Axe ’Em, Jacks!
1960s
Dr. Robert Hughes '63 & '94 of Center announced the closing of his business, Hughes Veterinary Clinic, in March. The closing marked almost 50 years of Hughes' practice as a veterinarian. He received a Bachelor and Master of Science in biology.
Larry Hill '68 of Lufkin retired from San Jacinto College as chair of the management, development, real estate and nursing home administration department. Hill holds a Bachelor of Science in English.
Richard Norsworthy '68 of Lancaster received the Distinguished Service Award during the National Association of Corrosion Engineers International's annual convention. Norsworthy received a Bachelor of Science in mathematics.
1970s
Charles Mullenax '71 of Winter Haven, Florida, was inducted into the Polk County Public Schools' Hall of Fame. Mullenax received a Bachelor of Science in history.
Kathy Gregory '73 of College Station retired in July as president and CEO of Bryan-based Anco Insurance. She will remain as a member of the company's board of directors. Gregory received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in music.
Richard Greer '78 of Friendswood had his book, "Finding a Better Version of You Through Franchising," published both in paperback and as an e-book. Greer received a Bachelor of Science in computer science.
1980s
Michael M. Calbert '84 of Woodside, California, was named board director for the National Association of Investors, also known as BetterInvesting. Calbert received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting.
Jimmy Mize '84 was sworn in as mayor of Nacogdoches in May. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance.
Bryan Shaw '84 of Sugar Land and Mary Richards '85 of Missouri City married in January. The couple met at SFA in 1980. Shaw received a Bachelor of Science in computer science, and Richards received a Bachelor of Science in biology.
Patricia Alonso '85 of Proctor, Vermont, retired from Rutland City Public Schools after 36 years of service in education. Alonso received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish.
Dan Saur '85 of Dallas had his financial firm, D.R. Saur Financial, acquired by Beacon Pointe Advisors. Saur received a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences with concentrations in aviation technology and communication.
Diane Hale Smith '85 of Forney earned a master's degree in school counseling from Amberton University in February 2020. Smith received a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from SFA.
Michael Waters '86 of Diboll and Daniel "Red" Fuller '93 of Whitehouse were inducted into the East Texas Athletic Trainers Association's inaugural Hall of Honor. Waters received a Bachelor of Science in physical education, and Fuller received a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology.
Georgina Key '87 & '89 of Houston published her debut novel, "Shiny Bits In Between," in June 2020. Key received a Bachelor and Master of Arts in English.
Mark Ellis '88 of Katy was named operations and maintenance facilities design director at HDR Inc. Ellis received a Bachelor of Science in geography.
Kevin McDaniel '88 of Oakwood, Georgia, was named chief operating officer of Wayne Farms. McDaniel received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
Leon Aldridge '89 of Center was named editor and publisher of The Light and Champion newspaper. Aldridge received a Master of Arts in communication.
Greg Freeman '89 of Soledad, California, was named winemaker for Monterey County's historical first winery, Chalone Vineyard. Freeman received a Bachelor of Science in biology.
1990s
Linda Gail Jacobs '90 & '98 of Nacogdoches was named superintendent of Tenaha Independent School District. Jacobs received a Bachelor of Science in education and a Master of Education in secondary education.
John Austin '91 of San Antonio was elected chairman of the Bexar County Republican Party. Austin received a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance.
Angie Wetz Duke '91 of Hooks owns Rock Bar Meatworks and FTF Deer Processors. Duke received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
David Plunk '91 & '04 of Atlanta was hired as Atlanta High School's athletic director and football team head coach. Plunk received a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology and a Master of Education in educational leadership.
Elizabeth Watson '91 & '93 of Madison, Wisconsin, was named dean of students at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. Watson received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Master of Education in counseling.
Tim Filesi '92 worked with Populous Architects to help design detailed and impactful lighting for the interior and exterior of SFA's new Loddie Naymola Basketball Performance Center. Filesi received a Bachelor of Business Administration in management.
Ron Holmgreen '92 was named superintendent of schools for Brock Independent School District. Holmgreen received a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice law enforcement.
Ben Norton '93 and wife, Kelli, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, announced the December 2019 birth of their son and Lumberjack legacy, Henry Cain. Norton received a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology.
Autumn Kraus '94 of Dallas was named the 2020 Sam Winstead Volunteer of the Year for the T. Boone Pickens YMCA. Kraus received a Master of Business Administration in general business.
Carla Dupree '95 was named assistant superintendent of schools for Pleasant Grove Independent School District. Dupree received a Bachelor of Arts in English.
Kimberley James '96 was named deputy superintendent of curriculum and instruction for Corpus Christi Independent School District. James received a Master of Education in secondary education.
Dr. Angela Pool-Funai '96 of Enoch, Utah, was named dean of the graduate school at Fort Hays State University. Pool-Funai received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism.
Gene F. Thompson III '96 of Katy was named CEO of InterLinc Mortgage Services, where he previously served as president since 2010. Thompson received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting.
Richele Langley '97 was named superintendent for Marshall Independent School District. Langley received a Master of Education in secondary education.
Wiley Quarles '98 of Burke was promoted to mill manager for Angelina Forest Products. Quarles received a Bachelor of Science in Forestry with an emphasis in forest management.
