Alumni Profile

1983

William Drew

Ford Sanders of Conway has been promoted to the position of chief accounting officer at Conway National Bank. He also recently earned a master's degree in accounting from the College of Charleston.

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1987

Gary Purinton is teaching advanced placement U.S. history and coaching football and track at Broome High School in Spartanburg. Connie Metts Purinton '87 is assistant to the treasurer of J.M. Smith Corporation, one of South Carolina's largest privately held corporations and the parent company of QS 1 Data Systems, Smith Drug Company, Integral Solutions and Smith Premier Services.

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1991

William Blake Cannon and his wife Annette recently moved back to Anderson, Cannon's hometown, to start their own business.

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1992

Christi Goldman Chambers with husband Vic and son AJ

Christy Burrell Brown is teaching kindergarten through second-grade in the Wake County (N.C.) School District. She is married to Charles "Chuck" Brown '89.

Christi Goldman Chambers, alumni director of Coastal Carolina University, wants "to say hi to all of my friends who attended Coastal from 1989-93 and those who spent so many hours in the art department with me…. Coastal truly is something to be proud of!"

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1993

Jeffrey and Katy Weirich

Dale Bowling was selected as the 2004 Special Olympics Maryland Area Director of the Year. He has been involved with Special Olympics for nine years and has served as the area director for the past five years.

Jeffrey Weirich and his wife Katy were married in California and have lived in Virginia for two years. They enjoy horses, camping and tennis.

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1994

Michelle Shumpert earned her CPA license. She is now working as a Certified Grants Specialist.

Julia Stewart teaches seventh-grade math at Leslie M. Stover Middle School in Elgin. She was recently named Wal-Mart 2005 Teacher of the Year for the Northeast Columbia and Elgin area.

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1995

Joey Jachec

Jason Chevallard was promoted to corporate H&S manager of RMT Inc., an international environmental consulting firm, in October 2005.

Steven Jachec is a Ph.D. candidate in Stanford University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His dissertation focuses on coastal ocean internal waves using numerical simulations. "In my spare time (ha-ha), I enjoy spending time with my wife and our new son—and Chloe, our golden retriever."

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1996

Robin Conmy

Jason (WeJa) Singleton

Jennifer Dudley Dame and her husband Brian Dame live in New Market, Md., with their two sons Nolan and Liam. She is a stay-at-home mom and has her own public health consulting business.

Victor "Vic" Neal retired from the Horry County Police Department as a captain in 2004 and relocated to Florida. He is considering starting a CCU alumni chapter in Florida.

Jason (WeJa) Singleton is working on indie films as a sound designer and composer. Films he has worked on include Pissed (a 2005 Jamie Gomez film), Hollywood Kills (2006) and Book of Swords (2002). "I am pursuing my dream to become a successful composer and sound designer, as well as an established musical artist," says Singleton.

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1997

Ryan Brown

Ryan Brown returned to the U.S. this past summer after serving his country in Afghanistan.

Sharon Denise Gulledge is planning to marry Doug Wahl in April 2006.

Michelle Keim has worked for Human Support Services in Waterloo, Ill., for the past six years. She has a daughter, born in 2002.

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1998

Edwin William Cook

Chris Cook and his wife Jaclyn have one child, Edwin William Cook, born Dec. 2, 2004.

Greg "Forbsey" Forbes is general manager of GolfTown in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. A member of the golf team while he was a student at Coastal, he continues to play golf at a competitive level.

Leonard Henderson moved back to Minot, N.D., in August 2005, where he had been stationed in the U.S. Air Force in the mid 1980s. His wife is an assistant professor of Spanish at Minot State University.

Caren Stewart plans to enroll in an online Ph.D. program in the spring.

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1999

Matthew and Christopher Lesoine

Brian and Karla Mauldin with their children Courtney, Grace and Phillip

Loay Safa

Julie Eason Campbell earned a master's degree in professional communication from Clemson University in 2001.

Leah Rogalski-Davis is working as a clinical therapist for a juvenile residential center in Ohio.

Sarah Rosenblatt Lesoine taught fourth grade for two years and then worked for New Jersey's Family Services for Child Protection for a short time. She is now a stay-at-home mom with two sons. She writes: "During Thanksgiving of 2005, I returned to Coastal's campus for a visit with my family after not having been there since the day I graduated in 1999. Coastal looks great and of course my son loved feeding the turtles off the bridge by the Wall Building."

Brian Mauldin is the "proud father of three with a beautiful wife of 15 years." He owns the Marble Slab Creamery in Myrtle Beach and is a licensed real estate agent.

Loay Safa is an instructor at the American University of Science and Technology in Beirut, Lebanon. He writes: "I had the best time of my life at Coastal both as a student and later as an adjunct professor of art!"

