UNCP today : for alumni and friends of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke

              UNCPToday For alumni and friends of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Fall
2009
www.uncp.edu/alumni/magazine
Meadors
bids farewell p. 5
p. 3
UNCP Today
Fall 2009
Editor
Amber Rach
News Writer
Scott Bigelow
Art Director
R. Jerrod Hatfield ‘06
Web Publisher
Lawrence Locklear ‘05
Photographers
Bobby Ayers
Raul Rubiera
Class Notes
James Bass ‘94, ‘03
Vice Chancellor, University and
Community Relations
Glen G. Burnette Jr., Ed.D. ‘80, ‘87
UNCP Today magazine is published three times
a year for alumni and friends of the University
by the Division for University and Community
Relations. UNCP is a constituent institution of
The University of North Carolina.
Editorial Offices
UNCP Today
University and Community Relations
P.O. Box 1510
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
tel: (910) 521-6249
email: relations@uncp.edu
web: www.uncp.edu/relations
Class Notes
Office of Alumni Relations
P.O. Box 1510
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
tel: (910) 521-6533
email: alumni@uncp.edu
web: www.uncp.edu/alumni
UNCP Web Site
www.uncp.edu
Chancellor
Charles R. Jenkins
Board of Trustees
Freda Porter ‘78
Chairwoman
Breeden Blackwell ‘68
Robin Cummings
Arlinda Locklear
Donna Lowry
Thomas Nance ‘69
Raymond Pennington
Lorna Ricotta ‘01, ‘08
Newy Scruggs ‘94
Dick Taylor
Alan Thompson ‘85
Paul Willoughby ‘74
Rigoberto “Arjay”
Quizon
On The Cover
Homecoming 2009
page 3
Allen C. Meadors bids
farewell to UNCP.
page 5
3 	 University News
12 Faculty/Staff News
17 	 Athletics
18 	 Advancement
22 	 Alumni News
24 	 Class Notes
Inside
Chancellor’s Welcome
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Before giving you an update about your University, I want to
say thank you to the many people who have welcomed me as I
took on the role of Chancellor on an interim basis. The warmth
and the fellowship I have felt are truly heartwarming as we look
to the future of our fine University.
UNC Pembroke has been my home and office since 1971.
I have seen many changes, and I have never been more
excited about the future of this great institution and about
the opportunities we are able to bring to the education of our
students.
By the numbers alone – our growing enrollment and
employment opportunities – we have made a substantial impact
on our surrounding communities. With this greater role comes greater responsibility to
be good stewards of our resources, especially the people of our region and the financial
resources provided by you and the citizens of North Carolina.
I don’t have to tell you that this is a challenging time for our nation, state and
University. Everyone has felt and shared in the effects of the economic downturn. I have
vowed to remain positive about our lot in this story and encourage you to also remain
positive.
Much of our time at UNCP has been spent bringing our budget in line with the
state’s shifting financial needs. It has been a daunting task to make budget reductions
without sacrificing our core mission of teaching and learning. In every decision, we
have tried to preserve the integrity and effectiveness of our classroom experience. Jobs
have been lost, but thankfully some of them were vacant positions.
One fortunate development is that our enrollment made strong gains this fall.
Overall enrollment is up 5.7 percent. A record number of freshmen (1,277) and transfer
students (587) contributed to the gains. Growth in enrollment and tuition that comes
with it helps our financial position.
Even in difficult times, we are able to strengthen our academic programs. We have
added two distinguished professors to endowed chairs. Dr. Ben Bahr, a distinguished
research scientist, and Dr. Jerry Jones, a distinguished educator, will boost our
programs, the training of our students and our outreach into the community.
As part of the 10-year reaccreditation process with the Commission on Colleges,
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, we have developed a five-year Quality
Enhancement Plan that will further infuse writing into the curriculum for all of our
students. This plan will touch every student and every member of the faculty. Enhancing
the writing skills of our graduates is a sound plan. I want to thank Dr. Elizabeth
Normandy, our reaccreditation committees and the faculty who worked on this
important program.
I hope our alumni and friends were able to join us for the exciting Two Rivers
Classic game with FSU and for Homecoming. Spirits are high and Coach Shinnick has
done a great job putting an exciting and competitive football team on the field.
It is my privilege and honor to serve the University in this role, and I look forward to
seeing each of you on campus.
Sincerely,
Charles R. Jenkins
Chancellor
2 UNCP Today Fall 2009
Homecoming 2009 drew a record crowd of 4,843 to
Grace P. Johnson Stadium to watch the Braves defeat
Webber International 30-3.
On Friday night, alumni gathered to celebrate the
reunion of the Class of 1959. Later Friday, nearly 1,000
attended The Stylistics’ performance at the Givens Perform-ing
Arts Center. On Saturday, a huge crowd of nearly 2,000
alumni and students gathered to tailgate before the game.
It was a weekend of memories, but for the institution,
Homecoming was an intersection of the past and future as
it reveled in many years of growth and searches for a new
leader.
In interviews during Homecoming weekend, alumni
and community leaders reflected on the past and future.
Mary Alice Teets ‘58: “The University needs to continue to
achieve excellence. It needs to continue to appreciate its
past as we move forward together. I am confident in this
search committee, and I look forward with optimism.”
Randall Jones ‘72: “Continued growth should be in our fu-ture.
We will need funding for the Foundation and endow-ment.
That will be a key to making our programs excep-tional.
The last 10 years have been good ones, and we are
poised for a successful future.”
Ron Sutton, state representative: “My hope is that the next
chancellor has the same vision for growth (as former Chan-cellor
Allen Meadors). Those are tough shoes to fill, but I
have confidence in the search committee and in UNC that
they will find a good individual to lead this University.”
Bill Mason Jr. ‘80: “This is a wonderful weekend. They
should do the right thing and find a chancellor to keep this
University moving forward. Chancellor Meadors got things
going, especially football.”
Johnny Hunt ‘77: “The sky is the limit for UNCP. With
everybody working together like they are now, we can do
anything.”
Bob Caton, former trustee and football supporter: “If you
told me 20 years ago I’d be here on a Saturday, I’d have
said you were dreaming. Now is the time to get our football
team into a first class conference.”
Pete Ivey ‘61: “I would like to see more alumni involve-ment.
I have friends who have never returned to their alma
mater after graduation. They would like what they see.”
Homecoming ‘09
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 3
continued on page 4
A time to reflect on
the past and future
Chancellor Charles Jenkins in an ad-dress
to the Class of 1959: “I recall
a conversation I had with the late
Chancellor English Jones. He said this
is a ‘university of opportunity.’ I agree
with him.”
GAME TIME
The stands around Lumbee Guar-anty
Field seemed sparsely populated
as kick-off neared. Then, tailgaters
flooded in to pack the house.
UNCP rolled up 499 yards of total
offense, and held visiting Webber In-ternational
virtually motionless in the
second half to extend its home win-ning
streak to 10 games.
The win capped a perfect home
season – the second straight at John-son
Stadium. UNCP’s last loss in
Pembroke came in the form of a 10-7
setback to West Virginia Wesleyan on
October 13, 2007.
Jamal Williams booked 138 yards
of total offense, hauling in seven
catches for 65 yards, rushing three
times for 27 more and throwing a 26-
yard touchdown pass to Jamelle Banks
in the third quarter.
Cory Smith completed 22-of-30
passes for 212 yards and a touchdown,
while Rashon Kennedy ran for 72
yards.
“We came out defensively and al-lowed
them on the field way too long
in the first half,” said head coach Pete
Shinnick. “I really challenged them at
halftime and (Webber International)
only got 53 yards in the second half.
“That was really my expectation,”
he continued. “I thought that, if our
guys played with a lot of excitement
and enthusiasm, they could get that
done.”
ELDERS
The dinner honoring the Class of
1959 included a wide-ranging group
of alumni with a special group of
Lumbee Elders who were honored for
participating in a University research
project.
Lillian Teen Harris ’48 was one of
them. Her son, James Harris ’74, was
there too.
“My mother was the first in our
family to go to college, and she
pushed education for all three of her
sons who also graduated,” Harris said.
“This University makes a huge differ-ence
in the lives of families.”
Dr. Louise Cummings Maynor ’65
said she would never have gone to
college if not for Mary Livermore, the
library’s namesake.
“I was one of 12 children grow-ing
up in the St. Annah community,
and we could not afford college,” Dr.
Maynor said. “I lived with Ms. Liver-more.
She had a tremendous sense of
mission.”
Dr. Maynor went on to get a doc-torate
in English and retired last year
from a career teaching college English.
