Class Notes

Pam Troutman retired from 34 years of working at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) in July 2014. She has returned to her college education roots in studio art as an artist at ART a La Carte in Occoquan, Virginia. Pam specializes in beaded jewelry, bead embroidery, bead weaving, and beaded lanyards. In 2015 she is taking a yearlong series of online classes in polymer clay.

In the spring of 2014, Stephanie Hamlett was appointed by Governor Terry McAuliffe to be the Executive Director of the Virginia Resources Authority. The Authority hosted the Governor’s Infrastructure Financing Conference in December 2014, where Eagle Village was a highlighted infrastructure project. UMW President Rick Hurley and Jeff Rountree ’91, CEO of the UMW Foundation, were speakers.

We were all greatly saddened by the loss of our friend and classmate, Debbie Bradshaw Chambers in early summer. We were enriched by her caring and thoughtfulness through her time at Mary Washington. Jayne Feeney spent quite a bit of time with her and kept many of us informed. Debbie will be sorely missed.

In other news, Mary Ann Mayer reported that she has been in the Bed and Breakfast business for over 16 years now. Congratulations, Mary Ann.

Anne Rivello Darron  wrote to say she has been working for the Washington Heritage Museums for the last two years and a year ago became Executive Director. Anne says her current role is proof that internships at UMW do matter. Way to go, Anne.

Anne’s work occasionally has her running into M.C. Morris Moncure ’82 and Scott Hampton Harris. Anne and her husband, Carl, recently got together with Frankie Blanchart Laurent and her husband, Richard; Christine Carey and Don White; Kimberly Clautice Badgett; and Mary Ellen Johnson Kirkpatrick. Last year they started an annual beach get together and decided to make it a regular trip.

Susan Leavitt completed her first Half Ironman in Puerto Rico in March!

Billy Pugh was in Phoenix for the Super Bowl this year, and was able to see his MWC roommate, Tim Money, who was in town for the game as well. They stay in touch. Tim lives in Jacksonville, Florida, now with his wife, Melody.  Their three children—Brandon, Ashleigh, and Townsend—are doing well, and Tim and Melody welcomed a new grandchild to the family over the holidays.

Billy relocated back to Atlanta from the Fort Worth area a few years ago after 14 years there, and they are near both of their families again in Georgia and Florida. Bill and Allison will celebrate their 25th anniversary next year. Their oldest daughter, Katherine, is a sophomore at Berry College in Rome, Georgia, studying education. She plays on the tennis team and finds time to help with a number of groups on campus. Their younger daughter, Lindsey, is 17 years old and a high school junior. She plans to study petroleum engineering, and has her sights set on attending LSU or Tennessee. Bill plays on USTA and ALTA tennis teams, and they recently won the USTA City of Atlanta and USTA Georgia State Championship and were USTA Sectionals runner up this summer. Both Allison and Lindsey play on USTA and ALTA teams as well. Bill works for Paradies, an Airport Retail company, as the Director of Store Operations.

Sharon Robertson Williamson is headed to Bangkok for a new job!

I began a new job as well, working for Aetna Medicaid developing provider networks through use of value-based payment methodologies. I’m able to live anywhere, so it’s back to airports and flying—and I’m going to make Fort Lauderdale my home base! Goodbye Philly, hello Fort Lauderdale! My middle son, Michael, graduated Tufts and moved to San Francisco to work with Uber as a software developer.

Sidney Griffith Keith lives in Florida with her husband, Mark. She is a certified Science and Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) teacher at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. She learned braille and Nemeth, a math code. Mark is a research and training specialist who supports school districts, parents, and professionals working with sensory impaired students throughout Florida. Son Ian is studying GIS mapping and hopes to transfer to UMW soon.

Brian Parsons and Carolyn Sydnor Parsons ’83 have two grown children, Abby and Collin, and live across the street from UMW. They love to travel to pursue their eclectic interests, which range from attending the Galax Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention to visiting their student exchange family in France. In the fall, Brian will spend a month in New Jersey training with his new guide dog—a life-transforming experience.

After graduation, Brian obtained master’s degrees from U.Va. in environmental planning and public administration and worked with the Commonwealth of Virginia, transitioning from environmental policy work to programs that support community living for individuals with disabilities. He also served seven years as Director of the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities.

Following 9/11, Brian was inspired to transition to Washington, D.C., to make a positive impact at the Federal level. Since 2006 he has worked as a Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, overseeing the Department’s efforts to strengthen compliance with the nondiscrimination protections of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. He focuses on emergency management and deploys to the field following major disasters. He ensures that federal response and recovery services are inclusive of individuals with disabilities, those with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and persons with limited English proficiency.

Catherine Gibbons Kunkel wrapped up her 22nd year teaching and is still going strong as a first grade teacher. Her daughter Katy is a junior at UMW majoring in geology, and daughter Emily is a freshman at VCU majoring in technical theater. She and husband Chris are enjoying their somewhat empty nest.

Gayle Greenwood Whitlock’s son graduated from James Madison University with a degree in Integrated Science & Technology. They are also celebrating the joys of being first-time grandparents, as their daughter had a baby boy.  

Jennifer Stanley Reese and her husband Stuart live in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She works as a hydrogeologist and project manager with Groundwater Sciences Corporation, an environmental consulting company. She also plays the cello in the Hershey Symphony. They have three children: Daniel studies meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, Nathan is a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh, and Shannon is a sophomore in high school.