Treda Smith is working on a Ph.D. at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Diane Tulipani earned a master's degree in marine science at the University of San Diego. She presented her thesis work as part of the Anomuran Symposium at the 6th International Crustacean Congress held in Glasgow, Scotland, in July 2005.

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2000

Anthony and Nicole Bowers

Tiffany Peterson and fiancée Ryan Anderson

Staci Owens Zarra

Anthony (Andy) Bowers is planning to attend law school in 2006.

Travis Darwin is working toward his master's degree and is employed in the medical field. His son Tyler is in the first grade and is very active in karate and soccer. "I am now becoming a soccer dad," says Darwin.

Tiffany Peterson is engaged to marry Ryan Anderson, a 2000 Citadel graduate, on June 24, 2006. They will live in Mt. Pleasant.

Stephanie "Nicole" Skinner recently returned to Coastal Carolina to earn a bachelor's degree in special education. Her anticipated graduation date is May 2007.

Staci Owens Zarra, who was married in May 2005, reports: "I still LOVE my job at Sea World! I get to work with so many amazing marine mammals. Thanks to my education at Coastal, I'm getting the opportunity to fulfill my dream job!" She and her husband Derrick share their home with an eight-year-old lop-ear rabbit, Max Bunny, and their eight-month-old English bulldog, Sumo.

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2001

Travis G. (T.G.) Altman Jr. and his wife Elizabeth "Randi" Tanner Altman announce the birth of their daughter, Anna Elizabeth Altman, born Aug. 18, 2005. Travis is in sales at Parks Automotive in Beaufort and Randi works for the Beaufort County School District.

Jamie Hilliard is engaged. She writes: "On June 18th Ryan A. Goldman proposed to me during sunset on the west coast of Florida. Ryan graduated from the University of Delaware in 1999 with a B.S. in Natural Resource Management. We met in grad school at Nova Southeastern University." Hilliard graduated from Nova Southeastern with a dual master's degree in marine biology and coastal zone management. She is now in the Ph.D. program in marine biology at Nova Southeastern studying the Antillean manatee population in Belize.

Andrew Horner is a golf professional in the Cincinnati area. He and his wife Kristine are expecting their first child as this magazine goes to press.

Jerrod "Jrod" Paige is pursuing a career in acting. He had a small role in the current film Failure To Launch starring Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker. Paige had a larger role in the CBS movie of the week Vampire Bats, starring Lucy Lawless (better known as Zena the Warrior Princess).

Lecia Salerno

Lecia M. Salerno, an ensign with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is one of five women and 10 men who recently graduated from Basic Officer Training Class 108 of NOAA's Commissioned Officer Corps. Salerno will be serving aboard NOAA ship Nancy Foster, a 187-ft. coastal oceanographic research vessel that supports NOAA's goal to protect, restore and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources.

Emily Baldwin Terry, in addition to teaching at the middle school level, is an adjunct English professor with Strayer University and a developmental English instructor with Horry Georgetown Technical College. She plans to pursue a Ph.D.

Adrienne Woodward Woods is a sales manager with Philip Morris in Greenville. She and Scott Woods '01 were married in January 2005 at the Gassaway Mansion in Greenville. Scott is general manager of Tassey's Tavern in downtown Greenville.

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2002

Kelly Richardson completed a "fantastic internship with the Pittsburgh Steelers" after graduating from Coastal. Richardson lives in the metro area of Washington, D.C., and works as a national account manager for Verizon Wireless.

Timothy Ritter is an investment consultant with TD Waterhouse in Arlington, Va.

Jamie and Chris Langston with son, Dylan

Jontae Snipes is a part-time recreation counselor at the Horry County Shelter Home. She writes: "The good thing in my situation was that I had hands on experience throughout my career at Coastal working with troubled children. That enabled me to focus on giving these children a chance to be involved in proper recreation having fun with athletic and nonathletic programs."

Suzanne Staton is currently a full-time student at Coastal seeking a second degree in early childhood education.

Jamie Thompson Langston and her husband Chris Langston are the proud parents of first-born son, Dylan James Langston, born May 19, 2005 (9 lbs., 11.9 ounces, 20 inches). Langston is currently a stay-at-home mother studying to take the Praxis II. She will be applying for the P.A.C.E. program and hopes to be enrolled in fall of 2006.

Andrew Torregrossa and Catherine Rawson

Andrew Torregrossa and Catherine Rawson became engaged Nov. 21, 2005 and are planning to be married in New Jersey on June 24, 2006.

Michelle Ward is a ninth-grade special education teacher in Hawaii and an assistant girl's track coach. She enjoys the Aloha spirit of the islands and being able to hike, bike, surf, snorkel and kayak.

Jordan Weismore is a Syracuse University graduate student, majoring in secondary education.

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2003

Ellen Bernstein writes that she is "working to pay off debt… Planning to travel and teach English in a foreign country."