Chancellor Jenkins took the group
on a trip down memory lane, recalling
1959 as the year Buddy Holly record-ed
his last song, Hawaii and Alaska
became states and Elizabeth Taylor
was married again.
“At the University, Walter Gale was
president, Herbert Oxendine was dean
of education, Adolph Dial was teach-ing
history and Jim Ebert (who was in
attendance) had recently joined the
faculty,” Chancellor Jenkins said.
Chancellor Jenkins said the Uni-versity
has made a difference to the
community.
“Only 14 cities in North Carolina
have a UNC university,” Chancellor
Jenkins said. “This institution has made
a positive impact here.”
4 UNCP Today Fall 2009
continued from page 3
bids farewell
Meadors
Chancellor Allen C. Meadors left
his mark on UNCP
The Meadors era in Pembroke ended on June 30, 2009.
Like all other days at the University, Chancellor Allen C.
Meadors could be found in his office, working.
On July 1, he was sitting at the president’s desk of his
alma mater, the University of Central Arkansas. It was an
offer to go home that Dr. Meadors could not refuse.
“In the beginning, I thought we would be here 3-5
years, but this has been such a wonderful place,” Chancel-lor
Meadors told an audience gathered to say goodbye.
The Meadors had purchased a home nearby, and Chan-cellor
Meadors moved his parents to the area. It appeared
to everyone, including the Chancellor, that he would be in
Pembroke until retirement.
Two scholarships were established in his honor, one
athletic and one academic. An endowed professorship in
mathematics was named for him and funded through the
C.D. Spangler Foundation.
Dr. Meadors was awarded Chancellor Emeritus status
on July 1 by the Board of Trustees, undoubtedly the fastest
such designation in the history of the institution.
With wife, Barbara, at his side, Dr. Meadors bid a
tearful goodbye during a dinner in his honor. He thanked
Barbara for helping make Pembroke a home for the family.
Mrs. Meadors did much more than that - welcoming
the entire UNCP family to the Chancellor’s Residence for
many events that became traditions, including the Alumni
Holiday Drop-in, International Students Night, the Ambas-sadors
Christmas tree decorating, and much more.
Barbara Meadors orchestrated the decorations at the
Chancellor’s Residence and was instrumental in beautify-ing
the entire campus, which has drawn rave reviews far
and wide. She will be remembered for setting a high stan-dard
for entertainment at the University.
Chancellor Meadors’ 10-year tenure was highlighted
by growth in enrollment and programs, construction, the
return of football and an ever more beautiful campus. He
touched virtually everything and left every corner better
than he found it.
Chancellor Meadors knew that UNCP was a diamond
in the rough and proved it to the rest of us. As new
traditions evolved, old traditions were preserved.
“Lots of opportunities here,” Chancellor Meadors said
early in his tenure. He made the most of them.
The facts of the Meadors era are well documented. But
what is the Meadors’ legacy?
Here are some thoughts from alumni, faculty and
friends:
Roger Oxendine, former trustee: “I was chair of the search
committee that brought Allen Meadors here. There was a
lot of pressure to hire a local person. One of the most tell-ing
things he did right away was send his boys to Purnell
Swett High School. I thought we picked the right guy, and
it turned out well. He’s been a friend, and he will always
be a friend.”
Mac Campbell ’68, donor and former trustee at Meadors’
hiring: “He was the right man at the right time with the
right vision. I recall a comment he made early on about
Pembroke being an hour and a half from the largest city
in North Carolina but had only a handful of its students.
He said he would take this University forward and make
it known in this state. When we voted to approve football,
I don’t think any of us knew how positive an impact it
would have. It’s affected everything from alumni to giving
to our wider reputation. And athletics was only a small
part of what he did here.”
Chancellor Meadors at a Board of Trustees meeting.
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 5
continued on page 6
Dick Taylor, Trustee and namesake of the Richard and Lenore Taylor Track at UNCP: “At halftime of the football game (September 26 vs. Lane), I was thinking about Allen. He started the marching band even before the football team. Chancellor Meadors and Barbara were wonderful people and great friends of mine and Lenore’s. He was the right man for this time at the University. I was interested in doing something for UNCP, and he helped make it pos­sible. I enjoyed knowing him, and I was sorry to see him go. But he got the right opportunity at the right university, his alma mater. It’s hard to argue with that.”
Floyd Locklear ‘86, Alumni Board President: “He was very personable and fit into the community well. He seemed to enjoy being a part of the community. I remember his first year when he rode in the Lumbee Homecoming Parade and then walked around the campus and met with the community. To me, that showed that he wanted to be a part of what was going on with the University and the community. He would also be at the post office uptown and would always take the extra time to speak to people.”
Pete Shinnick, Football Coach: “Chancellor Meadors is a good leader, and I enjoyed working for him. He gives a tremendous amount of his time to students. As for football, he was there to talk to the team or to recruits. When you’re a new program, people want to know if you have support. He was there at recruiting fairs which speaks volumes.”
Dan Kenney, Athletic Director: “When he came, we fielded 12 teams with 195 student-athletes, and today we have 16 teams and 400 student-athletes. It is appropriate that he gave us a ‘fight song’ too.”
Adam Hardin ’96, Alumni Board, Office of Admissions: “Chancellor Meadors will truly be missed throughout the entire campus community. He set the bar very high for our institution and that is reflective in the breadth and depth of what we are accomplishing now. His leadership has provided a steadfast vision for our University and new op­portunities for Pembroke.”
Dr. Breeden Blackwell ‘69, Trustee: “He has never been one to take credit, but credit should be heaped upon his shoulders.”
Sylvia Pate ’99, Alumni Board, Regional Center director: “While I am so very happy for Dr. Meadors to get the op­portunity to lead his alma mater, their gain is certainly our loss. He was such a sincere, genuine and caring individual who really put the interests of the University first. Under his leadership, UNCP excelled in so many areas.”
James Bass ’94, ’03, Alumni Director: “I remember send­ing Chancellor Meadors an email at 11:59 p.m. one Thurs­day night and getting a response at 12:01 a.m. Chancellor Meadors was thought highly of by our alumni. He helped establish traditions and events that brought them back to campus, football chief among them. These traditions are a lasting legacy.”
Willie D. Christian ’96, Alumni Board: “Chancellor Me­adors was a ray of sunshine at UNC Pembroke and in the surrounding communities. Even though he has departed, he left a blueprint of success for staff, students, faculty, alumni and community leaders.”
Dr. Jose D’Arruda, 35-year faculty member: “When
Dr. Meadors first came to UNCP and announced that his goal was to increase the enrollment by a couple thousand, several of us old guys who have been here for quite a while already had heard those remarks by others and saw no countable results. So, we were amazed and pleasantly surprised when he began to make good on his enroll­ment projection. I never thought that I would ever see our enrollment surpass 3,000 students; when I first came to the University the enrollment was 1,800 and declining.
“I will always be grateful to the Chancellor for listening to and supporting our plans for building an observatory as part of the addition to the science building. Originally, the observatory was not going to be part of the budget, but by saving money on the initial bid, he was able to fund both the observatory and the greenhouse, both valuable addi­tions to our great University.”
N.C. Sen. David Weinstein, former trustee: “For a com­plete stranger to come here and, after a couple of months, become part of the community is remarkable. This man knew how to market this University. His baby, though, was football.”
Chancellor Meadors tours campus with UNC President Erskine Bowles.
Fall 2009
UNCP Today
6
continued from page 5University News
Advisory Board - (Front Row - from left): Dr. Charles Harrington, Greg
Cummings, Jim Thomas, Donna Lowry, Dr. Cammie Oxendine,
Dr. Carmen Calabrese, Robert Locklear, and Richard Rink
(Back Row - from left) Dr. Joe Oxendine, Dr. Eric Dent, Larry Chavis,
Samuel Locklear, and Dr. Mike Menefee
The Thomas Family Center for Entrepreneurship wel-comed
three new members to its advisory board in August.
Dr. Joseph Oxendine, Donna Lowry and Greg Cum-mings
were added to its 13-member board at its quarterly
meeting on August 21.
The Thomas Center’s mission is entrepreneurial educa-tion
and training for the development of small businesses
in the region. It was established through a gift from Jim
Thomas, a Pembroke native and Los Angeles commercial
real estate developer.
Lowry is chief executive officer of Caring Touch Home
Health Care, a Pembroke, N.C., home health agency. She
is a member of UNCP’s Board of Trustees and winner of
the University’s Distinguished Service Award in 2009.
Greg Cummings is director of Robeson County’s Eco-nomic
Development Commission and a Pembroke town
commissioner.
Cummings said the center will have a “positive effect
on the future of the economic development of the entire
region.”
