34 minute read
It Came from the Archives
PERSPECTIVES
DOTHAN MAN AMONG FASTEST ON OPEN SEA
WRITTEN BY: DR. MARTY OLLIFF
People in the Wiregrass have known about Bishop Cleaners since it opened in Dothan, Alabama, in 1947. But few know that in November 1945, its founder, Eustace E. Bishop, was one of the fastest men on the open sea. A lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Bishop served on the aircraft carrier/troopship USS Lake Champlain (CV 39) when it made the fastest run to date across the Atlantic Ocean — a record it held until 1952. Born in 1912 in Ashburn, Georgia, Bishop attended the University of Georgia for a year, then graduated from Georgia Tech in 1933, where he had been president of the student body. His family moved to Decatur, Georgia, in the 1930s, where he met and, in 1937, married Agnes Scott College student and Dothan resident Mary Alice Newton. Bishop worked as an insurance agent in Decatur until he entered the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II. Bishop served as a lieutenant during Operation Magic Carpet to bring 3 million servicemen and women home from Europe. The Army and Merchant Marine led the operation but soon realized they needed resources from the Navy to avoid the problem of slow removal that troops had faced in World War I. The first ship the Navy dedicated to Operation Magic Carpet was the USS Lake Champlain, a Ticonderoga class aircraft carrier commissioned at Norfolk in June 1945, then refitted to
carry 3,300 troops in place of its usual complement of 90-100 aircraft. The Champlain entered service in October 1945. It was 888 feet long; its beam measured 93 feet; it weighed 27,100 tons; and it carried a combat crew of 3,448. Having set a west-to-east speed record from Norfolk to Bishop Rock off the coast of England on an earlier voyage, The Champlain broke the Queen Mary’s east-to-west record on its third voyage in November 1945. It took 4 days, 8 hours, 15 minutes to ply the Atlantic Ocean’s 3360.3 nautical miles from Gibraltar to Norfolk, an average of 32.048 knots (almost 37 miles per hour). Bishop wrote a long letter home during the voyage that explained the captain’s motivation “to bring the boys into the states in a hurry.” Provisioning 5,000 hungry passengers was, as Bishop wrote, “quite a problem.” He gave an example — the officers’ mess he ran usually fed 350 men per day, but he had to feed 550 ravenous soldiers. Even the 505 pounds of turkey he prepared for Thanksgiving dinner didn’t suffice. It was gone so quickly that his 96 stewards had to eat something else. He warned, “You civilians had better be prepared for these people … get plenty of food ready.” The Navy mothballed the Champlain in 1947, but it returned to action in the Korean War and was part of the Cuban Missile
Blockade Fleet in the fall of 1962. It also served as the prime recovery ship for the U.S.’s first manned space flight — Alan Shepard’s Friendship 7 — in February 1962, as well as the Gemini 2 mission in 1965. The carrier was decommissioned in 1969 and scrapped in 1972. The Champlain’s speed record stood from 1945 until the summer of 1952 when the SS United States, a 900-foot-long commercial ocean liner designed to be quickly converted to carry 15,000 troops, sped eastward across the Atlantic at 35.59 knots (41 mph) and returned at 34.51 knots (40 mph). After the war, Bishop and his family moved to Dothan, where they opened Bishop Cleaners. By employing family members, the business expanded into Albany and Valdosta, Georgia, in 1953-1954, then three plants were purchased in Panama City, Florida, in 1955. It further expanded beyond laundry and dry cleaning into emergency cleanup, restoration and uniform rental. Reconfigured over time, by 1987 Bishop Enterprises consisted of four operating plants helmed by Eustace Bishop, Jr. E.E. Bishop served the Wiregrass until his death in 2005. Among many other services, he helped to build First Methodist Church and to bring Wesley Manor retirement center (now Wesley Place) to Dothan. He chaired the 1950 National Peanut
Festival and served as president of both the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club. He participated in industrial and transportation development initiatives such as the Houston County Port Authority, the Alabama Ameriport Authority and the Dothan-Houston County Airport Authority (establishing Dothan’s current airport at Napier Field). In addition, he was a member of the group that opened the local Boys Club and the committee that steered Dothan through racial desegregation in the 1950s and 60s. For his contributions, the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce honored him among the 2012 inductees into its Business Hall of Fame. Mr. Bishop’s archival collection is being processed at the Wiregrass Archives and will be available for research this fall.
