Alumni Notes

1950s

Virgelia “Gelia” Cleveland Meek ’58, Dalton, Georgia, has sold the family home and moved to an independent senior living facility in Dalton.

1970s

Susan Griffin Smith ’71, Frankfort, Kentucky, retired as commissioner of human resources administration with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. She served 37 years in state government public management, organizational research and program leadership and development.

Mickey Franklin Thornton ’72, Lexington, is happily retired after more than 30 years in outpatient mental health.

Mary Klein Bowers ’73, Duluth, Georgia, retired in 2021 from Locum Tenens/Physician Staffing Company where she was top revenue producer, seven-time Presidents Club Top Performance winner and four-time recipient of the Business Associate Client Shout Out Award.

John E. Chowning ’73, Campbellsville, Kentucky, represented Transylvania at the inauguration of Joseph Hopkins as president of Campbellsville University on Sept. 16, 2022.

Jayson A. Hymes ’74, Beverly Hills, California, was appointed to the Board of Advisors of GATC Health in August 2022. The science and technology company is revolutionizing drug discovery and disease prediction using artificial intelligence and advanced multiomics.

Jo Ann Turner Houston ’78, Tucker, Georgia, works with Gwinnett County Public Schools teaching students in grades 3-5 with moderate intellectual disabilities while also supervising paraprofessionals.

William H. McCann Jr. ’79, Winchester, Kentucky, has been commissioned by the city of Pikeville to write a monologue in the voice of longtime Pikeville Mayor William C. Hambley. The work is to be part of the 200th anniversary celebration of the city’s founding. Altogether, six playwrights have been selected to participate in this project called “Spirits of Pikeville.” The six short works will be produced throughout 2024. Fellow alumni who knew the mayor and are willing to share stories and insights about him are asked to call 859-940-9510 or email wmccann273@gmail.com. He has also published a new book, “God Hires Gardeners: Modern Works of Flash Fiction Based on Bible Stories,” by Finishing Line Press.

Thomas L. Steinemann ’79, Cleveland, received the 2022 Distinguished Service Award and the 2020 Advocacy Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

1980s

John W. Thompson ’80, Lexington, is retiring in August 2023 after 18 years as human resources director with the Lexington Housing Authority. He looks forward to new adventures and opportunities.

Lynn Ann Whaley Vogel ’82, St. Louis, co-founding partner of Vogel Law Office, was recognized by Missouri Lawyers Weekly as a 2023 ICON honoree. The awards recognize distinguished attorneys for their exemplary careers and long-standing commitment to the Missouri legal community. 

David Caywood Jr. ’83, Venice, Florida, is now retired and living in south Florida.

Nancy K. Adams ’87, Louisville, has been overseeing the finance function and processes for Par 5 Group as its financial controller since November 2022. Par 5 is a global event management company that manages all of the U.S. based golf tournaments for LIV Golf, among other events.

J. Roger Boggs ’88, Saint Catharine, Kentucky, is a clinical client care specialist for Addiction Recovery Care.

1990s

Elizabeth H. Conyers ’93, Aiken, South Carolina, enjoys working as an emergency room physician assistant at the Charlie Norwood VA Hospital in Augusta, Georgia. She continues to compete in the Amateur Owner Jumpers with her two horses, Cobalt and Alex.

Shane W. Rau ’95, Williamsburg, Virginia, has been the vice president and medical director for Array Behavioral Care, the largest telepsychiatry company in the U.S., since April 2021. He has spearheaded the development of a number of population health management tools for the company, which has allowed Array to become an industry leader in linking clinicians, consumers and adequate resources to meet Array’s mission of transforming access to high quality, timely behavioral health care.

Michael W Nicholson, ’96, Washington, D.C., a career diplomat with the U.S. Agency for International Development, was named the director of economic growth for USAID Mozambique, where his family will live the next four years.

Ana C. Reyes ’96, Washington, D.C., was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in February as a judge for the U.S. District Court, District of Columbia. She has a remarkable history, particularly in cross-border litigation and international arbitration.

Jennifer Griswold Withrow ’96, Lexington, graduated with a doctorate in social work from the University of Kentucky in May 2022.

Whitney Cassity-Caywood ’97, Paducah, Kentucky, assistant professor in social work at Murray State Paducah Regional Campus, received the College of Education and Human Services Research and Creativity Award this spring. 

Brent S. Lackey ’97, Somerset, Kentucky, was appointed executive director for the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development in November 2022.

Marcus A. Osborne ’97, Bentonville, Arkansas, was named chief executive officer at RightMove after 15 years with Walmart Health.

C. Shawn McGuffey ’98, Saugus, Massachusetts, is the 2022 recipient of the Arlene Kaplan Daniels Award for his article “Rape Appraisals: Class Mobility, Social Geography, and Sexual Morality Tales in Ghana, South Africa, and Rwanda.” The award is given for the best research article on women and social justice. He was recognized at an annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems in August 2022, and the article was published in the Journal of Black Psychology.

Matthew P. Simpson ’98, Bowling Green, Kentucky, became vice president, commercial banking officer at Forcht Bank in Bowling Green this spring.