“The center is already creating jobs,” Cummings said.
“I am excited about its impact on small business develop-ment.”
Dr. Oxendine is chancellor emeritus of UNCP and
founder of UNCP’s Regional Center for Economic, Com-munity
and Professional Development. He said “the en-ergy,
ideas and spirit of the Thomas Center are inspiring.”
Other advisory board members include: Jim Thomas,
Dr. Charles Harrington, provost and vice chancellor for
Academic Affairs; Dr. Cammie Oxendine, acting dean of
the School of Business; Dr. Carmen Calabrese, center di-rector;
Robert Locklear, CEO of TWL Trucking Co.; Richard
Rink, a Phoenix, Ariz., entrepreneur; Dr. Eric Dent, busi-ness
faculty; Larry Chavis, CEO of Lumbee Guaranty Bank;
Samuel Locklear, Pembroke businessman; and Dr. Mike
Menefee, the Thomas Distinguished Professor of
Entrepreneurship.
The University ranked first in the South for the diversity
of its student body in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best
Colleges and Universities 2010.”
UNCP also ranked first among North Carolina public
master’s granting universities for the number of interna-tional
students and third for the economic diversity of its
students. The University ranked 20th in the South in eco-nomic
diversity.
The publication, which is popular for comparing col-leges
and universities, was released on August 20. U.S.
News ranks colleges and universities on a wide range of
data concerning faculty qualifications, peer assessment,
selectivity of admissions, retention and graduation rates,
alumni support and quality of student body.
Overall, UNCP falls into a large unranked tier of mas-ter’s
granting colleges and universities in the South. The
University compares favorably with these institutions in
key areas including:
• percentage of classes with fewer than 20 students -
43 percent;
• percentage of full-time faculty - 87 percent;
• peer assessment or how other universities rate your
academic strength - 2.6 in a range of 2.3 – 3.0 for
other institutions;
Earlier in August, UNCP was named a “best Southeast-ern
university” by the Princeton Review, a popular rating
service that relies heavily on surveys of students.
Chancellor Charles Jenkins stated that the University is
pleased that the rankings support the efforts of the Univer-sity.
“UNC Pembroke works diligently to offer the best pos-sible
education experience to each of its students,” Dr.
Jenkins said. “It is an honor to be included in so many
categories of U.S. News & World Report’s ‘Best Colleges
and Universities 2010’ because it affirms that our efforts
are successful.”
UNCP ranked high for diversity in U.S. News ratings
UNCP’s Thomas Center adds three to advisory board
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 7
University News
The University was rated one of the best colleges and
universities in the Southeast for 2010, the Princeton Review
announced on July 27.
The education services company selected the school
as one of 141 institutions it recommends in its “Best in the
Southeast” section of its Web site feature 2010 Best Col-leges:
Region by Region.
Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s vice president for
publishing, said the “best colleges” are selected based on
data, visits and surveys of school counselors and students.
“We chose UNCP and the other terrific schools we
recommend as our regional best colleges primarily for their
excellent academic programs,” Franek said. “We also work
to have our roster of best colleges feature a range of institu-tions
by size, selectivity, character and locale.
“We choose the schools based on institutional data we
collect from several hundred schools in each region, our
visits to schools over the years and the opinions of inde-pendent
and high school-based college advisors whose
recommendations we invite,” he continued. “We also take
into account what each school’s customers – their
students – report to us about their campus experiences on
our 80-question student survey.”
UNCP Chancellor Charles Jenkins said the national
recognition is an honor.
“The student-focused faculty and staff of UNC Pem-broke
are honored to be included in the Princeton Review’s
prestigious list of best colleges,” Chancellor Jenkins said.
“This recognition is very gratifying because it includes the
feedback of our students, who indicate that our focus on
the student experience and high quality academic offerings
helps them succeed.”
The 141 colleges Princeton Review selected in the
Southeast are located in 12 states. The Princeton Review
also designated 218 colleges in the Northeast, 123 in the
West, and 158 in the Midwest as best in their locales on
the company’s 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region sec-tion
of its site. The 640 colleges named “regional best(s)”
represent only about 25 percent (one out of four) of the
nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges.
The Princeton Review survey for this project asks stu-dents
to rate their own schools on several issues - from the
accessibility of professors to quality of campus dining - and
answer questions about themselves, fellow students and
campus life. Actual comments from surveyed students pep-per
each Princeton Review college profile on its site.
Some UNCP student comments quoted in the profile:
• “UNC Pembroke offered me the opportunity to rein-vent
myself, to become the person I always wanted to
be. I got the feeling that I could blossom here. From a
terrified freshman, I am a confident upperclassman.”
• “I considered several schools and UNCP was one of
them. I talked to friends who go to big schools, and
when they tell me they sometimes feel alone and just
a number I know I made the right decision for me by
coming to UNC Pembroke.”
The Princeton Review is known for its tutoring and
classroom test preparation courses, books and college and
graduate school admission services.
UNCP rated a ‘Best in the Southeast’
With the expansion of Pembroke Pointe, an off-campus
apartment development, the UNCP community has more
housing choices.
On July 22, University, community and company
officials dedicated phase II of Pembroke Pointe, which
includes 116 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
Kenney Companies, the owner, expects the units to be
attractive to faculty, staff and single and married graduate
students.
With the addition, Pembroke Pointe may house as many
as 426 students. The addition was constructed in just 10
months to be ready for the 2009-10 school year.
Brandon Hammond, community manager for Pembroke
Pointe, said that the company will stay in front of demand
for off-campus housing.
“We were one of the first private student-housing com-munities
in Pembroke,” he said. “Now we are the first to
offer one-bedroom apartments, and we are the first com-munity
to provide housing for University faculty and staff,
as well.”
Steve Kenney, president and CEO of Kenney Compa-nies,
presented a donation of $2,500 to UNCP’s Support
our Students Campaign.
“We are pleased to have a close working collaboration
with the University,” Kenney said. “We operate in many
college towns, but I have to say Pembroke is our favorite.”
Town and University officials praised the company for
its support of the University and community.
“You’ve had an impact on this town,” said Pembroke
Mayor Milton Hunt. “This kind of growth is always wel-come,
and, on behalf of the town, thank you for having
faith in Pembroke.”
	
	
Pembroke Pointe opens new housing options for UNCP
8 UNCP Today Fall 2009
continued on page 9
The University was named a “Military Friendly School
for 2010!” by G.I. Jobs magazine.
The honor ranks UNCP in the top 15 percent of all col-leges,
universities and trade schools nationwide. UNCP
serves Ft. Bragg through an office on base at the EArmyU
Building.
As a “Military Friendly School,” UNCP will be included
with a basic listing in G.I. Jobs’ annual “Guide to Military
Friendly Schools,” which was published in September
2009.
“Clearly, UNCP has an interest in recruiting military
students, and I urge you to continue your already stellar
efforts by improving your military-friendliness every year,”
said Rich McCormack, publisher of G.I. Jobs.
“You can do so by improving the policies, efforts and
results used to recruit and retain military and veteran stu-dents,”
McCormack said. “These policies, efforts and results
were carefully gleaned through our survey and weighted
into our rankings.
“On behalf of the eight million military members and
veterans seeking a school, I thank you for your commitment
to educating our nation’s most deserving heroes,” he said.
Chancellor Jenkins said the listing is indicative of an
excellent level of support to all students at UNCP.
“UNCP is proud to offer a high quality education to all
of its students,” Chancellor Jenkins said. “Military members
and veterans face unique challenges when earning a col-lege
degree due to the sacrifices they make for this country.
UNCP recognizes these challenges and works diligently
to ensure that students in the military are offered the same
educational opportunities as any other student on our
campus.”
UNCP offers undergraduate programs at Ft. Bragg, in-cluding
the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Bachelor
of Arts in criminal justice and Bachelor of Science in busi-ness
administration (management concentration).
Graduate programs include the Master of Business
Administration (MBA), Master of Public Administration
(MPA) and the Master of Arts in teaching, physical educa-tion
(sports administration and exercise and fitness), middle
grades (6-9) (mathematics and social studies), mathemat-ics
education (grades 9-12) and social studies education
(grades 9 – 12).
Dr. Charles Tita is director of Distance Learning at
UNCP and supervises satellite campuses, including Ft.
Bragg.
“At UNCP, we are fully engaged in our efforts to ensure
that military families have access to a hassle-free, high
quality education,” Dr. Tita said. “UNCP understands the
challenges soldiers face, as they are frequently deployed
and may not stay long enough in one place to complete
their college degrees.”