“It Came from the Archives” is an ongoing series spotlighting the fascinating collections at the Wiregrass Archives. To find out more, visit online at troy.edu/ wiregrassarchives or in person in Everett Hall on the Dothan Campus.
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FORMER TROJAN GRIDIRON STAR MAKING MARK IN BUSINESS WORLD
Nicole and Eric Sloan
In the late 1990s, Eric Sloan terrorized opposing quarterbacks and wide receivers as an All-American defensive back for the then-Troy State Trojans. Today, the 41-year-old is a pillar of the Montgomery business community, running a multimillion-dollar tech company while helping upstarts looking to follow a similar career path. It’s been quite a 20-year journey for Sloan and his wife, Nicole, a fellow Trojan alumna who owns her own successful real estate company, Nicole Sloan Realty. He first came to TROY as a walk-on for Coach John Mayotte’s Trojan baseball team before the lure of the gridiron pulled him away. On the field, Sloan racked up awards at TROY, becoming a second-team All-American in 1998 and landing a spot on the Southland Conference’s All-Decade Team. After graduating in 2000 with a computer science degree, Sloan landed in the original XFL, intercepting four passes as a member of the Birmingham Thunderbolts during that football league’s only season. In 2005, Sloan earned his MBA from Troy University and began the long road to his current-day success, forging a career in information technology. Among Sloan’s priorities was helping young tech students who wanted to make their mark in the industry. This led him and some of his colleagues to form the Montgomery Association of IT Professionals, a group focused on mentoring and developing students to prepare them for the professional world. In 2015, Sloan took a leap of faith, starting 1 Sync Technologies in Montgomery, which today earns more than $5 million in revenue. “1 Sync is an IT government contractor,” Sloan said. “We do software development, cybersecurity, professional services, medical IT, and we branched off to doing medical staffing as well, providing the federal government with staffing solutions that would help better prepare them for where they were and where they were trying to go.” Sloan has fond memories of TROY, but he’s also proud of the growth at the institution in the last two decades. “I go back often, and I’m on the Legacy Giving Board. Just to see how it was when I was there compared to what it is now, the campus has changed tremendously, but for the better,” he said.
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PITTMAN NAMED LITERARY LEGEND
Craig Pittman, a 1981 Troy University graduate, Florida native, author and columnist for the Tampa Bay Times, was recently named the Florida Heritage Book Festival Board’s Literary Legend 2020. A former member of Troy University’s student newspaper, the Tropolitan, Pittman has a career spanning several generations and innovations of the journalism industry. “My fondest memories of TROY mostly involve working on the student newspaper with a bunch of smart, funny people who taught me a lot and made me laugh a lot, too,” Pittman said. “Through them, I learned what power words could have and how the truth can scare some powerful people who don’t want to hear it. My favorite teacher was Judy Means Wagnon who encouraged her journalism students to get the facts, tell the truth and never spell a name wrong.” Pittman’s fifth book coming out is called “Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther” and is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other independent bookstores and Indiebound.
ALUM NOTES
’80
Michael Alexander (’84) was named chief operations officer of Rennova Community Health, Inc. Prior to joining Rennova Health, Alexander spent 10 years as hospital administrator with Tanner Health Systems in Georgia where he managed overall operations of a 25bed joint commission-accredited Critical Access Hospital with over $98 million in revenue and over 22,000 emergency department visits per year.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Samuel “Bo” Mahaney (’88) is chief of staff of Air Mobility Command, an enterprise of 107,000 men and women in active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian service who provide global airlift, aerial refueling, air mobility support and aeromedical evacuation. Stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Maj. Gen. Mahaney is a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours. Maj. Gen. Mahaney, who is a licensed attorney after receiving his juris doctorate from St. Louis University in 2000, has been a Harvard National Security Fellow, Georgetown Legislative Fellow and legislative military liaison with Congress at the Pentagon. He holds a Master of Public Administration from TROY.
