Class Notes

Alice Hughes ’67 recently received the Historic Oglethorpe County Annual Award for 2023. She has been a meticulous recorder of history and spent time serving the Georgia Historic Markers program, contributing to three of the 10 historical markers in Oglethorpe County, including the historical marker for Cloud’s Creek Baptist Church which was founded in 1788 by her ancestors and others.

Tom Reilly ’67 attended the dedication of a joint memorial to the American and South Vietnamese soldiers who died in the Vietnam War. The memorial stands in Brook Run Park in Dunwoody, Georgia. Veterans from both nations were in attendance.

Carl David ’70 is the director of the David David Gallery in Palm Beach, Florida, and an avid musician, writer and photographer. He has also recently served on the board of directors for the Federal Enforcement Homeland Security Foundation and is an advisory board member of Impera Intelligence Group, among other community organizations.

Michael Kaydouh ’70 recently completed his 48th year of practicing law in Fairfax County, Virginia, with no plans to retire. He has just returned from a trip to Nepal and hopes to return to visit Mt. Everest.

Charlie Anderson ’73 is the volunteer head coach to the Rivers Academy High School Golf Team in Atlanta, which recently won their third straight PGA High School National Invitational Championship in Frisco, Texas. Charlie helped to launch the Oglethorpe Golf Team in 1972. Charlie has been the President of the Atlanta Athletic Club, the President of the Georgia State Golf Association, and currently serves on the Executive Board of the Georgia State Golf Association.

Bruce Greenfield ’76 and Amy Schuman Greenfield ’76 met at Oglethorpe in 1973. They have been married for 45 years and produced three daughters and six grandchildren. Bruce is retired as Professor Emeritus at Emory University.

Barb Henry ’85 has begun a new position as the executive director of the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) Foundation and director of alumni engagement and development at NSHSS. As executive director of the NSHSS Foundation, she leads a team in shaping the vision and strategy of the foundation; as the director of alumni engagement and development, she is responsible for building meaningful connections with NSHSS alumni, facilitating mentorship opportunities, and fostering a vibrant and supportive network.

Laura Turner Seydel ’86 was named to Atlanta Magazine’s 2025 Atlanta 500: Religious, Nonprofit & Advocacy. She serves as director of the Turner Foundation and works with organizations that address challenges affecting our life support system, including air, water, land, food, biodiversity, and climate.

Deborah Cardone Chosewood ’87 has been elected as the Strengthening Families Georgia Chair-Elect. In this role, she will shadow the current Leadership Chair for this year and then will assume the Leadership Chair role in 2025. Strengthening Families™️ is a research-informed framework and approach to preventing child abuse and neglect. Developed by the Center for the Study of Social Policy, this approach focuses on family and community strengths and Protective Factors rather than risk factors. Strengthening Families Georgia is a statewide partnership, providing support to organizations embedding the framework and delivering trainings to parents and professionals. The Strengthening Families Georgia Chair is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the coalition of statewide and community-based partners, along with the statewide coordinator, to embed the protective factors in the work of child- and family-serving entities throughout Georgia.

Cliff Robinson ’89, Chick-fil-A’s current chief people officer, has been named COO. His responsibilities will expand to include field operations and restaurant development. Robinson, who has worked at the company for more than 30 years, will step into his new position on Oct. 1.

Merrill “Merri” Griffis Gibson ’90 renewed her Board Certification as an Orthopedic Specialist in Physical Therapy. She received her Doctorate of Physical Therapy, from Utica University, in 2016 and is celebrating her 29th year as a PT. The Gibsons also celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary as well as their daughter’s graduation from the University of Georgia. Merrill is a clinic director and clinical instructor in the metro Atlanta area.

Theresa Thomas Spralling ’91 was recently named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of Atlanta for 2024 by Women We Admire.