Kathleen Dwyer Miller’s oldest daughter, Maddie, works in Winchester, Virginia, as a certified dog trainer, while daughter Becca attends the University of Mississippi.

Alison Metzger La Mura and Ray La Mura ’86 are entering the empty nesters’ stage. Alison is on the lookout for new ways to fill her day. Daughter Madeline is a freshman at U.Va., where she joined her brother, Ryan. Ray is President of Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association and Vice Chairman of The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.

Kim Slayton White and her husband, Dave, celebrate 23 years of marriage this year. Kim is a judge in the Tenth Judicial Circuit of Virginia. Son Hampton is a junior at the Fuqua School, where he plays soccer and enjoys Model General Assembly. Katherine, a seventh grader also at Fuqua, is active in the theatre scene, and has landed roles in Les Miserables and Wizard of Oz acting alongside professional summer stock actors.

Joanne Bartholomew Lamm and Chris Lamm are proud parents of two UMW students; their daughter was a 2013 graduate and their youngest son is a freshman this fall. They also have a son who is a senior at Virginia Tech.

As for me, I still work with ELL students in K–12 while Scott finalizes his History Ph.D.  Our daughter Lauren successfully finished her first year teaching in Wisconsin and is ready to inspire a new class of elementary students. Our son Sean lives and works in Seattle.

A big thank you to Renee Kuntz, Lisa Taylor, and Abas Adenan for planning a wonderful 30th reunion. From all accounts, Reunion Weekend was a big success for all classes. The Class of 1985 won third prize in the tent contest with its pink flamingo 1980s retro theme, and we ruled the dance floor at Saturday night’s All-Class Party! Stay tuned for other opportunities to connect with the MWC Class of 1985.

From Kim: A lot of us have hit the half-century mark or are preparing to. So far, I love my fifties, but it is hard to believe that we graduated from college so long ago. Ken and I are now in our 19th year with the computer business, and the yoga studio just celebrated its second anniversary. Time goes way too fast. In addition to my businesses and my yoga practice, I have now taken up hiking. We are fortunate enough to have the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge just north of where we live and I have been hiking most weekends since January. I have also started blogging on WordPress about my hiking experiences. Yoga and hiking are affording me new opportunities all the time, and I incorporate photography whenever I can. Life is busy and fun!

Jennifer Lee Parrish’s daughter graduated from high school earlier this year and is attending the Savannah College of Art and Design. In addition, Jennifer was elected in April to a three-year term on the Executive Council of the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys (ADTA). ADTA is a national defense lawyer organization with one attorney per community of 1 million people and she is the Fredericksburg member. The Executive Council is the governing board of the ADTA. Congratulations to both of them!

Jane Ellen Brennan Herrin is still self-employed, and her main client is photographer Joe McNally. She guides his social media across all his social channels and travels with him and the crew once or twice a year. At the end of the summer, she attended PhotoshopWorld in Las Vegas and had the opportunity to do hair, makeup, and styling for the Cirque de Soleil performers. She also assists Joe with his podcast, BTS with Bill and Joe. In addition, she has a group of smaller clients who come to her for personal and business branding, social media training, strategy, analytics, and media coaching.

Jane Ellen and her husband, Jim, still live in the same house they bought when they married in 1993. Anna Grace turned 10 in May and started middle school at the end of July, as she entered fifth grade (Putnam County goes year round). Jenna rules elementary school, as she is now in fourth grade. Anna Grace is in her second theatrical production as a workhouse orphan in Oliver at Cookeville Performing Arts Center. Both girls are looking forward to the Cookeville Children’s Theater version of The Wizard of Oz. Jane Ellen reports that both girls are hilarious, smart, and sarcastic, and she and Jim couldn’t be more thrilled about that combination.

Jane Ellen’s parents are alive and well in their early 90s, but Jim’s mother passed away earlier this year. In addition to the four human members of the household, the Herrins also have Gracie, a 13-year-old shepherd and Akita mix that they rescued from the local shelter; Max, a 15-ish blue heeler mix; Scout (named in reference to To Kill a Mockingbird), who is half English shepherd and part blue heeler and black lab, too; and three guinea pigs.

Julie Magness, like many MWC alumni, has celebrated the big 5-0 and survived. The celebration for the Pisces started last August with the trip back to Alaska, the land of her birth. Numerous other celebrations for the 50th continued for many months—hey, it’s a milestone birthday so you should celebrate for a long time—and now she feels like she’s at least 51! Alaska was awesome and everything she dreamed of so she’s saving pennies to go back. Julie and Kathy celebrated 14 years together in October (five of them legally married!!) and she is looking forward to 14-plus more.

Toni Moore Milbourne continues as editor of the Shepherdstown Chronicle in West Virginia. After nearly 20 years in the newspaper business, she is considering a potential run for local office in 2016. Her oldest daughter, Polly, graduated last May from Fairmont State University and will finish her master’s degree with FSU in December. Son Allen has moved from learning the trade of hardwood floor installation to commercial heating and air. Maggie recently started 11th grade and Samantha started 10th grade. After visiting Mary Washington’s campus in June, Samantha has hopes to continue in Toni’s footsteps and attend. An upcoming tour is in the works. Toni and husband Tom celebrated 25 years of marriage this year with a trip to the Connecticut shore.

Please keep sending updates, either to my email address or you can find me on Facebook under Kim Jones Isaac.