Greg K. Mittelman (’89) was recently appointed as the chairman of the board of directors of the EOD Warrior Foundation, the most experienced nonprofit offering high-quality, comprehensive support for the joint service EOD community. Mittelman is a retired U.S. Air Force EOD veteran and a former USAF commander at Naval School EOD and was a key team member in the transition and opening of the school to Eglin AFB, Florida, and in commemorating the EOD Memorial. Mittelman also serves on the National Defense Industrial Association EOD Advisory Committee. He has a Master of Public Administration from Troy University, Bachelor of Arts from Texas State University and a Non-Profit Management Certificate from the University of Texas.
’90
Leigh Anne Jernigan Minchew (’91, ’94, ’97) was recently appointed assistant dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Nursing at the University of South Alabama. Dr. Minchew holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Case Western Reserve University and post-graduate certificates as a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
Carl White (’91), who served as principal of Midland Valley High School for more than 10 years, is the new director of Student Services for Aiken County (South Carolina) Public Schools.
Fred Mullard (’92) was named administrator of Village of Lake in the Hills (Illinois). He most recently served as community services director and is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Air Force Academy and holds a Master of Public Administration from TROY.
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Wendy Parker, far right, with her colleagues on the 1980 Tropolitan staff
A Troy University alumna is being honored as one of the best college basketball writers of all time. Wendy Parker, a 1982 graduate of the Hall School of Journalism, was named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame after covering the rise of women’s college basketball into a national spectator sport. As a TROY student, Parker wrote for the Tropolitan student newspaper for four years, serving as editor throughout her senior year. She went on to write for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for 18 years, covering a variety of beats including college football and basketball, soccer and the Olympics. But it was her coverage of women’s college basketball that earned her perhaps her greatest notoriety. “I covered women’s college basketball, mostly the University of Georgia, who had really good teams in the ‘90s, and I also wrote for a magazine called Basketball Times for 20 years,” Parker said. “I’m now one of two people enshrined in this hall of fame who covered primarily women’s basketball, but I came along at a time when ESPN started doing more games, and it started getting more TV coverage, so I came along at the perfect time.” Her first taste of the sport came in covering Coach Joyce Sorrell’s TROY teams in the early 1980s. “I kind of got the bug doing that,” Parker said. “I had a lot of illustrious basketball writers I got to know, like Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe, Dick Weiss, some great names. That [I’m] considered among that company is always going to be unbelievable for me.” Parker credits her time at the Tropolitan with laying the groundwork for her journalism career. “It’s a great training ground, not only to know how to write a news story and develop news judgment, but to make mistakes and see what you’re going to like or not like. We supported each other, encouraged each other, and we had some really good professors, especially Judy Wagnon. TROY gave me a lot of time, space and opportunity to try a lot of things.” Today, she has left sports to focus on running her own community news site, East Cobb News.
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GIBSON VANCE ELECTED VICE PRESIDENT OF ALABAMA STATE BAR
Troy University Board of Trustees President Pro Tempore Gibson Vance has been appointed Vice President of the Alabama State Bar Association. The 20,000-plus member association is the official licensing and regulatory organization of lawyers in Alabama. Created in 1923 by an act of the Alabama Legislature, ASB programs and activities have continuously served the public and improved the justice system. The organization is dedicated to promoting the professional responsibility and competence of its members, improving the administration of justice and increasing the public understanding of and respect for the law. “I have served on the ASB Board of Bar Commissioners for several years, and I’ve greatly enjoyed the opportunity to give back to a profession that has given so much to me,” Vance said. “I look forward to serving as vice president of the organization this year and helping the president with all his initiatives.”
In late June, Birmingham attorney Bob Methvin, Jr. was elected
the ASB’s 145th president and was installed in the Bar’s first-
ever virtual annual meeting and grand convocation. Methvin
appointed Vance to the post. Vance practices in the Beasley Allen Law Firm’s Personal Injury and Consumer Fraud sections and is a 1987 graduate of TROY and the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law at Faulkner University. He is past president of the American Association of Justice and is a Fellow of the American Law Foundation. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He joined the Troy University Board of Trustees in 2012 and was elected to the President Pro Tempore's seat in 2019.
Barry Parker (’92) was recently named Wetumpka city president of the River Bank & Trust. He most recently served as branch manager for First Community Bank of Central Alabama in Tallassee.