JoEllen Wilson ’93 has been honored by the Rotary Club of Canton with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

Cameron Bready ’94 was named one of Atlanta’s Most Admired CEOs of 2024 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

Lu Green LeRoy ’95 recently established Front Page Ink Communications, a solo public relations and communications shop where she provides clients with internal and external communications strategy, content consulting, creative programming and more – from grassroots to global ideas.

Rebecca Miller ’97 recently earned the Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA®) designation from the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF), the only organization accredited by the American Bar Association to offer certification in elder law. Miller is one of 16 CELAs in Tennessee and approximately 500 nationwide, and is employed as an attorney at Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C.

Ryan Queen ’97 has been recognized as the 2024 Middle School Principal of the Year by the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals (GASSP).

Jennifer Nanek ’98 was recently recognized for 25 years of service at the City of Lake Wales, and happened to be wearing her Oglethorpe t-shirt when accepting this recognition!

Andrea Breen ’99 was named one of the Top 25 Chief Supply Chain Officers of 2024.

Miah Jeffra ’99 is the author of the novel American Gospel, which has been longlisted for the 2024 PEN/Hemingway Award.

Jerry Portwood ’99 recently founded The Queer Love Project, a platform that publishes personal essays, interviews, and columns that reveal the stories behind heartbreaks, happiness, and the multiplicity of LGBTQ+ experiences—all in an effort to seek new answers to the question: “What do we know about love?”

Vince Pisani ’00 garnered a speaking role in the recent movie “Civil War.”

Maryam Abolfazli ’01 ran for Democratic nominee for Tennessee U.S. House, District 5.

Daniel Sobczak ’01 earned his Education Specialist from Augusta University in December 2024. He continues to teach economics at Southwest DeKalb High School where he has worked since 2007. He brought two classes of students to tour Oglethorpe and attend a mock Economics lecture last school year. He also has the honor of serving as the first vice president of the Organization of DeKalb Educators, the local affiliate of the Georgia Association of Educators and National Education Association.

Shaniece R. Criss ’02 was selected as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of South Carolina for 2023. An associate professor of health sciences and director of the Master of Arts in Advocacy and Equity Studies at Furman University, Criss has also recently presented a TedxFurmanU talk titled “Having Babies: From Cotton Fields to Twitter,” in which she draws on her recent research and offers several small ways to help shore up health care disparities among ethnic groups.

Cody Partin ’02 has been named the incoming leader of the Cox Family Office and will succeed Sandy Schwartz, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Tiffany Hulsey Zernhelt ’02 earned an educational specialist degree in instructional technology from the University of West Georgia in May 2024.

Robert Fink ’03 has joined Columbia Residential, a leader in affordable housing, as Chief Development Officer. Mr. Fink was the former VP of Development at Zimmerman Properties and also served as the Director of Housing Finance and Development at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs.

Nobles Green II ’03 founded Amplify Biovisuals LLC, a biomedical animation and illustration studio in Atlanta. Amplify Biovisuals “turns your insides art” by creating captivating graphics for healthcare advertising and patient education. His clientele ranges from hospital and academic institutions to medical device, pharma, and biotech companies.

Additionally, Nobles was elected President of the Association of Medical Illustrators (AMI). The AMI is recognized as the premier global resource for promoting the power of visual media to advance scientific understanding, communication, education, and research. Nobles is honored to serve in this role and to help advance key goals such as improving health literacy, diverse representation in medical art, and strategic partnerships with healthcare organizations.

Angela Huynh ’03, Richard Bakare ’03, Clara Robertson ’14 and Ben Robertson ’13 attended the Parc des Princes for Uzbekistan vs Dominican Republic soccer match during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Colin Gillis ’04 has been named chief investment officer at Passco Companies. In his new role as CIO, he will continue to guide Passco’s investment strategy and spearhead new opportunities in the multifamily housing sector.

JoAnn Tippett ’04 recently accepted a position as Judicial Clerk for the 21st Judicial District of Colorado.