Bijoy Bose writes: "I really feel proud to be a Coastal alumnus. I was one of the first international students from the Ansal Institute of Technology in India who had the pleasure to come to Coastal. I want to say hello to all my fellow batch mates and my computer science friends and special thanks to Hutch (Steve Hutchinson) and Porter N. Medley, who gave me the opportunity to get my first work experience in U.S."

Timothy Harrison is in the U.S. Navy attending Submarine School in Groton, Conn. He graduated from Recruit Training Command on Aug. 12, 2005, in Great Lakes, Ill., in the field of submarine electricity/computers.

Renee Larrimore has been promoted to merchant account representative at Conway National Bank.

Crystal Lavinder plans to go back to school to earn a master's degree in physical therapy and continue on in the doctorate program at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers. She is engaged to marry Frank Ardo '03.

Chris Nowacki is working in Wilmington, N.C., where he lives with Eva Williams '03 He writes: "My experience at the Wall School of Business has prepared me for a successful, fast-paced career in which I apply concepts from a variety of business disciplines. My internship in the Marketing Communications Office has been paramount in contributing to this success as well. Thanks, CCU!"

Jennifer "Jenn" Overholt is working on a master's degree at Clemson University in counselor education with an emphasis in student affairs. She is also working as the Interfraternity Council adviser at Clemson, and she is engaged to be married to Coastal student Jamie Mau.

Clifton Parker

Clifton Parker is a musician and photographer in California. To view his work, visit his Web site at: www.cliftonparker.com.

Michele Ricketts is a systems engineer with Cisco Systems and lives in Morrisville, N.C. She writes: "I really enjoyed my time at Coastal Carolina University. I learned a lot and I tried to make the most of my experience while I was there. I would advise everyone to hold leadership postions if possible because that was one of the main things my employer looked at when they were hiring."

Elisa Chappelear Ritter is an elementary school teacher in Waldorf, Md.

Samantha Valentine

Heather Szymczak earned a master's degree in meteorology from Florida State University in December 2004. She is a meteorologist at Northrop Grumman in Chantilly, Va. She is engaged and plans to marry in June 2006.

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2004

Emily VanArsdall Asbury is attending Florida Atlantic University pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree.

Scott Gallimore has been named executive director for Conway's City of Character program.

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2005

Stanley Mostella is completing a master's degree in classical history through a joint program of the College of Charleston and the Citadel.

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Marriages

James Vail and Erin Gawera Stephanie Trimble and Greg Wahl Anthony and Nicole Bowers Pete Green and Jaime Hamrick Todd Stackley and Erika Gannon

Anita Rose Lindler '92 and David Bryant Grigg were married May 29, 2005.

Robert Indrihovic '97 and Crystal Bradham were married June 18, 2005.

John Morris '97 and Heather Newman '99 were married April 2, 2005, at Tybee Island, Ga.

Paul Fulton '98 and Mandy Fulton were married Aug. 6, 2005

Stephanie Trimble '99 and Greg Wahl were married April 22, 2005.

Anthony (Andy) Bowers '00 and Nicole Fontneau '01 were married Sept. 10, 2005.

Peter (Pete) Green '00 and Jaime Hamrick '03 were married May 21, 2004.

Christy Lee Hanna '00 and Anthony Christian Evans were married Nov. 12, 2005.

Matthew Radcliff Lowery '00 and Adrienne Teresa Neale were married on July 16, 2005.

Staci Owens '00 and Derrick Zarra were married May 21, 2005.

Brian Scott Sasek '00 and Katherine James Conrad '02 were married May 21, 2005.

Todd Stackley '01 and Erika Gannon '01 were married June 3, 2005.

Scott Woods'01 and Adrienne Woodward '01 were married Jan. 22, 2005.

Matthew O'Neal Richardson '02 and Christie Del Priore were married June 11, 2005.

Timothy Ritter '02 and Elisa Chappelear '03 were married Sept. 3, 2005, at Pawleys Plantation.

Jaime Meyer '03 and Billy Davis were married April 30, 2005, at the Debordieu Golf Club near Pawleys Island.

Patrick John Burchell '04 and Lucia Elizabeth Norton were married July 16, 2005.

Jessica Lynn Cothran '05 and Wayne Zunker were married July 30, 2005, in Lyman, S.C.

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Deaths

Renee H. Weatherwax Billington '94 of Myrtle Beach

Robert Elvington '78 of Conway

Jennifer "Jenny" Turner Mesimer of Conway

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Alumni Profile

Jenny Johnson Smith

In February 2006, a project the Smiths initiated came to fruition with the opening of True Children's Home, a facility for children with special needs. Its purpose, according to Jenny Smith, is to provide medical care and life saving surgical procedures to children with severe medical needs from China's poorest and least accessible orphanages.

"In many cases, a fairly simple surgery to correct a club foot or a cleft palate can boost a child's chance for adoption tremendously," says Smith.