As a member of the Servicemembers’ Opportunity Col-lege
(SOC), UNCP is part of a consortium of colleges and
universities that collaborate in accepting transfer credits
from each other in an effort to assist soldiers and their
families toward degree completion. The University is also a
member of the SOC Degree Network System (SOC DNS), a
subset of SOC that is selected by the military.
Magazine names UNCP a top ‘Military Friendly’ college
Since opening the doors to phase I almost five years
ago, Kenney Companies contributed to the construction of
a town park adjacent to UNCP, scholarships and to the new
football program.
“This is an impressive company that, when they came
here, said they would be good corporate and community
citizens, and they certainly have done that,” said R.D.
Locklear, representing the Pembroke Area Chamber of
Commerce. “They are the largest donor to our park project,
which speaks to their interest in improving our commu-nity.”
Chancellor Jenkins thanked Kenney.
“This is an opportunity to say thank you for your great
support of our University,” Dr. Jenkins said. “Pembroke
Pointe is a leader in student housing for the University, and
now they are the leader in faculty housing.”
Pembroke Pointe has joined in the life of the University
in a variety of ways, sponsoring an intramural beach vol-leyball
tournament and a barbecue cook-off during Home-coming.
They also participated in UNCP’s Relay for Life, a
fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.
UNCP students are served by four private apartment
complexes. Until the new Pembroke Pointe development,
the apartments were designed to house four students.
The completion of phase II at Pembroke Pointe is the
culmination of a year of improvements, Hammond said.
“We have made several upgrades to our clubhouse and
have installed controlled-access gates for our parking area,”
he noted. “We constantly look at ways to improve the resi-dent
experience at Pembroke Pointe.”
continued from page 8
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 9
University News
Dr. Charles Jenkins, former provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, was named interim chancellor of the University effective July 1.
UNC President Erskine Bowles made the announce­ment on June 22. Dr. Jenkins succeeds Dr. Allen C. Me­adors who stepped down after 10 years to take the top job at the University of Central Arkansas, his alma mater.
In announcing Jenkins’ appointment, President Bowles said: “During his 38 years of service to UNC Pembroke, Charles Jenkins has distinguished himself as a top-notch academic administrator and teacher.
“Dr. Jenkins has unmatched knowledge of UNCP and the surrounding region, and he has earned the trust and respect of his faculty colleagues, the students, the local community, and other key campus constituencies,” Bowles continued. “UNCP will be in very capable hands during the search for a permanent chancellor.”
Dr. Jenkins has served in many capacities since 1971 with 26 years in senior administrative posts.
“I see this as another opportunity to serve UNC
Pembroke, which greatly affects this region and the state,” Dr. Jenkins said. “There is much work to do, and I hope that I can be of service in a smooth transition to a perma­nent chancellor.
“I look forward to working with the students, faculty, staff and all UNCP’s constituencies,” he said.
Dr. Breeden Blackwell, then-chair of UNCP’s Board of Trustees, said Dr. Jenkins’ experience will be invaluable at this time.
“I am pleased with President Bowles’ selection of Dr. Charles R. Jenkins as interim chancellor for the University, effective July 1, 2009,” Dr. Blackwell said. “Dr. Jenkins’ loyalty to the University is evident through his years of ser­vice to our campus. The Board of Trustees will soon begin its important task to replace Allen C. Meadors and
Dr. Jenkins’ proven leadership will be important during this transitional time.”
From faculty member to provost and vice chancellor, Dr. Jenkins also worked in the positions of academic dean, director of admissions and director of student teaching. He was named Professor Emeritus in 2007 and continues to teach in the School of Education’s graduate program in school administration.
The University achieved many milestones during Dr. Jenkins’ tenure, including Comprehensive I status after launching a broad range of successful master’s degree programs. The designation allowed for significant increases in faculty salaries.
The Teaching Fellows Program, Chancellor’s Scholars (now the Esther Maynor Honors College), the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and 15 master’s degree pro­grams were launched during Dr. Jenkins’ tenure.
“The things we did were accomplished with the help of many good people, and that is the approach we will take this year,” Dr. Jenkins said.
He was the first person at UNCP to hold the title of pro­vost. Dr. Jenkins has worked in support of the University, higher education and the surrounding communities.
He served as a commissioner for the Commission on Colleges for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and was former president of the N.C. As­sociation of Academic Officers.
A resident of Laurinburg, N.C., Dr. Jenkins served on the Board of Directors of Scotland County Memorial
Hospital and served two years as chair. He was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the governor.
Dr. Jenkins was named Volunteer of the Year by the Lau­rinburg-Scotland Area Chamber of Commerce for his work last summer on its national accreditation. He is a past president of the Pembroke Area Chamber of Commerce.
A Rockingham, N.C., native, Dr. Jenkins earned Bach­elor and Master of Arts in Education degrees from East Carolina University and a doctorate in educational ad­ministration from Duke University. He is married to Karen Gibson Jenkins.
Dr. Charles Jenkins named interim chancellor at UNCP
Fall 2009
UNCP Today
10
“Dr. Jenkins has unmatched knowledge of UNCP and the surrounding region.”
-UNC President Bo
wles
University NewsA 16-member Chancellor Search Committee was
unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees of the
University.
The committee is tasked with the responsibility of
submitting candidates for the next UNCP chancellor. UNC
President Erskine Bowles will receive the nominations on
behalf of the Board of Governors, who may vote as early
as April.
Board Chairwoman Dr. Freda Porter, who made the
recommendations to the trustees, will chair the Search
Committee. An alumna and former faculty member of the
University, Dr. Porter said the committee will do an out-standing
job.
“I was concerned that we needed to be as transparent
as possible and I think we succeeded,” she said. “We were
adamant that the committee be diverse on all counts.
“I believe this is a stellar group of outstanding indi-viduals
who are committed to this University,” Dr. Porter
continued.
The Search Committee is comprised of four trustees,
three faculty members, five community members, and one
member each drawn from staff, students, alumni and the
UNCP Foundation, Inc. In all, there are seven current and
former faculty members and nine alumni on the commit-tee.
• Trustees on the Search Committee include: Dr.
	
Porter; Dr. Raymond Pennington, a former UNCP ad-ministrator
and faculty member; Lorna Ricotta, an
alumna and former UNCP administrator; and Dr.
Breeden Blackwell, a retired educator and an alum-nus;
• Faculty members include: Dr. Sherry Edwards,
	
chairwoman of the Social Work Department; Dr.
Mario Paparozzi, chairman of the Sociology and
Criminal Justice Department; and Dr. Mary Ann
Jacobs, chairwoman of the American Indian Studies
Department;
• Community members include: Dr. Dwight Pearson,
director and superintendent of N.C. schools and
alumnus; Grady Hunt, an attorney and alumnus;
Carolyn Robinson, owner of a health care company
and an alumna; Mac Campbell, an oil distributor and
alumnus; and Dr. Robin Cummings, a physician;
• The student representative is Arjay Quizon Jr.,
Student Government Association (SGA) president and
member of the Board of Trustees;
• The staff representative is W. Steve Martin, assistant
vice chancellor for Business Affairs-Facilities
Maintenance;
• The alumni representative is Dr. Olivia Oxendine,
former UNCP Alumni Association president and
	
board member and current UNCP faculty member;
and
• The Foundation representative is Kellie Blue, an
	
alumna and finance director for Robeson County.
Letters went out in July to the Faculty Senate, Staff
Council and SGA requesting nominations, and all trustees
were invited to submit their names, Dr. Porter explained.
Ann Lemmon, associate vice president for Human
Resources at UNC General Administration, is advising
UNCP’s chancellor search.
The selected executive search firm will assist the Search
Committee in the selection process at every step including
gathering of information from major stakeholders includ-ing
faculty, staff and community.
For information about UNCP’s search, go online to
www.uncp.edu/chancellorsearch.
UNCP continues as a national
leader in American Indian
graduates
The University remains a national leader for American
Indian graduates, according to a recent study by Diverse
magazine.
UNCP ranked ninth overall among all U.S. colleges
and universities with 132 American Indian graduates for
2007-08. UNCP led all Eastern U.S. higher education
institutions.
The University is number one in the nation for the sec-ond
year in a row for turning out physical science majors
and number four in biology/biomedical sciences.
Diverse magazine gives an annual report titled “Top
100 Minority Undergraduate Degree Producers.”
UNCP showed the biggest gain in undergraduate de-grees
in education: 7th place from 13th place in 2006-07.
In a new survey area, UNCP ranked 5th nationally in
social services graduates, including social workers.