Regina Brown '99 of Tyler and Kimberly Benton '06 of Wells were recognized by the Cherokee County Women with Purpose group as 2020 Lasting Legacy honorees. Brown received a Bachelor of Social Work, and Benton received a Master of Science in Agriculture.
Emilio Sanchez '99 was named director of community and economic development for the town of Argyle. Sanchez received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture.
Patrick Sanders '99 & '10 of Nacogdoches was hired by Child Care Associates to serve as deputy director for the group's Head Start program. Sanders received a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Public Administration.
2000s
Travis Young '00 of Humble was named assistant superintendent of student services for the Dayton Independent School District. Young received a Bachelor of Arts in radio/television.
Shweta Dhar '01 of Pearland was named to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics Board of Directors. Dhar received a Master of Science in biotechnology.
Cathy May '01 & '15 of Savannah was named the 2021 Elementary Teacher of the Year for the Frisco Independent School District. May received a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master of Education in early childhood education.
Jennifer Laver Clark '02 of Richmond, Missouri, was awarded Teacher of the Year by the Richmond R-XVI School District. Clark received a Bachelor of Arts in history.
Edward Burnham '04 of Sacramento, California, was hired as director of finance and internal operations for Valley Clean Energy. Burnham received a Bachelor of Business Administration in international business.
Benjamin McNally '04 & '06 of Quincy, California, was hired as a U.S. Department of Agriculture district conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service's local partnership office. McNally received a Bachelor and Master of Science in environmental science.
Brad Stewart '04 was named superintendent of Jacksonville Independent School District. Stewart received a Master of Education in educational leadership.
Misti Buard '05 of Houston was granted $10,000 from singer Beyoncé in support of Buard's food truck and event planning business. The funds are part of BeyGOOD's partnership with the NAACP to expand economic opportunities for businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Buard received a Bachelor of Science in radio/television.
Dr. Demetrus Liggins '05 of Lexington, Kentucky, was named superintendent by the Fayette County Board of Education. Liggins received a Master of Education in educational leadership.
Dr. Andrea Smith '05 of Houston opened The Art of Healing Chiropractic Clinic. Smith received a Bachelor of Science in biology.
Dr. Nakia Welch '05 of Dickinson received the 2020 Suzanne Osborn Community College Outstanding Educator Award for his contribution to San Jacinto College's communications studies program. He received a Master of Arts in communication.
Dr. Robert Wilson '05 of Silsbee was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Texas School Safety Center Board for a term to expire in February 2023. Wilson received a Master of Education in educational leadership.
Deldrick Burley '06 was named a 2020-21 Teacher of the Year for Cedar Hill Independent School District. Burley received a Bachelor of Business Administration in general business.
Dr. Katie Chretien '07 of Frisco was appointed Lower School principal at Prestonwood Christian Academy School System's Plano campus. Chretien received a Doctor of Education in educational leadership.
Jennice Hyde '07 was named senior director of talent at Hebrew Public Charter Schools in New York City. She received a Bachelor of Science in health science.
2010s
Melanie Hill '10 of Hempstead was promoted to operations manager of onshore operations at Danos. Hill received a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and a Master of Professional Accountancy.
Amy Vance '10 was named the director of career and technical education at Montgomery Independent School District. Vance received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with an emphasis in agriculture development production.
Jessica D. Williams '10 of Dallas-Fort Worth was promoted to associate vice president of people and culture at TimelyMD, a telehealth provider specializing in higher education. Williams received a Bachelor of Science in psychology.
Amy Hahn '11 of Cedar Park is a nurse practitioner at Baylor Scott and White in Cedar Park. Hahn received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Tony '12 & '15 and Crystal Holmes '13 of Houston welcomed their first son, Logan Dean, in May. Tony received a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies and a Master of Public Administration, and Crystal received a Bachelor of Science in radio/television.
Jeremy Priest '12 & '15 was recognized as Creative Employee of the Year by the Arlington Parks and Recreation Department. Priest received a Bachelor and Master of Science in Forestry.
Jennifer Swords '12 of Fort Worth was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners. Swords received a Bachelor of Social Work.
Brenda W. Lee '13 of Brownwood was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the governing board of the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Lee received a Master of Education in special education.
Dr. Ángel Rivera '15 was named deputy superintendent for Mesquite Independent School District. Rivera received a Doctor of Education in educational leadership.
Katie McAninch '17 of Hockley was named head cheer and dance coach at the University of St. Thomas. McAninch received a Bachelor of Science in dance.
Guitarist and composer Scott Stobbe '17 of New Orleans released his debut album "In Transition" in March. To accompany the album, Stobbe released the book "Sketches and Scores," which features life drawings by his father alongside sheet music of Stobbe's compositions. He received a Master of Music.
Maggie Wright '17 & '19 of Flower Mound married Jason Sumrall in February. Wright received a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice and a Master of Public Administration.
Natalie Haddad '18 of Houston began at the ABC affiliate station KRDO-TV as its newest traffic anchor and news reporter. Haddad received a Bachelor of Arts in mass communication.
Chandler Wall '18 married Jacob Putman '19, both of Southlake. Wall received a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, and Putnam received a Bachelor of Science in marketing.