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Class Notes:
Rodger Ehrlish (B.B.A. 1974) serves as a certified
public accountant in the Dallas area.
Nan Shertzer-White (B.B.A. 1979) is among
an elite group of financial advisers recognized
in Barron’s second annual report of the
“Top 100 Women Financial Advisers.”
Shertzer-White was selected for this award
for two consecutive years. She has been with
Merrill Lynch for 27 years, serving corporate
and individual investors with comprehensive
financial solutions. She serves on the
UT Tyler School of Business Advisory
Council.
Carol (Jackson) Eliassen (B.S. 1980) retired
from Qwest Communications in Seattle,
Wash., where she worked as a risk management
supervisor and senior security representative.
Eliassen currently works at Air
Photo Inc. in Everett, Wash., as a sales support
specialist. She recently completed a
paralegal certificate from Colorado State
University and is taking real estate classes to
obtain a real estate sales license.
Stephen Price (B.S. 1980) retired from airport
public safety in May 2007, after 30
years in law enforcement and fire/EMS.
Price started his career in 1977 with the university
police department. He worked there
for over three years while completing his
studies. Price received his police certification
at East Texas Regional Police Academy in
Kilgore.
Kathryn Toon (B.A. 1983) was named
Teacher of the Month at Kilgore Heights
Elementary School in Kilgore.
Shirley Falzone (B.S. 1977) (M.A. 1984) has
been appointed principal of Jim Plyler
Instructional Complex in Tyler. Falzone was a
part-time UT Tyler instructor for three years.
Joe Brodnax (B.S. 1978) (M.S. 1984) is
senior principal engineer for the Intelligence
and Information Systems Division at
Raytheon in Garland. Brodnax has more
than 13 years experience in defense system
design and implementation. He also holds a
B.S. in economics from Southern
Methodist University and an M.B.A. from
The University of Texas at Austin. He has
served as adjunct lecturer in computer science
at both UT Tyler and The University of Texas
at Dallas. Brodnax served as board president
for the UT Tyler Alumni Association in
1985-86. He currently resides in Rockwall
with his wife and daughter.
Scott Garner (B.S. 1987) is director of
engineering services with Trane Residential
Systems, a global service organization. He
oversees three areas in the engineering and
technology function.
Dr. Robert R. Jones (M.B.A. 1988) serves as
president of Edison College in Florida.
Dawn Franks (B.S. 1979) (M.S. 1989) graduated from Texas Eastern University in
1979 with a B.S. in political science. She
then worked full time while obtaining her
graduate degree in public planning and
administration. After completing the bachelor’s
degree she worked for a year at the U.S.
Attorney’s Office – Eastern District of Texas,
while serving as a founding volunteer for the
East Texas Crisis Center. In 1980 she
became the second executive director and
worked there until 1995. She became president
and CPO of United Way of
Tyler/Smith County in 1996, and then
joined the Fourth Partner Foundation as a
program officer in 2001. In 2006 she added
executive director of the Ben and Maytee
Fisch Foundation to her responsibilities.
Dr. Jeffery Owens (M.A. 1990) was named the
Ottis Lock Educator of the Year by the East
Texas Historical Association. The award recognizes
excellence in historical instruction.
Dr. Owens is a faculty co-sponsor for the
Webb Historical Society at Tyler Junior
College and is on the board of directors of
ETHA and First Christian Memorial Inc.
He is chairman of the Lucille Terry Historic
Preservation Award Committee and chair of
the William J. Coker Prize Committee for
The Gulf South Historical Association.
Linda Payne (B.S.E.D. 1986) (M.S. 1990) serves as principal of Owens Elementary
School in Tyler.
Ray Woodard (M.E.D. 1991) is the new head
football coach for the Navarro College
Bulldogs. Woodard was defensive coordinator
at Navarro College for two seasons. After
college, he was drafted by the San Diego
Chargers and was a member of the 1986
Denver Broncos Super Bowl team. He and
his wife Penne have been married for 24
years. They have one daughter.
Steven Green (B.S. 1991) has been selected
by Texas Monthly magazine as a Texas Rising
Star in the criminal defense category.
Lynn Littlejohn (B.B.A. 1992) has been
promoted to executive vice president,
HIPPA privacy officer of Austin Bank.
James Pappas (J.B.A. 1992) is a technology coordinator for Devon Energy Corp. in Houston, and was selected to chair the 2007 Houston Area Engineers Week Committee.
Brenda G. Shoemake (B.A.A.S. 1994) is the
new assistant superintendent of programs for
Mexia State School, where she has worked
since 1985. She has held several progressively
responsible positions including medical
administrator, risk manager and director of
quality and standards compliance. She holds
a master of education degree in educational
administration from Stephen F. Austin State
University.
Michael J. Collins (B.B.A. 1994) worked full
time for a local law firm while enrolled at UT
Tyler. After graduation he was promoted to
the position of investigator for the oldest and
largest law firm in Smith County. He started
his own company, Collins Investigations, in
1998. Collins resides in Tyler with his wife
Misty and their three children.
Fred Hayes (B.S.E.D. 1989) (M.E.D. 1995) is the new superintendent of Athens
Independent School District. A professional
educator for 17 years, Hayes is the former
principal of Clear Creek High School in Clear
Creek Independent School District. He was
named 2005 Texas High School Principal of
the Year by the Texas Association of Secondary
School Principals. He was employed by
Jacksonville and Tyler school districts before
moving to Clear Creek.