The University also ranked high for American Indian
graduates in:
• Health professions – ranked 6th nationally with 18
graduates, including nurses
• Social sciences – ranked 6th
• History – ranked 10th
• Business – ranked 40th
UNCP trustees approve Chancellor Search Committee
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 11
University News
Dr. Jerry Jones, a veteran educator from West Virginia,
joined the faculty this fall as the first Joseph B. Oxendine
Distinguished Professor of Education.
The endowed chair in the School of Education was cre-ated
in late 2007 by a gift from the C.D. Spangler Founda-tion
and named for Chancellor Emeritus Oxendine.
Dr. Jones, who comes from Marshall University, teaches
in the graduate School Leadership program.
With more than 20 years in higher education, Dr. Jones
began his career as an elementary school teacher, and he
worked as a guidance counselor, principal and superinten-dent
of two school districts.
“We are excited about this new addition to our faculty,”
said Dr. Leah Fiorentino, dean of the
School of Education. “Our search com-mittee
was incredibly impressed with
his credentials.
“He brings an understanding of rural
education to this position,” she said.
Dr. Jones has published seven text-books
on a wide range of topics from
“Insuring That No Child is Left Behind”
and “101 Tips for School Leadership”
to “A Handbook for the Teaching of
Science and Math” and “Curriculum
for Teachers of Early Childhood Educa-tion.”
He described his current scholarly
interests.
“I have an interest in creativity in
school management and the renewal
of organizations,” Dr. Jones
said. “I am also interested in
working with schools who are
struggling to lower dropout
rates.”
Dr. Joseph Oxendine, who
was a member of the search
committee, said UNCP has
added an outstanding scholar
who has distinguished himself in public and higher educa-tion.
“Dr. Jones has all the qualities that one would expect of
a distinguished professor,” Dr. Oxendine said. “I am very
pleased with the selection. He will be outstanding.
“The faculty will gain from his experience, and students
will learn a lot from someone with his background in
education,” he continued. “He is a prolific writer who has
UNCP adds distinguished professor in School Leadership program
published outstanding materials in recent years.”
Dr. David Oxendine, director of the School Administra-tion
program, welcomed Dr. Jones to the department.
“It is a great honor to have such an experienced indi-vidual
as Dr. Jones in this position,” Dr. Oxendine said.
“His wealth of experience can only enhance the Depart-ment
of Professional Leadership in the School of Educa-tion.
“I am sure he will provide our graduate students with
excellent guidance that helps them to be better educators
and administrators in our public schools,” he said.
A St. Albans, W.Va., native, Dr. Jones earned a Bachelor
of Science degree in education at West Virginia State Col-lege,
a Master of Arts in education
from the West Virginia College of
Graduate Studies (now Marshall
University) and a doctorate in edu-cational
supervision from Virginia
Tech.
Dr. Jones has spent most of
his professional career in West
Virginia, but he said two experi-ences
outside his home state were
influential.
“My experience teaching in
Guatemala gave me an under-standing
of diverse cultures,” he
said. “And, I got to see the world
while in the Navy.”
He described the region and the
Oxendine Distinguished Professor-ship
as a “good fit.”
“I am a rural educator, and
this is a place I believe I can
make a difference,” Dr. Jones
said. “I have a pretty good
understanding of rural school
systems.”
In his last post, Dr. Jones
was a tenured professor in the
doctoral educational leadership program at Marshall.
Before that he served as a professor and department
chair at the University of Charleston, associate professor at
West Virginia State University and as a member of the fac-ulty
at Trevecca College and the University of Rio Grande
and Community College, where he was also an associate
academic dean.
12 UNCP Today Fall 2009
Faculty & Staff
A scientist with an international reputation in Alzheim-er’s
disease research joined the faculty this fall.
Dr. Ben A. Bahr accepted the William C. Friday Distin-guished
Professorship in Molecular Biology and Biochem-istry.
He is a tenured member of the Biology Department
with laboratories and offices in UNCP’s Biotechnology
Research and Training Center at COMtech.
In addition to other sources, a $200,000 grant from the
North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC) helps fund
his lab and purchase materials and supplies for research on
neurodegenerative disorders. The NCBC’s Oliver Smithies
Faculty Recruitment Grant Program aids in the recruitment
of top science talent to North Carolina.
Besides research into Alzheimer’s
and other neurological disorders, Dr.
Bahr has a history of attracting grants,
collaborating with the international
scientific community, training student-researchers
and entrepreneurship.
Dr. Bahr discovered a new class of
drug that reduces Alzheimer-type pro-tein
accumulation. He has worked with
several pharmaceutical companies and
co-founded Synaptic Dynamics, Inc.,
a company that is developing novel
drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and other
protein accumulation disorders, such as
Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases.
Dr. Bahr described the discovery,
which came early in his career.
“I was playing with brain tissue
to determine how it was com-promised
by aging events and
discovered that a small ma-nipulation
can trigger clearance
mechanisms to work harder,”
Dr. Bahr said. “The brain is vast,
just like the universe, and there
are probably infinite possibilities
regarding how it encodes memory, which we are merely
scratching the surface in our understanding, but there are
also countless ways the memory systems can be disrupted
by disease.
“Alzheimer’s is a tragic disease, but once early diagnosis
is made, new strategies should be able to slow it down and
make it more manageable,” he said.
His research on other neurodegenerative diseases has
led to projects to develop protection avenues against a
wide range of brain damage from trauma to stroke.
UNCP attracts a top international neurobiology research scientist
A Southern California native who comes to UNCP from
the University of Connecticut, Dr. Bahr is the first person to
serve as the Friday Distinguished Professor, named in honor
of the retired UNC president, and to occupy the new Friday
Chair Research Laboratory.
UNCP is fortunate to attract an outstanding scientist of
Dr. Bahr’s caliber, said Dr. Martin Slann, dean of the Col-lege
of Arts and Sciences.
“He arrived at UNCP with important and potentially
life-saving research projects already funded and well un-derway,”
Dean Slann said. “The search committee members
did their work well and selected an individual who is at the
first tier of scientific scholarship.
“We all have every confidence
that Ben Bahr will continue to
build and augment an internation-al
reputation that can only bring
great benefit to this institution,” he
said.
Dr. Bahr’s resume is distin-guished
and well-rounded.
He earned two Bachelor of
Arts degrees in molecular biology
and biochemistry and a Ph.D. in
chemistry from the University of
California, Santa Barbara. He was
most recently on the faculty of the
University of Connecticut’s Phar-maceutical
Sciences and
Physiology and Neurobiology
departments.
Dr. Bahr has several patents
pending, and he has licensed dif-ferent
inventions from his work
to pharmaceutical companies.
Besides founding his own
company, Dr. Bahr served as
consultant and/or collaborator
for several pharmaceutical com-panies,
including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merz Pharmaceuti-cals,
Cortex, and MAK Scientific.
An editorial board member for five academic journals
since 2004, he has won several awards including the
Young Investigator Award from the International Society for
Neurochemistry and from the University of California at
Irvine, where he taught for seven years in the Center for the
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 13
continued on page 14
Faculty & Staff
With almost $2 million in grants received from federal,
non-profit and corporate sources, Dr. Bahr has more than
$2 million in pending grants from the National Institutes
of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the
Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
Dr. Deborah Lundin, associate dean of the College of
Arts and Sciences, wrote the NCBC grant.
“The University’s capacity for securing extramural
research support will receive a significant boost with
Dr. Bahr on campus,” Dr. Lundin said. “His expertise for
acquiring resources from a variety of federal, national and
international entities is invaluable as a catalyzing force for
UNCP faculty as they increase their efforts to engage in
funded research.”
Dr. Bahr agreed, saying research attracts both funding
sources and human resources.
“I hope that our work in the lab will open funding doors
and push others in the field to see there are new ways to
treat and study Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological
disorders,” Dr. Bahr said.
With 130 publications to his credit and numerous con-ference
presentations, Dr. Bahr has taught and mentored
many undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students.
On this subject, he is enthusiastic.
“Much of my research has been conducted by excep-tional
undergraduate students, and I like the focus at UNCP
on undergraduates and their involvement in research,” Dr.
Bahr said. “Undergraduate research is what got me started
in my career.
“Throughout my career, I’ve met very enthusiastic stu-dents
who want to work with me to understand Alzheimer’s
disease,” he continued. “Because Alzheimer’s is always in
the news, students share my interest in the field.
“The complexity of the brain offers students the incred-ible
opportunity to realize that everything they do in the
lab makes an impact in the field,” he said.
Dr. David Zeigler, chair of the Biology Department, said
Dr. Bahr’s research brings prestige to the University and its
students.
“Dr. Bahr has a strong record of student involvement
in lab-based research, and he has already made contacts
with our students for research experiences in his lab,” Dr.