Bridges Anderson (’93) was named the new head varsity boys and girls basketball coach at Red Level High School. An Opp, Alabama, native, Anderson has nearly 30 years of experience working with young people. He and his wife, Cassandra, have five children.
Shanna Roberts (’95) was recently named Southern Lee High School Teacher of the Year in the Lee County (North Carolina) School System. Roberts has taught at Southern Lee for the past 11 years, teaching multimedia and webpage design, e-commerce honors, digital media and Microsoft Imagine Academy’s Word and PowerPoint. She also manages the school’s website, is faculty advisor for the National Technical Honor Society and coached the school’s cheerleading squad. She holds a Master of Business Administration from TROY.
Stan Sauls (’95, ’10) was named the new principal at Enterprise High School. Sauls has taught for more than 17 years. He most recently worked as an assistant principal at the school and previously served as the assistant principal of Enterprise Junior High School and Dauphin Junior High School. Michelle Hopson (’96, ’05) was named director of finance for the Business Council of Alabama. Hopson has 24 years of accounting experience in arenas spanning from governmental accounting to the nonprofit sector to the banking industry.
Laurence Pender (’99) was named principal of the Franklin County (Florida) Schools. He previously served as a principal within the Jackson County School District.
’00
Barry Baker (’00), an athletic trainer at Chilton County High School, recently was among coaches and administrators selected as recipients of the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Making a Difference Award for the 2019-20 school year. During his time at TROY, he served as a student trainer for the Trojans’ track, football, baseball, softball and basketball teams.
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This image of Jessica Jones (third from left) comes from the 1995-1996 Palladium.
GOING THE DISTANCE ALUMNA FINISHES SECOND IN WORLD MARATHON
Dr. Jessica Jones has run a long way from her hometown of Sulphur Springs, Indiana (population 374), and now she can say she has run around the globe. The 1999 Troy University graduate and microbiologist finished second in the 2020 World Marathon Challenge, a challenge in which competitors run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. Dr. Jones’ journey has taken her to a variety of locations and planned career paths, but running has always come naturally for her. Coming from such a small town in Indiana, she knows how unlikely her life story has been. “As a young 17-year-old, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted — a degree in marine biology, to go to a smaller school, somewhere where it was warm and somewhere I could walk onto the cross-country team,” Dr. Jones said. “It just so happens those factors lined up for me at TROY.” A phone conversation with then-Cross-Country Coach (and TROY Athletics Hall of Famer) Bob Lambert convinced Dr. Jones that TROY was the right destination for her. She ran track and competed in cross-country for two years at TROY, finding the University to be a home away from home. “I loved it, I really did,” she said. “It was the perfect fit for me. TROY has grown a lot since I was there, but it was exactly what I was looking for — it wasn’t overwhelming to me, coming from a small town, and I was really happy to be a Trojan athlete.” Dr. Jones stopped running in order to focus on her studies, and she later switched tracks, earning a Ph.D. in microbiology from South Alabama. While she kept running to stay in shape, a national tragedy inspired her to enter the world of marathons. “I started marathoning after the Boston Marathon bombing (in 2013),” Dr. Jones said. “I was already into running again pretty seriously at that point — 5K, 10K and half marathons. After the bombing, there was a big sense of community, and the runners all pulled together. It reminded me that’s where I felt happy was in the runner community at TROY. That motivated me to go for a marathon.” Since then, Dr. Jones has competed in more than 30 marathons, recently winning the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon and the Mobile Marathon. In February, the person who didn’t want to be overwhelmed in college found herself running in Antarctica, among other exotic locales. “I’ve been thinking about this for four or five years,” said Dr. Jones, who works as a supervisory microbiologist at the Food and Drug Administration Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory on Dauphin Island. “A friend of mine at work, his niece ran this event either the first or second time it happened. I said, ‘Wow, that’s incredible, I can’t imagine doing that.’ Then I started thinking that maybe I can imagine it. She set the world record, and I said, ‘I’ve got to do that.’” While Dr. Jones had traveled to Europe and South America before, this daunting challenge was an entirely new experience. “Nobody travels this much — seven continents in seven days,” she said. “But I pushed across the finish line and as second overall. That’s pretty epic.” She finished with the fourth-fastest time ever for a woman. She enjoyed the challenge, the travel and representing Troy University. “I enjoyed the support of the whole community when I was there,” she said. “I loved competing for TROY and being a Trojan.”