Michael French (B.S. 1995) is superintendent
of Scurry-Rosser Independent School
District.
Marc S. McWilliams (M.S. 1996) has been
appointed vice president of Summit
Financial Partners in Fort Worth.
Gary Swindle (B.S. 1996) has been employed
by the Tyler Police Department since 1982
and was appointed chief of police in 2000.
Swindle also was appointed by Gov. Rick
Perry to the Texas Commission on Law
Enforcement Officer Standards and
Education. Swindle and his wife Linda have
two children.
Paula Tosh (B.S. 1997) is vice president and
commercial relationship manager at Regions
Bank in Rockwell. She also serves as president
of Royse City Chamber of Commerce.
Patrick D. Willis (B.S. 1997) is an independent
nonprofit consultant, specializing primarily
in capital and endowment campaigns, annual
funds and donor recognition events. He
has been a member of the UT Tyler Alumni
Association board of directors and involved
in several community organizations. Willis
and his wife Sherilyn have one daughter.
Josephine Katherine Porter Huffman
(B.S.N. 1998) graduated in May 2007 from
The University of Texas Health Science
Center-San Antonio School of Medicine.
She has been matched for a residency program
in obstetrics/gynecology at Wake
Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Huffman and her husband Jay have two
children.
Sheri Peery (M.E.D. 1999) was named Teacher
of the Year for Longview Independent
School District.
Anthony “Tony” Black (M.E.D. 2000) is the
new principal of Whitehouse High School.
Carroll Roge (M.B.A. 2000) serves as corporate
director of marketing for East Texas
Medical Center Regional Healthcare
System. His previous marketing positions
include advertising director for a regional
chain of sporting goods stores and communications
specialist for a forensic engineering
firm. Roge and his wife Dorian have
resided in Tyler for more than 20 years.
Bobbie Hall (B.A.A.S. 2002) has been
promoted to master teacher with the Texas
Department of Aging and Disability, where
she has served for 26 years.
Ruby J. Brewer (B.S.N. 1996) (M.S.N., M.B.A.
2003) has been appointed vice president of
Good Shepherd Health System, where she
has worked for 18 years. As vice president
she will oversee care management and quality,
chaplaincy, education, outpatient therapies,
social work, trauma and the new Wellness Center. She is the recipient of the
2006 Innovation in Case Management
Service Award.
Shane Davenport (B.S. 2004) received a 2006 Service Award from the Whitehouse branch of Austin Bank. Davenport is a network administrator in the bank’s technology division.
Jamie (Wallace) Cody (B.B.A. 2004) is
employed with Redfearn Real Estate.
Karen Cranford/Goforth (B.S.N. 1991) (M.S.N.
2004) is director of referral development at
East Texas Medical Center.
Jared J. Geilmann (B.S. 2005), after graduating
from UT Tyler, returned to Utah to serve as
corporate credit manager for Flying J Inc., a
national firm engaged in highway hospitality
services and other industries. He is responsible
for the credit management of operating
refineries, franchise accounts, a number of
supply and distribution accounts, pipeline
accounts and fleet sales accounts.
Will Walker (M.E.D. 2005) of Fayetteville was
named Outstanding Doctoral Student in
kinesiology pedagogy in the University of
Arkansas College of Education and Health
Professions. He also was awarded the
Donald R. Miller Memorial Endowed
Scholarship. Walker is in his second year of
the doctoral program. He is married to
Ruthie Walker.
Jerrod Acree (B.S. 2005) was sworn in as a
Longview police officer in January 2007.
Dustin White (B.S. 2005), who played
basketball at UT Tyler, has been selected as
an assistant basketball coach at Midway
High School in Waco.
Kathryn Letsinger (B.S.E.D. 1986) (M.E.D.
2005) is principal at Clarkston Elementary
School in Tyler.
Christina Roach (B.S. 1997) (M.E.D. 2005) is principal at Douglas Elementary School
in Tyler.
Hannah Buchanan (B.S. 2003) (M.A. 2005) began her professional career in the fall of
2005 at the Jacksonville Daily Progress
newspaper, where she served in various
positions. She currently serves as a public
affairs specialist in the UT Tyler Office of
News and Information.
Amy Fowler (M.S. 2005) is an adjunct speech
instructor and academic retention specialist
at Tyler Junior College. She was chosen as
one of the Top 106 Educators in East Texas
in May 2007. Fowler also is a freelance
writer for several local publications and a
presenter at local workshops and state and
national conferences.
John “Brannon” Gary (B.S. 2006) received a
National Science Foundation Graduate
Research Fellowship at the University of
Michigan, where he is a doctoral student.
He was one of only seven inorganic
chemistry students nationally to receive
the award.
Russell Hall (B.S. 2006) has accepted a
position with Epoch Well Services Inc. in
Houston. Hall serves as health, safety and
environment manager.
Renee Moore (B.S. 2006) began employment
as a probation officer with the Anderson
County Juvenile Probation Department in
January 2007. She served as crime victim’s
coordinator in the Anderson County district
attorney’s office for more than six years.
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