Zeigler said. “His classroom teaching provides excellent
opportunities for our students in biology and chemistry.
“Dr. Bahr has a large number of important contacts
at other universities and in industry that will likely prove
important to both our students and faculty in the future,” he
said.
Dr. Robert Poage, a member of the Biology Department,
chaired the search committee.
“Bringing Dr. Bahr to UNCP is unprecedented for our
scientific community,” Dr. Poage said. “As a neurobiologist
myself, I could not be more pleased.
“Besides seeking someone with extensive funding for
research, we were looking for someone with experience
working with undergraduate students and that is relatively
rare for a top researcher,” Dr. Poage continued.
Dr. Poage attributed the success of the search to the
University’s willingness to vigorously market the posi-tion
and its commitment to support the Friday Chair with
financial resources. The grant from the North Carolina Bio-technology
Center, which Drs. Poage and Deborah Lundin
wrote, was also a critical factor.
“Having a dedicated laboratory space available at the
new biotechnology facility was also helpful,” he said.
“Dr. Bahr wanted to get into his own lab and, with under-graduates,
produce publishable research, and that is what
we were looking for.”
Dr. Bahr is pleased with his new laboratory and has
enjoyed meeting the faculty at UNCP. Among his arsenal of
resources, he brought to the new lab his research assistant.
“It’s worth noting that my lab manager Jeannie Hwang,
who started as an undergrad in my lab a few years ago,
accompanied me to North Carolina,” Dr. Bahr said. “It
seems like things are working out for a nice Pembroke Al-zheimer’s
disease kick-off to jumpstart the role of the Uni-versity
and local communities, together enhancing aware-ness
for the importance in finding effective treatments.
“With other COMtech labs, including that of Dr. Len
Holmes, we hope to further promote UNCP’s strength in
biotechnology research in North Carolina,” he said. “At
UNCP, I will be able to put more focus on research and
drug discovery.”
This article drew material from an interview of Dr. Bahr by
Lauren Silber of the University of Connecticut as well as
telephone interviews.
14 UNCP Today Fall 2009
continued from page 13
Faculty & Staff
Faculty Mentions
“Crisis Management in the New Strategy Landscape,” authored by
Drs. William “Rick” Crandall, John A. Parnell and John E. Spillan of
UNCP’s School of Business, was published in May. The book outlines
the importance of planning for crises as part of every organization’s
strategic management plan. It is intended for upper-level undergradu-ate
or graduate courses and as a supplement for strategic management
courses. The book is published by SAGE, headquartered in Thousand
Oaks, California.
Crandall 	 Parnell 	 Spillan
UNCP biology professor Dr. Wm. Bruce Ezell
Jr. is the recipient of the 2009 Daniel W. Mar-tin
Science as Christian Vocation Award from
the Presbyterian Association on Science, Tech-nology
and the Christian Faith (PASTCF). It is a
national award from PASTCF whose mission is
to facilitate the exchange of ideas and informa-tion
and to develop programs for members and
the needs of the church. Dr. Ezell is a 10-year
member of UNCP’s faculty and a lifelong Pres-byterian.
A native of Ninety Six, S.C., Dr. Ezell
graduated from Lander University and received the Master of Science in
1965 and Ph.D. degrees in 1970 from Clemson University. His research
endeavors have been conducted in medical entomology.
Dr. Cammie Hunt-Oxendine, acting dean of
UNCP’s School of Business, completed work
on her Ph.D. in organization and management
with a specialization in entrepreneurship from
Capella University in August 2009. A member
of the faculty for 10 years and now on tenure
track, Dr. Oxendine previously served as a
senior lecturer and assistant dean. A faculty
advisor to the popular and successful Students
in Free Enterprise program, Dr. Oxendine led
the team to eight regional competitions. A
1990 UNCP graduate, she earned a Master of Business Administration
degree in 1996.
Dr. Martin W. Slann, dean of UNCP’s College
of Arts and Sciences and one of the nation’s
foremost experts on terrorism, co-authored
with Dr. Cindy C. Combs the second edition
of their book “Encyclopedia of Terrorism”
(2007; Facts on File Library of World History;
$95). The “Encyclopedia of Terrorism” provides
students, researchers, journalists and policy
makers with a history of terrorism. The ency-clopedia
offers an examination of the events,
people, organizations and sites of international
terrorism.
Master Sergeant John Torre, who was the
face of the University’s ROTC program for 15
years, stepped down effective August 20. MSG
Torre leaves behind a strong program with 70
students enrolled for 2009-10. A Guam native,
MSG Torre retired from active duty in 1996
after 20 years of service and tours in Desert
Storm and Panama during armed conflicts. He
worked on contract since then and will con-tinue
training soldiers in Kenya.
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 15
Join UNCP on Facebook!
Our page provides
University information to
the Facebook community
as well as links to additional
UNCP Facebook pages.
Visit:
www.facebook.com/uncpembroke/
Faculty & Staff
Tommy Swett: Teacher, coach, administrator
Tommy Swett, a long-time University administrator, died on May 18.
Swett retired in 1997 with 28 years of service to the University, working for
three chancellors. He was director of Upward Bound and Student Support Services
when he retired.
Swett was dedicated to the youth of Robeson County. He served a term on the
Board of Education of the Public Schools of Robeson County and became chair.
Swett was a former member of the Board of Directors of Odum Home and
member of the Gideons. He was a driving force behind the local Children’s Bible
Ministries, which built Camp Grace, a local summer Christian day camp for youth.
A 1961 UNCP graduate, Swett worked as a school teacher and coach at Les
Maxwell School in Cumberland County. He was recruited to the University in 1971
to be President English Jones’ administrative assistant with a variety of duties includ-ing
the University’s first alumni affairs coordinator.
Swett served as president of the state and regional Councils of Educational Op-portunity
Programs and served on its national board.
He is survived by his wife, Shirley; one daughter, Kim Locklear, three sons,
Brent, Aubrey and Dwight; a sister, Dorothy; and four brothers, Furman, Bruce,
Vardell and Purnell. He was preceded in death by his parents, the Rev. Tommy and
Bertha Swett, and a brother, James.
Kenneth P. Johnson: Coach and professor
Kenneth P. Johnson, 94, a retired coach and physical education
professor, passed away on October 1 at the Lutheran Retirement
Home.
He was born in Jamestown, N.Y., on January 8, 1915, son of the
late Charles A. and Cora Petrie Johnson.
Dr. Johnson was a 1935 graduate of Jamestown High School. He
earned his bachelor’s degree in education from the State University
of New York at Cortland and a master’s degree from St. Lawrence
University in Canton, N.Y. He furthered his education by earning his
doctorate in health and physical education from Indiana University
in Bloomington, Ind.
Dr. Johnson was also a World War II veteran in the U. S. Navy,
working in physical therapy at the naval hospital.
He began his teaching career as a physical education teacher with the Dexter Central School System in Dexter, N.Y.
He moved on to teach at Maryville College in Maryville, Tenn., for 10 years before moving on to Oristic College in
Presque Isle, Maine.
Dr. Johnson settled in North Carolina working for 25 years at UNCP, retiring in 1980. During the late 1950s and early
1960s, he spent his summer months in Jamestown, where he ran the tennis program for the Jamestown Parks and Recre-ation
Department.
He attended the First Lutheran Church in Jamestown, and while living in N.C. was a member of the Pine Crest Country
Club in Lumberton and was president of the Pembroke Kiwanis Club.
Dr. Johnson was passionate about sports, and his nickname was “Doc” or “Coach.” He was an avid golfer with five
hole in ones to his credit. In his swimming pool, he taught more than 100 low income children from the Lumbee Tribe
how to swim, and in his later years, he could be found teaching someone the game of chess or the piano.
16 UNCP Today Fall 2009
Kenneth Johnson with wife, Doris.
Faculty & Staff: In Memoriam
Caylon Hann is a junior safety with the
Braves football program. He was named
a third-team all-American by Don Han-sen’s
Football Gazette. A Homestead,
Fla., native, Hann ranked second nation-ally
for interceptions in NCAA Division II
with seven. He had 51 tackles for UNCP’s
nationally top-ranked defense against the
score.
Kevin Dietrich, a power-hitting, center-fielder
from Charlotte, N.C., was named
a third-team all-American. He set UNCP
season records for hits (92) and homeruns
(16) while batting .418. The 2009 grad-uate
was perfect in the field, not making
an error in 107 chances. In 2009, he had
66 RBIs with 59 runs scored.
Matt McGovern, a pitcher from Ottawa,
Canada, was named to the second team
all-American squad. For the season, he
was 9-0 and 7-0 against Peach Belt Confer-ence
competition. McGovern had a 2.63
ERA over 75 innings and had two com-plete
games with 59 strikeouts. He played
for the Fayetteville SwampDogs last sum-mer
and was named their top pitcher.