Alfaye Miller (’02) was named community services director for the Brunswick-based Coastal Georgia Community Action Authority. In this new role, Miller is responsible for the management, coordination and implementation of a variety of service programs in Glynn, McIntosh, Camden, Liberty and Bryan counties in Georgia. Service programs for Coastal Georgia Community Action Authority include community services block grants, low-income home-energy assistance, rapid re-housing and aging [elderly] services. She has more than 14 years of experience in criminal justice and holds a Master of Public Administration from Troy University.
Emanuel Brown (’03) was named head basketball coach at Opelika High School. He began his coaching career in 1996 at Beverlye Middle School before moving on to the position of head basketball coach at Houston County High School in 2004. After coaching stints at Dothan and Abbeville high schools, Brown has taught physical education and strength and conditioning at Rehobeth High School since 2018. His overall coaching record is 307-124. Brown and his wife, Paraswun, have two children.
Scott Fabian (’04) is director of strength and conditioning at Portland State University. Fabian started his career in 2000 as assistant strength coach at Texas Southern University before joining Portland State in 2004. Dr. Kevin James (’04) was named the
19th president of Morris Brown College.
He had served as interim president
since March 2019. At age 42, he is one of the youngest college presidents in the country. A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Dr. James holds a master’s
degree in business management, leadership and organizational effectiveness from TROY. He also is a graduate of the Higher Education Institute at Harvard University. Dr. James is an active member of the dReam Center Church of Atlanta under the leadership of his pastor, Bishop William Murphy, III. Among his memberships are Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education and Golden Key International Honor Society. Committed to community service, Dr. James holds memberships in several organizations including Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, the Prince Hall Masonic Fraternity and 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc.
Elizabeth Lindsay-Wood (’04) was named vice president and CIO of Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. She has served as interim CIO of Moffitt since July 2019. She also held senior IT executive roles at Tampa General Hospital and Norfolk, Virginiabased Sentara Healthcare. LindsayWood holds a Master of Business Administration from TROY.
Lee Milliner (’04), an Enterprise native and State Farm insurance agent, has made it a practice to give back to the community on a regular basis since opening his insurance office in 2018. His level of commitment to the community has taken an even greater step forward as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Milliner and his office started by providing lunches and dinners to frontline workers, including health care offices, the medical center, EMTs, police officers and firefighters. In July, Milliner surprised customers at area businesses like Weevil Nut Co., Boll Weevil Soap Company, Initially Yours, Milky Moos, Style ASAP and Tropical Smoothie, by purchasing gift cards that could be used by customers when making purchases. Milliner began his career with State Farm in 2006 in Mobile before returning home to Enterprise in 2009. He and his wife, Brynn, have two daughters.
Jill Nolin (’04) is deputy editor at the Georgia Recorder in Atlanta. Nolin has spent 15 years reporting on state and local government in four states, focusing on policy and political stories and tracking public spending.
Ronda Coleman (’05) was recently named vice president of property accounting for The Franklin Johnston Group in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She had served as the company’s controller and previously served as senior real estate portfolio accountant for Harbor Group Management Company. Coleman holds a Master of Business Administration from TROY.
ALUMNI
Dr. Robert Lawrence
SOTS TRAILBLAZER REMEMBERED
Dr. Robert Lawrence, a native of Lanett, Alabama, who was the first African American elected to serve as Drum Major of the Sound of the South marching band in 1979 passed away in July. The band, under Dr. Lawrence’s leadership that year, was one
of the largest in University history; in fact, a portrait of that
special year is still displayed in Long Hall. When asked about his drum major experience, Dr. Lawrence turned the praise right back around on the band itself. “In
’79, we brought the thunder!” he said, when interviewed for
the book “FANFARE: The 75-Year Legacy of the Troy University Bands.”
“Bobby and I were in competition for the drum major spot but were the best of friends,” said former Sound of the South Drum
Major Don Aplin, who served from 1980-82. “[We] spent a lot of time hanging out together. He was such a good friend to me
always. I am totally devastated.”