Jonathan Chadwick ’05 works his 1,000th consecutive Braves game. He became the producer of the Braves Radio Network before the 2018 season and has since been elevated to an executive producer role.

Stacey Chavis ’07 was recently elected to serve on the League of Women Voters of the United States Board of Directors.

Carly Hallman ’08 has joined Braviant Holdings, LLC, as Vice President of Marketing.

Lauren Howard (Formerly Bundy) ’08 joins Dandelion Energy as Chief Revenue Officer. Lauren also was appointed to the board of the Exceptional Women’s Alliance (EWA).

Radford Bunker ’10 (EDP) was promoted to Assistant Public Defender IV for the Rome Judicial Circuit.

Caitlin Douglas ’10 recently represented Oglethorpe at the annual meeting of the Georgia Independent Colleges Association’s affinity group for institutional research and institutional effectiveness professionals.

LaDonna Stallworth ’11 welcomed her first child, Catherine Carolyn Stallworth, on February 24, 2023, with husband Byron Stallworth. Mom, dad, and baby are healthy and happy.

Debbie Aiken ’12 has started a new role at CBRE (Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis), the world’s largest commercial real estate and investment firm. In her role as corporate communications manager, she’ll focus on internal HR communications serving CBRE’s global workforce.

Ashleigh Cauthen ’13 married John Papageorgiou on September 21, 2024 at Oakland Cemetery. Chris Richardson ’13 officiated the ceremony.

Cedric Floyd ’13 has returned to Oglethorpe to pursue a business administration degree, and he has secured a position on SGA for the fall 2023 semester. Additionally, he will be getting married in September 2025.

Clara Robertson ’14, Ben Robertson ’13, Angela Huynh ’03 and Richard Bakare ’03 attended the Parc des Princes for Uzbekistan vs Dominican Republic soccer match during the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Awet Woldegebriel ’14 is founder and creative director of Awet New York, which partnered with DJ Henry Dream Fund for a summer bazaar featuring six Black-owned brands. The event, “Black-Owned Brands Summer Bazaar,” takes place in early August on Martha’s Vineyard.

Ruwa Romman ’15 speaks about the 2024 presidential election on the John Oliver show.

Hayley Hardwick Baer ’16 received the Kessler Award for Meritorious Teaching. The award is given annually to an outstanding teacher.

Lee Lundy ’16 received his Student Practice Act certification while serving as a law clerk at the Linley Jones Firm, P.C. in Buckhead. He also received a CALI award in Law, Lawyering, and Literature last semester as a 1L at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School.

Donald Warden ’16 will graduate in May 2024 from the University of Memphis with a Ph.D. in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. His dissertation, which he successfully defended this spring, focused on epigenetics in the development of asthma.

Shanice Chesney Taylor ’17 recently married Wayne P. Taylor, Jr. on August 8, 2024, in Decatur, Georgia. Fellow Petrels Aadithya Prem ’17, Caleb Logan ’18, Gabrielle Williams ’16, and LaBreshia Taylor ’18 were in attendance. The couple now lives in Washington, D.C. with their cockapoo, Garbanzo, where Shanice works in philanthropy for the Trust for the National Mall. She’s also deeply involved in her community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Ecological Landscape Alliance, as Vice Chair for SlowFood D.C., and as an active graduate member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Jose Franco ’18 and Milena Walch ’19 were married in Athens, GA, surrounded by family and friends. Several Oglethorpe Alumni were present, including some of Jose’s Delta Sigma Phi brothers. Dr. Milena Walch Franco graduated from UGA’s Veterinary School of Medicine in May 2023 and now resides in Atlanta, GA, where she is a veterinarian for VCA Animal Hospital. Jose Franco runs his own tax accounting firm in Atlanta, serving hundreds of clients each year.

LaBreshia Taylor ’18, MPH purchased her first home in Philadelphia, PA and began a new role at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. Bre is a Project Manager for Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS), a health equity program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bre is also an adjunct instructor in the Public Health Department at Arcadia University.