Jamal Allison, a freshman from Moores-ville,
N.C., was named to the 2009 Track
& Field Coaches Association All-American
Team. He placed fourth in the nation in
the NCAA Division II Track & Field Na-tional
Championships with a long jump of
24-feet 8 inches. He is the first Brave track
& field all-American since 1985. His goal
is to win it all in 2010.
Jordan Walor, Peach Belt Freshman of the
Year, was awarded an honorable mention
on the 2009 Division II PING All-Ameri-can
team. From Wake Forest, N.C., Walor
competed in 11 tournaments with a 72.7
stroke average, ranking 5th in the confer-ence.
Twelve student-athletes were named to all-American teams in 2008-09, four academic and eight athletic including the
first-ever football player.
UNCP produces bumper crop of all-Americans
Whitney Beverly, a senior goalkeeper from
Richlands, N.C., was named to the Nation-al
Soccer Coaches Association of America
All-American Team. She also earned
Daktronic All-American honors. Beverly
played every minute of every game in
2009 allowing just 13 goals in 23 games.
She had 14 shut-outs during the season
and 24 for her career. The team set records
for wins and went to the NCAA tourna-ment
for the first time in history.
Melanie Cobb, a senior, broke the UNCP
career record for points (105), goals (44)
and the single-season record for points
(48) and goals (19). She also led the team
in assists. For this, Cobb was named a
National Soccer Coaches Association of
America All-American. She is a three-time
all-region pick, two-time all-conference,
two-time all-Peach Belt Tournament and
was ranked 23rd in the nation in scoring in
2009.
Katja Damman was named to the National
Golf Coaches Association All-American
Scholars Team for NCAA Division II. A
junior business major from Pinehurst,
N.C., she had seven top-15 finishes in the
2008-09 season. Damman started off the
2009-10 season by winning the Battle at
Bayonet Tournament on September 8. A
3.5 or better GPA is required for selection.
Four wrestlers, Dennis Fix, a sophomore from North Hun-tington,
Pa., Trey Kirkland, a freshman from Front Royal,
Va., Mike Nash, a freshman from Fayetteville, N.C. , and
Aaron Hollifield, a junior from Mocksville, N.C., were
named to the academic all-American team. A minimum
3.2 GPA is required.
Fix 	 Kirkland Nash 	 Hollifield
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 17
Braves Athletics
Just before school started, a lifesaver was thrown to
students at the University.
The August 7th SOS Beach Party, the University’s first
fundraising event of its kind, was a smashing success.
More than 300 people shagged to beach music and sam-pled
seafood while raising a total of $65,000 for UNCP’s
distressed scholarships.
Eleven sponsors contributed $3,000 each and 25
corporate tables were reserved at $1,000 each. The con-tributions
helped fill a hole in the University scholarship
endowments, which went “underwater” during the recent
turmoil in the financial markets, said Sandy Waterkotte,
vice chancellor of the Office for Advancement, which
staged the event.
“When you’re in need, your friends come to the res-cue,”
Waterkotte said. “Our students have a lot of friends,
and we exceeded our most optimistic goal.
“We don’t know yet how many students will benefit,
but it could be as many as
100,” she said. “Just as im-portant,
we had a great time
meeting old friends and making
new ones.”
With little experience in
events of this kind, University
officials wondered about the
turnout. Chancellor Charles
Jenkins, a UNCP veteran of 38
years, was pleased by the sold-out
event.
“I am sincerely thankful to everyone who turned out
to support our students during this time,” Dr. Jenkins said.
“This event will stand out as one of the most pleasant and
productive that I have ever attended at the University.”
A local committee did much of the legwork. The com-mittee
included: Grady Hunt ‘86, Mickey Gregory ‘88,
Carolyn Floyd-Robinson ‘05, Kellie Blue ‘93, Kent Chavis
‘91, Mickey Meekins, Aaron Thomas ‘99, Bruce Mullis,
James Granger and Larry Chavis ‘72.
Gregory, who is a director of UNCP’s Alumni Asso-ciation
and the Lumberton Visitors Bureau, said it was a
“lovely evening.”
“As a UNCP graduate, I was happy to help out,” Greg-ory
said. “I was pleased with the turnout because it shows
that people will come out to support a good cause.
“I’m proud that we have the University because it is a
tremendous asset to this community,” she said.
Kellie Blue, a member of UNCP’s Foundation Board of
Directors, said a diverse group of graduates and non-grad-uates
attended the Beach Party.
“I believed from the start it would be a successful
event,” said Blue, who is finance director for Robeson
County. “It was not the typical fundraiser because of the
beach theme and the relaxed atmosphere.”
The committee worked hard to fill tables and get spon-sorships,
said Teresa Oxendine, assistant vice chancellor
for donor relations.
“The idea for a beach party began as a one-time event,
but because it was so successful, we may reconsider that
strategy,” Oxendine said.
The success of the event has raised the question of turn-ing
it into an annual event.
“I’ve heard nothing but good comments,” Blue said. “I
believe people will be excited to come next year.”
“Every person on the committee was committed to the
success of this event,” said Alisia Oxendine, director for
major gifts. “It was a great time, and everyone there under-stood
that they were making a difference in the lives of our
students.”
Sponsors were critical to cost saving. UNCP graduates
Paul and Pat Willoughby (Paul
is also a trustee) sponsored the
Holiday Band, which contrib-uted
$500 back to scholarships.
Debbie’s Destinations of
St. Pauls contributed the grand
prize, a cruise for two to the
Bahamas. Cyna’s Jewelers
provided three, two-day resort
hotel stays. The Inn at Ellis
Square contributed a week-end
getaway to Savannah, Ga.
Other prizes came from Givens Performing Arts Center,
UNCP Bookstore and Outback Steakhouse. Pembroke True
Value Hardware helped decorate the beach.
Event sponsors included: Booz/Allen/Hamilton, The
Commons of Pembroke, Debbie’s Destinations, First Bank,
Lumberton Radiological Associates, Metcon Construction,
New Life Services, Inc., Pates Supply Co., Inc., R.A. Jef-freys
Distributing, Scotland Memorial Hospital and Paul
and Pat Willoughby.
	
	
Corporate table sponsors included: BB&T, Caring Touch
Home Health Care, Claybourn Walters Company, Inc.,
Cyna’s Jewelers, Dr. Robin Cummings, Fuller’s Barbeque,
Golden Corral, Locklear, Hunt, Jacobs and Brooks, Jeff and
Robin Jones, Lewis and Lewis, CPAs, Lloyd, Meekins and
Sons Auction Company, LREMC, Lumbee Guaranty Bank,
Lumberton Visitors Bureau, Lumberton Children’s Clinic,
Lumberton Drug Company, Pembroke Hardware, Pem-broke
Pointe Apartments, Pembroke Wal-Mart, Porter Sci-entific,
Robeson County Commissioners, Robeson County
Department of Social Services, Southeastern Regional
Medical Center, TARA Group and Lennis Watts.
Students win as a result of UNCP’s SOS Beach Party
18 UNCP Today Fall 2009
Advancement
Retired Superior Court Judge Jim Oxendine had an
extraordinarily distinguished career in law.
A Fairmont, N.C., native, and Vanderbilt University
graduate, Judge Oxendine was a successful attorney in
Atlanta and a district and superior court judge in Gwinnett
County. He heard death penalty cases and mega-million
dollar civil cases.
Judge Oxendine spoke October 5 to a “Law, Politics
and Justice” class at UNC Pembroke. His advice was
drawn from seasoning that only a full career in the law can
furnish.
He advocated for a career in public service.
“When I was appointed a district court judge, I had
been making a lot of money working for a large law firm,”
Judge Oxendine said. “I almost quit because of the pay. I
realized that I would not be much of a person if I left that
job because of money,” he said. “It was a tough choice,
but thank God we have good people willing to work for
the public.”
Judge Oxendine advised
students to worry less about
money and more about hap-piness.
“When you get there and
you’re happy with it, hang
in there,” he said. “When
you go to bed at night,
you’ll sleep better.”
Judge Oxendine said he
is becoming fond of his new
job – retirement. But from
the sound of it he still has
his hand in Georgia politics.
“When my son (John) was elected Insurance Commis-sioner,
he was the youngest person ever elected to a state-wide
office at age 27,” he said. “He is one of five people
running for governor, and the polls show he is leading the
pack.”