Former Troy University Band Alumni President Terrance Cobb
noted that this past football season was the 40th anniversary of Dr. Lawrence making history. To honor that milestone, he was invited back to serve as the drum major of the Alumni Band last November. “Dr. Lawrence was also serving as the band director at my high school alma mater, and my hope was to get to know him better as a friend, alumni and colleague," Cobb said. Dr. Lawrence made history again in the summer of 1996 when the first-ever Educational Specialist degree in music was conferred by Troy State University and awarded to him by Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. Former TROY faculty member Ralph Ford was there during that time. “Bob and I spent a few summers together at TROY. He was a warm, affable man with a strong dedication to his music, teaching, students and friends,” Ford said. After earning his degree from TROY and a master’s degree in music education from Boston University, Dr. Lawrence went on to earn his doctorate in pedagogy of music from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. Dr. Lawrence was a music educator, mostly in the state of Georgia, over a career that spanned 35 years.
ALUMNI
Dear Alumni and Friends,
During these uncertain times, I want to assure you that your Troy University Alumni Association remains committed to you — our alumni — now numbering more than 163,000 strong. Our association represents a diverse group of Trojans drawn together by our shared experiences at our alma mater. Now, more than ever, it is important to continue the great traditions we have shared over the years. One such tradition is honoring our alumni. Our 2020 Alumni of the Year are included in this edition of the magazine. You can read more about their commitment and loyalty to TROY on page 64. Please join me in celebrating these true Trojans.
It is also an important time to show our Trojan pride by helping our students. This spring, the University started the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund, and with your help, we were able to assist 250 students who were struggling financially because of the pandemic. Many of our students and their families continue to struggle and still need our help. If you are inclined to give to this cause, simply visit troy.edu/fallcovid and designate your gift to the Student Support/Emergency Fund.
I look forward to continuing to serve and support you through our Alumni Association. Please join me as we challenge ourselves to be the best Trojans we can be. Please come back soon to Home Sweet TROY!
From one Trojan to another, Richard Hendricks (’06) was named director of athletics at Shorter University. He has more than 15 years of experience in the public and private sectors and has served as Shorter University’s head strength and conditioning coach since 2019.
Yulonda Griffin (’07) was recently promoted to director of the Department of Community Resources for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. She most recently served as the department’s assistant director and previously served as human resources placement specialist at Cumberland County Department of Social Services. She holds a master’s degree in human resources management from TROY. Victoria Rose Brown Phillips (’07) earned her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) in Dothan. She was also the recipient of the William E. Glover Service Award, receiving recognition for completing more than 350 community service hours during medical school. In addition, she was named the 2018-19 Student Doctor of the Year, served as an ACOM Student Ambassador, served as a Student Delegate to the Board of Censors for the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She currently resides in Dothan with her husband, Dr. Chris Phillips. Brent Harrison (’08, ’12) was recently named as the new principal at Saraland High School. Harrison most recently served as principal of Enterprise High School, a post he held since 2017.
’10 Command Sgt. Maj. Philson Tavernier (’12, ’19) is the new senior enlisted adviser to the Army Training Center and Fort Jackson Commander Brig. Gen. Milford H. Beagle, Jr. Prior to selection as Fort Jackson post command sergeant major, he served as the Ansbach Garrison Command sergeant major in Germany. Tavernier's operational deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2005-07, Operation New Dawn and Operation Joint Guardian Kosovo Force 3A.
Carrie Carroll (’13) has been named nurse practitioner at the Brundidge Medical Clinic. She has previously worked in the emergency department at Baptist Medical Center South in Montgomery and in the intensive care unit at the Montgomery Cancer Center.
Rob Rosner (’15) was named director of Economic Opportunity for the city of Tampa, Florida. He most recently served as manager of several redevelopment areas, including downtown and the Channel District. He holds a Master of Public Administration from TROY.
Dallas Tidwell (’15) was named offensive coordinator for Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa. He previously served as offensive coordinator for East Coast Prep, a college prep program in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. While at TROY, Tidwell was a member of the Trojan football team. Samantha Dubrinsky (’16, ’19) is executive director of the Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham. She previously served as director of Community Impact for the Birmingham Jewish Federation. Grant Alan Meacham (’16) recently received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Auburn University’s James I. Harrison School of Pharmacy. Meacham has accepted a full-time pharmacist position in the central pharmacy at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery. DeMarcus Weems (’16) was recently sworn in as police chief of the town of Mosses in Lowndes County. He previously worked as an Alabama Probation and Parole officer.
