KENNEDY, B.S. in Agriculture Communication, has been named to the first ever AgGrad Ultimate Ag Internship. The program was created as a window into agribusinesses across the country, which elevates work culture, career opportunities and a bird’s eye view of specific job functions. As intern, Kennedy travels to various agricultural companies to learn and document these components via videography. Kennedy is an agricultural communications graduate student at Oklahoma State University.

’16 CASSIDY MCCOWAN, B.S. in Administrative Systems with secondary school teacher certification, is serving with Go Now Missions as a semester missionary in New York City.

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