Travis W. Pond ’99, Sugarcreek Township, Ohio, assumed the role of 88th Air Base wing vice commander at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in June. He had been serving as deputy director of contracting since July 2019.

2000s

William C. “Billy” Bradford ’02, Lexington, received his doctorate in education in educational leadership from Northern Kentucky University in May. He has served as chief school leadership officer for Fayette County Public Schools since July 2022.

T. Wilson Dickinson ’02, Georgetown, Kentucky, published a book, “Singing the Psalms with My Son: Praying and Parenting for a Healed Planet,” in June 2023. It is available from WIPF and Stock Publishers (wipfandstock.com), Bookshop.org and Amazon.

J. Christopher Mosley ’02, Tallahassee, Florida, became the chief executive officer of the HCA Florida Capital Hospital in March 2023.

Edward D. Bird Jr. ’03, Hebron, Kentucky, accepted a position with Delta Air Lines as a first officer on the 757 and 767 in October 2022, after 6 years with PSA Airlines.

Cameron R. Culbertson ’03, Georgetown, Kentucky, was elected Scott County attorney in November 2022. Cam has worked in the Scott County Attorney’s Office since 2007. 

Christi Eversole Hayne ’03, Lexington, earned her Ph.D. from the Falls Business School at Anderson University in December 2022.

Shannon Board Kisselbaugh ’03, Louisville, Kentucky, was named executive director of the Park Community Credit Union Foundation in January.

Serena Britt Culbertson ’04, Georgetown, Kentucky, was named the 2021 Kentucky School Social Worker of the Year by the Kentucky Association for School Social Work. She works as a school social worker at Winburn Middle School in Lexington.

Drew M. Slone ’04, Dallas, joined Locke Lord’s Public Finance Practice Group as a partner in the firm’s Dallas office in January. 

Megan Watts Vanoli ’05, Lexington, is the community engagement and partnership coordinator  for a suicide prevention program with the Lexington VA Healthcare System, where she has worked for 10 years. In her new role, she is assessing community needs and building coalitions in those communities to address how to best prevent suicides via three priority areas: identifying service members, veterans and their families and screening for suicide risk; promoting connectedness and improving care transitions; and increasing lethal-means safety and safety planning. 

Kelly H. Ball ’06, Atlanta, was promoted to associate vice president and dean for graduate studies at Agnes Scott College in June 2022. She is also associate professor of philosophy and women’s, gender and sexuality studies.

Brandon S. Cunningham ’06, Jonesboro, Arkansas, became deputy athletics director for development and revenue generation at Arkansas State University in August 2022.

Ann Sterrett Gilcrease ’06, Monroe, Washington, is the new middle school principal of the Academy of Alameda for the 2023-24 school year.

Taylor A. Payne ’06, Lexington, was appointed chief deputy general counsel for the Governor’s Office in January. He previously served as deputy general counsel to the governor and as assistant attorney general in the Office of Civil and Environmental Law under then-Attorney General Beshear.

Brooks K. Reitz ’06, Charleston, South Carolina, is owner of Leon’s Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop, recently named one of “South Carolina’s 10 Best Seafood Spots” by Southern Living’s readers. 

J. Christopher Rose ’06, Kingsport, Tennessee, joined the law firm of Hunter, Smith & Davis as partner in September 2022.

Patrick N. Coleman ’07, Smiths Grove, Kentucky, was promoted to the role of vice president of finance and chief financial officer for Houchens Industries in December 2022. He came to the company in 2011 as controller of a Houchens wholly-owned subsidiary. 

Lauren Ashley Pope German ’07, Lexington, has joined CARMAN, a landscape architecture, urban planning and civil engineering firm, as its business development director. She will focus on growth development opportunities throughout Kentucky and surrounding areas.

Mary V. Goldie ’07, Sammamish, Washington, was promoted in March to director of the Rotary Club of Seattle, the fourth-oldest Rotary Club and one of the largest in the world, with more than 300 members.

John David Christman ’08, Lexington, joined Old Colony Insurance earlier this year. With more than 15 years of experience, he continues his momentum as one of the top insurance producers in the equine industry.

Adam M. Kleman ’08, Terre Haute, Indiana, was promoted to associate head coach for women’s soccer at Indiana State University in May. He had spent the past four years as assistant coach.

John D. Kromer ’08, East Orange, New Jersey, serves as associate university librarian for research and engagement at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He is the recipient of the 2022 PAM Achievement Award for the Physics-Astronomy-Mathematics Division of the Special Libraries Association. The honor recognizes distinction and dedication to librarianship in physics, astronomy and/or mathematics, accompanied by outstanding leadership within the division.

2010s

Matt L. Elmore ’11, St. Louis, is the executive director at Promise Community Homes, a St. Louis nonprofit that helps answer “what’s next?” for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He was previously the executive director for Five Star Center, serving older adults and adults with disabilities. 

Ashley Stafford King ’11, New York City, is now a guest faculty member at Broadway Dance Center after subbing classes for about a year. Broadway Dance Center is one of NYC’s most renowned dance studios, and Ashley has been working toward this goal for almost 12 years. She is grateful for the constant support from the Transy community while navigating the arts in New York.