Savannah Weed (’17) has joined the staff of The Enterprise Ledger. Weed has previously been on the staffs of The Monroe Journal and The Southeast Sun.
Matt Fulton (’18) recently accepted a scholarship to attend Brooklyn Law School in New York.
Sam White (’18) was named the new softball coach at Bluefield College in Virginia. With more than 20 years of coaching experience, White most recently served as assistant coach, head recruiter, pitching coach and offensive coordinator at Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky. White and his wife, Lidia, are the proud parents of four children. Rush Hixon (’19) was recently named as the new varsity boys baseball coach at Pike Liberal Arts School. Hixon was a two-time Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll recipient during his time at TROY and had the second-best earned run average among Trojan pitchers during his senior season. Hixon’s diving catch off of the pitcher’s mound in March 2018 landed him in the No. 2 spot on ESPN’s Top 10 plays. He served as a student assistant for the Trojans baseball team in 2019 and has also coached for six years for the American Legion Baseball League, winning four state championships. Chase Smartt (’19) was named as the new head baseball coach at Charles Henderson High School. After his four years as a catcher for the TROY baseball team, Smartt ranks first in school history for most games played (222); third in at-bats (816); sixth in hits (214); and fifth in doubles (47). In 2019, he was namedfirst-team All-Sun Belt catcher and third-team All-American catcher. Smartt went on to play baseball for the New Jersey Jackals of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball before returning to Troy to start his coaching career. He joins the rest of his family in the coaching profession. Smartt’s father, Mark, is head baseball coach at TROY, and his mother, Debbie, is the volleyball coach at Charles Henderson Middle School. His sister, Taylor, is an assistant coach with
the TROY softball team.
IN REMEMBRANCE Troy University Alumni
Tonya Cianchette (’98) Ollie Jane Denison (’71) Col. Thomas G. Falzarano (’01) Molly Gordon Fowler (’96) Joanne Brooks Godwin (’59, ’72) Mary Ellen Hancock (’03) Max Neal Hughes (’54) Reita Wearren Irwin (’76) Arthur Russell Jones, Jr. (’78, ’80) Dr. Robert Lawrence (’80, ’96) Col. Barron Nesselrode, USAF, ret. (’78) David Clarence Ryan (’75) Ronald James Taylor (’99) Will Whitehead (’71) Janice Folmar Whitman (’77) Edgar “Lecil” Wylie (’85)
IN REMEMBRANCE Troy University Friends
Ralph Black Charles Kenneth Mitchell, Sr. Darryel Lee Roberds Rep. John Robert Lewis Juanita Bush
ALUMNI
ALUMNI OF THE YEAR
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ANNUAL RECOGNITION OF OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AND TO MAKE A NOMINATION, CONTACT ALUMNI AFFAIRS AT 334-670-3318.
RETIRED BRIG. GEN. ED CROWELL, USAF
Retired Brig. Gen. Ed Crowell (USAF), who received his Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in management in 2001, has been a member of the Troy University Board of Trustees since 2009. His military service in the Air Force and Reserve spanned 35 years, including stints as the commandant of the Air War College, vice commander of Air University and mobilization assistant to the commander of Air University before his retirement in 2009. He recently retired as president and chief executive officer of VT Miltope, a leading manufacturer of computers, servers, network peripherals and airborne solutions. Brig. Gen. Crowell is a past chairman of the State of Alabama’s Ethics Commission, a past member of the board of directors of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, past chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 and past chair of the River Region United Way Annual Campaign. In 2018, he was selected as the YMCA Man of the Year and currently serves on its board of directors in Montgomery. He is married to Ernestine Jordan Crowell. They have two children.