In overpopulated China, she explains, children born with disabilities of any kind are severely disadvantaged. "Thousands of children are abandoned in orphanages every year," says Smith. "Girls are especially vulnerable due to the enormous cultural importance attached to having a male heir in the traditional Chinese family. A physical or mental defect often means a life sentence in an overcrowded, underfunded orphanage."

In an effort to provide a measure of hope to some of the children caught in this harrowing situation, the Smiths, who don't have any children of their own, began working with Alan True and his wife Twila, owners of True Seating Concepts, to establish True Children's Home. The Trues were willing to make the financial commitment, and Jenny Smith committed to set up and oversee the operation. True Children's Home is located in an apartment complex and provides care to 12 special needs children at one time. The facility has a staff of 24 caregivers.

"The average surgery costs $500, and there is a continuous need for medical supplies, clothing, diapers, formula and toys," says Smith. "The more money we receive from others, the more children we can help." As word has spread of the opening of the facility, individuals are coming forward to help. Shirley LeForce, the wife of women's basketball coach Alan LeForce, helped Smith select the paint colors for each room in the home. A fourth-grade class in Stafford, Va., made blankets for the children as a Christmas project, and a quilting group in Phoenix is making quilts for each child who comes to the facility.

True Children's Home is affiliated with China Care Foundation. It wasn't until their second meeting together in China that Jenny Smith learned that China Care's executive director, Brent Johnson, is also a Coastal graduate (Class of 1992). Johnson's courageous and compassionate activism on behalf of China's orphans got him kicked out of the country in 1995, but he returned the next year.

Smith's hope is that after children receive medical care or surgery at True Children's Home they will be placed with trained foster families where they will be provided the one-on-one love and care every child needs.

"My dad told me something once that I have never forgotten: ‘I cannot do all the good the world needs, but the world needs all the good I can do.'" A good proverb to live by, and one that mirrors the life and career of Smith's father, Coastal alumnus and longtime supporter Jimmy Johnson of Conway.

To find out more about True Children's Home visit www.truechildrenshome.org.

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CCU Alumni of the Year honored

CCU President Ron Ingle and Timothy Meacham of Conway, who was named the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

Five alumni of Coastal Carolina University have been named 2005 Outstanding Alumni of the Year.

Timothy Meacham, class of 1979, was named the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. This award is given to a graduate of Coastal who has made a significant contribution to his/her profession or community over a period of time.

Meacham, of Conway, has served on the 15th Judicial Circuit as an assistant solicitor since 2003. From 1993 until 2003 he was a partner in the firm of Jebaily, Glass and Meacham, P.A. He served as an assistant solicitor in the 12th Judicial Circuit from 1990 to 1993. He also served as City of Florence attorney from 1986 to1990. From 1986 to 1993 Meacham served on the Carolina Regional Legal Services board of directors, ultimately serving as chair in 1994. Meacham graduated magna cum laude from Coastal in 1979, earning a bachelor's degree in government and international studies. He graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1982. Meacham served as president of Coastal's Alumni Association in 1997-1998.

Outstanding alumni recipients, representing each college of the university, are:

• Wall College of Business Administration -- Michael Pruitt of Charlotte, N.C., class of 1984, is managing director of Cain Capital Advisors. Pruitt, a businessman and entrepreneur with a background in finance, and two CCU graduates recently launched Chanticleer Holdings, a mutual fund specializing in small and micro-cap investments. (See story on page 20.)


• College of Natural and Applied Sciences -- Christine Shutter of Myrtle Beach, class of 1994, is a certified school psychologist and a licensed psycho-educational specialist employed by Florence School District Five. Since 2000, she has worked as an adjunct professor in the Department of Psychology and Sociology at Coastal. She also serves on the School of Psychology Advisory Committee at Francis Marion University. Shutter was recently recognized by her inclusion in "Who's Who Among American Teachers 2004-2005."


• Spadoni College of Education -- Jody Hyden of Charleston, class of 1988, has recently formed the financial advising firm, McGuire, Tapscott, Hyden and Associates. Previous to the formation of this firm, Hyden was a financial adviser with American Express Financial in 2001. From 1995 to 1998 he was head coach of the Duke University women's tennis team where he amassed a record of 59-13 overall and 20-0 in conference play. He is an active member of the Lowcountry Chapter of the Coastal Carolina University Alumni Association.


• Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts -- Bruce Maggi of Myrtle Beach, class of 2001, is a financial crimes detective and a forensic artist with the City of Myrtle Beach Police Department. Maggi has been awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the United States Secret Service for his outstanding support and service as a financial crimes detective. He volunteers with the American Red Cross as an instructor of CPR, First Aid and Lifeguarding. Maggi is also the host of the WDPE TV-15 program "Grand Strand and Pee Dee's Most Wanted."

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