Prya Murad ’11, Miami, criminal defense attorney, has been named to the National Trial Lawyers 40 Under 40 list.

Heather M. Riley ’12, Lexington, was promoted to assistant vice president, early careers senior program manager at U.S. Bank. In her role, she builds two full-time technology rotation programs for recent college graduates — from strategy to execution for the duration of the 2.5-year programs. She also designs and implements the enterprise’s 10-week immersive summer internship program.

Justin W. Tereshko ’12, Lexington, was named head coach for men’s golf at Eastern Kentucky University in August 2022.

Natalie C. Jones ’13, Durham, North Carolina, was named director of fitness and wellness at Duke University last fall. Her work currently focuses on the development and implementation of all fitness and wellness programs, including group fitness and personal training, as well as providing a variety of wellness services designed for 15,000 students and 43,000 faculty, staff and affiliates.

Della M. Cummins ’14, Lexington, partnered with former Fayette County Family Court Judge Carl Devine to open Devine Law Group, PLLC, in May 2023. The practice’s primary focus is family law.

Sara Williamson Roush ’14, St. Louis, is a staff counselor at Lindenwood University.

Seth Gannon ’15, Clarksville, Indiana, is a mathematical statistician for the Census Bureau and looks forward to getting married in October.

Clinton R. Greene ’15, Winter Park, Florida, graduated from Florida State University with a combined Ph.D. in counseling psychology and school psychology in December 2022.

Benjamin H. Lyvers ’15, Louisville, Kentucky, is completing a fellowship for pediatric emergency medicine at the University of Louisville.

Sarah Allison Shirk ’15, West Carrollton, Ohio, was promoted to shift lead librarian at Germantown Public Library in June 2022.

Valerie A. Whitlock ’15, Lexington, is an attorney with Hicks & Funfsinn PLLC. She spent the past year with Frost Brown Todd and prior to that was with Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd in Frankfort. 

Kaitlyn A. Hill ’16, Lexington, published her second novel, “Not Here to Stay Friends.” It can be purchased wherever books are sold.

Samuel D. Ives ’16, Nolensville, Tennessee, reopened his gym in a new location as Ardeo Barbell, after opening the original location of his gym in 2020. Sam is the owner and head personal trainer at the gym, which provides a close, easy place to weight-train in the Nolensville area. 

Laurel B. Lietzenmayer ’16, Gainesville, Florida, graduated with her Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Florida in August 2022 and continued postdoc work there.

Courtney Smith ’16, Colorado Springs, Colorado, was the team manager for the U19 Girls National Team (USA Volleyball), which won gold at the Pan American Cup in Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, in May. They beat Mexico in the finals and did not drop a set the entire tournament. This was Courtney’s first time representing team USA. 

Ashley Watson ’16, Johnson City, Tennessee, graduated from Meharry Medical College in May 2022. Ashley, who earned a Master of Public Health from East Tennessee State University in 2018, has been a physician with Northwestern Medicine since July 2022.

J. Timothy Bickel ’18, Lexington, is an account manager at McGregor & Associates Inc.

Laura C. Daley ’18, Louisville, Kentucky, is the outreach manager at Oxford American Magazine.

Holly A. Dorfman ’18, Durham, North Carolina, started as coordinator of public interest and pro bono at Duke University School of Law in August 2022.

Joseph P. Gearon ’18, Auburn, Alabama, has been working as the economic development representative at the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development since June 2022.

Tyler J. Lega ’18, Chicago, has been a 10th-grade ethnic studies teacher at Mansueto High School.

Vladimir N. Riggs ’18, Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the business development manager at MPO, a Kinaxis company.

Austin M. Stephens ’18, Cupertino, California, has been a software triage engineer at Apple since June 2022.

Emily M. Dent ’19, Portland, Oregon, is the marketing communications specialist at Aquatech, a global leader in water technology and services for industrial and infrastructure markets.

Leah Katherine Farr ’19, Lexington, was promoted to office manager at Mattmiller Crosbie PLLC, where she started in May 2019 as a legal assistant and most recently served as a paralegal.

Hannah M. Mooney ’19, Shepherdsville, Kentucky, graduated with her Master of Science in library and information science from Simmons University in May.

2020s

Stevee V. Candrl ’20, West Chester, Ohio, graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy with her Pharm.D. in May and is going to complete her pharmacy residency at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital.

Ashley M. Dragan ’20, Lexington, graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in May.

Grace M. Galyon ’20, Louisville, Kentucky, graduated with a doctorate in physical therapy from Bellarmine University in May. She is working for KORT in Louisville.

Annebelle Hope Klein ’20, Louisville, Kentucky, received a Juris Doctorate with a concentration in environmental law from the Francis King Carey School of Law at the University of Maryland in Baltimore in May.

Michael C. Kline ’20, Westerville, Ohio, started his role as data scientist at Battelle Inc in November 2022.

Jessica “Lauren” Willard ’20, Frankfort, Kentucky, graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in May.

Audrey C. Denham ’21, Louisville, Kentucky, is a leadership development officer for athletics at Bellarmine University.