JOE JUDKINS
Joe Judkins, a 21-year veteran of the Air Force, earned his bachelor’s degree in social science in 1996 and his master’s degree in psychology in 1997. Following his Air Force retirement in 1996, he worked with Choice Behavioral Health from 1996 to 2000 before working for the Lockheed Martin Corporation from 2000 to 2018. An active member of the Fort Walton Beach, Florida, community, Judkins is a past member of the board of directors of the Stage Crafters Community Theatre, a past member of the Northwest Florida All Sports Association and member of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church. A lifetime member of the Troy University Alumni Association and president of the Emerald Coast Alumni Chapter, he established an endowed scholarship for the Emerald Coast chapter and also helped establish alumni chapters in Pensacola and Panama City. Judkins is a charter member of the Trojan Warrior Council, a member of the TROY Shield Society, a member of the Trojan Warrior Society and an avid supporter of Trojan Athletics events. He
and his wife, Jane, have three children and three grandchildren.
FREDDIE THOMAS
A former walk-on who became a two-time All-American football player at TROY, Freddie Thomas earned his bachelor’s degree in management in 1988. He was a member of both the 1984 and 1987 NCAA Division II National Championship teams. In 2015, Thomas was inducted in the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame. In 2019, he was named to the Sun Belt Conference’s Honor Roll of Players. Since 2009, Thomas, a Montgomery native and current Birmingham resident, has served as staffing team manager at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC. A member of the Troy University Alumni Association Board of Directors and a lifetime member of the Alumni Association, Thomas also serves as president for the Trojan Tailgaters Chapter, chartered in 2015. The chapter’s annual Alumni Ball during Homecoming helps fund the Student Alumni Association Scholarship. Thomas has been an active coach and supporter of youth sports and a mentor to youth organizations. He and his wife, TROY alumna Deborah, have three children — one a TROY graduate and the other two current TROY students.
LAWRENCE TYNES
Lawrence Tynes, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants and a 2013 inductee into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame, is a 2000 TROY graduate. After helping TROY to a pair of Southland Conference titles and two NCAA I-AA playoff berths, Tynes went on to a more than 12-year professional football career as a placekicker, including two years with the Ottawa Renegades of the Canadian Football League, two stints with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and six years with the New York Giants. Tynes is the only player in NFL history to have two overtime, game-winning field goals in the playoffs, and he still holds TROY records. Tynes is a senior vice president for Wheels Up, a membershipbased private aviation company. He also serves as a member of the board of directors of Live Like Luke, a Kansas-based nonprofit organization that offers enrichment activities for children, as well as tragedy assistance and “bucket list” opportunities for terminally ill or injured children and their siblings. Tynes and his wife, Amanda, have twin boys.
DR. JEAN LALIBERTE
HONORARY ALUMNA OF THE YEAR, POSTHUMOUSLY
In June, TROY lost one of its most enthusiastic supporters when former Professor and Associate Vice Chancellor for Development Dr. Jean Laliberte passed away unexpectedly. Dr. Laliberte joined the TROY family in 1991, serving as a Professor of Marketing, a position she would hold until 2005. In 2000, she was named Associate Vice Chancellor for Development, serving in that position until her retirement in 2017. Dr. Laliberte spearheaded the University’s Building Beyond Boundaries capital campaign, which well surpassed its goal by raising $258.3 million. She was also responsible for founding the TROY Shield Society, which recognizes donors who make planned legacy gifts to the University. She left a $50,000 legacy gift that will go to The Laliberte Endowed Scholarship. Dr. Laliberte was also dedicated to serving the Troy community, including serving as the local chapter and state treasurer of Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority; as a member of Troy Rotary; secretary of the Troy Arts Council; Troy Arts Auxiliary; the Troy Regional Medical Foundation; and Park Memorial United Methodist Church’s Circle of Benevolence, among others.
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TROJAN WARRIORS PAY IT FORWARD
For more than a century, TROY alumni and friends have helped provide opportunities and lessons to those following in their footsteps. Today, you are a part of that legacy. You know better than anyone that TROY is a top-notch University guiding students to achievement; it’s an institution with a rich history of success. By investing in TROY, your gift will inspire students to find their Trojan Warrior Spirit and do more than they ever thought possible. You can begin your TROY legacy today by: · Donating to TROY’s Annual Fund Campaign · Creating or donating to a much-needed student scholarship · Supporting academic programs · Supporting our fabulous Trojan athletic programs · Establishing a planned gift · Purchasing a Fraternity, Rosa Parks or Graduate Walk of Honor Brick · Joining or renewing your Alumni Membership · and more Feel it at troy.edu/donors 334-670-3608