Becki White ’18 recently completed her fourth marathon at the Marathon des Vins de la Côte Chalonnaise in Givry, France. She and her finance Joshua Quinn made front page news twice for completing the marathon and for Quinn’s proposal.

Bradley Harper-Firchow ’19 is the Chair of the National Rural Health Associations Student Constituency Group. This year the NRHA Annual Conference is in Atlanta. If you do health research, advocacy, or policy in the rural space (or are interested in making a career pivot), check out the upcoming conference and hang out with fellow rural health ogles!

Amari Holmes ’19 was promoted in September 2024 to the Marketing Manager position at Colony Square in Midtown Atlanta.

Shante Ruffin ’19 joins HunterMaclean, a leading business law firm with offices in Savannah and St. Simons Island. She previously served as a summer associate with the firm in the previous year.

Tucker Hammonds ’19 recently completed a master’s degree in Shakespeare Studies at King’s College London and will be producing a new Broadway production of Hamlet starring Tom Hiddleston in the spring of next year.

Dylan Harper-Firchow ’19 was recently featured on ABC 36 Lexington’s Lee and Hayley Show. He was interviewed as a board member of Lexington Rotary Club for the show’s Charity Spotlight. Dylan is one of Lexington Rotary’s youngest board members and has led new initiatives including a monthly morning mixer for Lexington’s business community.

Elim Oluwole ’19 and Rosa Fowler ’18 recently reconnected at the Georgia Department of Public Health Epidemiology Leadership Development Program at Emory University.

Jibril Stapleton ’19 graduated from Kennesaw State University with a masters in Exercise Science in 2023 and is currently serving as the Men’s assistant Lacrosse coach at Oglethorpe University.

Jada Triplett ’19 just completed her master’s degree in engineering from Arizona State University and is an engineer for MAREN Construction in Atlanta. Though no longer playing basketball professionally, she is performing in the band Middle Child around the Atlanta area.

Manuel “Manny” Portillo ’20 is excited to announce that he has joined HOPE Atlanta’s Young Professionals Board. HOPE Atlanta is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness and hunger across Atlanta. Manny is eager to contribute his skills and passion to support the organization’s mission. You can help make a difference by donating through his fundraising page.

Emily Schultz ’20 graduated from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice this May with a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology. She is celebrating by running the TCS NYC Marathon to raise funds for Team Innocence Project, which works to exonerate people who have been wrongfully convicted, to reform the criminal legal system, and to build a justice system that is based on science and is fair for all. She chose to fundraise for the Innocence Project because the nonprofit has been a center for research and activism which she followed closely throughout her undergraduate and graduate studies.

Petrel Pair Sharia Rahman ’20 and Ariana Jimenez ’20 tied the knot in a religious ceremony on April 20, 2024 and a larger ceremony on August 24, 2024. Oglethorpe brought the pair together over 6 years ago.

Jamie Weiss ’22 is pursuing a Ph.D. in history at the University of Georgia and serves as a graduate teaching assistant. Jamie was the 2023 recipient of the Carl Vipperman Teaching Assistant Award and has organized a panel titled “Empire, Statecraft, and Identity from the Imperial Crisis through the War of 1812” for the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic (SHEAR), which will be presented in July 2024 in Philadelphia.

Marc Collins ’23 appeared in a Super Bowl commercial this year. The clip is available here.

Melanie Davis ’23 is currently working as a digital correspondent for the NBA with Fresh Tape Media, creating live content for NBA social media and at State Farm Arena. She is also a videographer and editor for the new professional volleyball team, Atlanta Vibe, and continues to help out at OU as a videographer with Oglethorpe Athletics.

Wynne Kelly ’24 and Chloe Campbell ’24 have been cast in Actor’s Express production of Cabaret.

LaChelle Foster ’24 is opening Mai Açaí this spring in Peachtree Corners. The shop will feature self-serve bowls made with açaí sustainably sourced from Brazil.