But Judge Oxendine spoke mainly of inspiration, of
“climbing the mountain,” an expression used by his favor-ite
elementary school teacher Opel Hunt.
“As a student, you need to say, ‘I’m not on top of that
mountain yet, but I’m climbing,’” he said. “My teachers
helped me move to the next step from where I was.”
There were other teachers, including one with UNCP
connections.
“Clifton Oxendine, the man they named this building
after, was my math and science teacher,” Judge Oxendine
said. “He taught me that the color of my skin did not mat-ter,
but the content of my character was the key to getting
where I wanted to go.”
Judge Oxendine was the first American Indian to be
admitted to the Georgia Bar and the first to argue a case
before the U.S. Supreme Court. He believes that talent
should be the deciding factor not race or other factors in
the selection of Supreme Court justices and everything
else.
“We need more women on the Supreme Court,” he
quipped. “We need to get away from looking at race; Con-gress
has not quite crossed that river yet.”
Judge Oxendine’s career crossed a river of a different
kind during one of three
death penalty cases he
heard from the bench.
“I tried three death
penalty cases, and a man
who killed a policeman got
death,” he said. “When it
was time to deliver the sen-tence,
I didn’t know what
to say.
“I took a month off after
that trial,” he said. “It made
me appreciate life more.”
Judge Oxendine deliv-ered
a history lesson. He
said the Civil Rights Act of 1965 was a turning point in
American law.
“1965 was not all that long ago; I had already become
a successful attorney, but to many others the door was
closed,” he said. “In that decision, lawmakers realized that
America could not become a great nation unless it was
totally free.”
Judge Jim Oxendine’s life makes a strong case for that
point.
Retired Georgia judge with local roots speaks at UNCP
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 19
Advancement
The Legacy Bench Campaign is an affordable naming opportunity at UNCP. For $1,500 you can leave a legacy for your-self,
a family member or a special friend on the campus. Your name or the name of a loved one will be inscribed on a
beautifully crafted bench to be located at strategic sites throughout campus.
Purchase a bench (or benches) through this offer and receive a one-year membership in the UNCP Chancellor’s Club!
(910) 521-6515 alison.decinti@uncp.edu
Road Win Against Fayetteville State
The true test of an athletic program and its fans is simple
– win on the road!
UNCP has not lost at home since October 2007. But
to go into the house of a winning football program like
Fayetteville State University and come away with a win is a
major milestone for the three-year-old program!
On the field, the inau-gural
Two Rivers Classic
was an instant classic. It
took two overtimes for
the Braves to defeat the
powerhouse Broncos,
who, at this writing, were
in a dog fight on top of
the CIAA Conference.
UNCP racked up
more than 530 yards of
total offense, including
353 on the ground. It was
a 21-yard touchdown
pass from quarterback
Cory Smith to Jamal
Williams in the second
overtime period that fi-nally
got the best of FSU,
41-34.
In the stands, more
than 2,000 Brave fans
proved they can travel to support their team, another litmus
test of a quality program. In an unusual show of respect,
Bronco coach Kenny Phillips gave kudos to the throngs of
Pembroke supporters.
Athletic Director Dan Kenney said I-95 was a stream of
Brave fans and flags flying.
“It made me proud to see that kind of support,” Kenney
said. “Both institutions benefitted from the positive public-ity
generated by the Two Rivers Classic.
“FSU was a gracious host,” he said. “There were no
negatives – just tremendous sportsmanship on both sides.”
When UNCP decided to play football, the institution
could not imagine that it could be this good, he said.
Kenney also noted the large number of elected officials in
attendance.
“It will be difficult to top the first edition of this rivalry,”
he concluded.
Supporting the travel team was the Office for Advance-ment,
which hosted nearly 250 at its pre-game cook-out
in the parking lot of the Felton Capel Arena. The guest list
included state Sen. David Weinstein, Larry Chavis ’72,
Lumbee Bank CEO and UNCP endowment board member,
and wife, Loleta, donors and former Trustee Bob and Faye
Caton, Robeson School Superintendent Johnny Hunt ’85
and wife, Demetrius, Board of Trustees Chairwoman
Dr. Freda Porter ‘78 and her guest Greg Bryant, Dr. and
Mrs. Curt Locklear Jr., Kellie ‘93 and Jonathan ‘90 Blue,
Superior Court Judge (ret.)
Gary Locklear ‘70 and
wife, Mollie ‘74, UNC
Board of Governor Dr.
Cheryl Locklear ‘75, former
Trustee and donor Mac
Campbell ‘68 and Trustee
Lorna McNeill Ricotta ’01
and husband, Dr. Patrick
Ricotta.
They tossed bean bags
(hand-crafted by Allen
Glenn ’81), won door priz-es
and were entertained
by cheerleaders, the dance
team and the Spirit of the
Carolinas Marching Band.
Aaron Thomas ’99 came
to the game in style, said
Alisia Oxendine, director
of major gifts.
“The tailgating party
was a blast, and Aaron set the tone with his RV and grill,”
Oxendine said. “The RV helped make it a central, visible
location for our alumni and friends.”
Coach Pete Shinnick, who understandably downplays
landmarks, offered these thoughts on the game.
“We preached to our guys all through the preseason
that we were going to be in great shape and that we were
going to wear on people, and I am proud of them because
they had one more play in them than Fayetteville State did
tonight,” Shinnick said.
The Braves never trailed and led by three points with 42
seconds remaining. But the home-standing Broncos came
back one more time.
The first overtime ended in a tie, with both teams getting
field goals. Smith’s strike to Williams on third down on the
first possession of the final period proved to be the winning
margin. Fayetteville State was not finished, getting 12 yards
from the goal line before being turned back.
Landmarks have been coming with regularity for Coach
Pete Shinnick’s team.
20 UNCP Today Fall 2009
continued on page 21
Advancement
Circles Newsletter
UNCP’s Advancement Office proudly announces the release of Circles, a bi-annual Heritage Society newsletter whose
name is meant to evoke the symbolism of the circle of life. UNCP’s Heritage Society recognizes donors who have
included the University in their will or estate plan.
Circles focuses on the many ways you can benefit the people and causes you love through charitable giving. It also
introduces planning strategies that fit your financial goals at any stage of life. The first issue includes a Heritage Mem-bers
Spotlight on Faye Nye Ostrom of Cary, N.C., in addition to information about:
• IRAs
• Ensuring Your Estate Plan is Up-to-Date
• Supporting Your Favorite Cause When Money Is Tight
Teresa Oxendine, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Advancement, will assist you with questions regarding Circles,
Pembroke Heritage Society or Planned Giving. Call the Advancement Office at 910-521-6252 or visit the planned
giving Web site at www.uncp.edu/plannedgiving.
• This year, the team broke into the national rankings
at number 25 on October 4.
• Two hours later, the team was ranked 4th in the
NCAA Division II Super Regional.
• On October 3, the Braves won their third straight
homecoming contest in front of a record 4,830
fans. (Tailgating set some unofficial records too.)
• For the first time, the Braves defeated Wingate, 24-
13 in front of a sold-out crowd.
• Junior defensive back Caylon Hann was named a
pre-season all-American.
• And, the Braves won their first overtime game
against FSU.
Coach Pete Shinnick with the Two Rivers Cup.
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 21
continued from page 20
Advancement
Alumni Association
Board of Directors
2009-11
President
Floyd Locklear ‘86
2nd Vice President
Sylvia Pate ‘99
Immediate Past President
Jason Bentzler ‘96
Executive Director
James Bass ‘94, ‘03
Board Members
Willie D. Christian ‘96
Carlton Cole ‘99, ‘07
Mickey Gregory ‘88
Adam Hardin ‘06
Wendy Hedgpeth ‘91
Henry “Hank” Lewis Jr. ‘00
Patricia Locklear ‘98
Renee Steele ‘93
Sheila Swift ‘03
Aaron Thomas ‘99
Greetings Alumni,
I hope you all had as good a time at Homecoming as I
did! It’s always great to see alumni come back to UNCP
and reconnect with their alma mater. It was especially
nice visiting with all the people who stopped by the
Alumni Association’s tent in the tailgating lot. Our Braves
have done really well this season, and I’m sure all of our
alumni are proud of them.
I’m looking forward to another commencement and the opportunity to wel-come
hundreds more new alumni into the Association in December. For those
alumni who graduated in May, I hope you are doing well, and I hope you’ll
remember to update your contact information on the Alumni Relations Web
site: www.uncp.edu/alumni.
Nominations are open for the 2010 Alumni Awards. Please stop by http://www.
uncp.edu/alumni/awards/ and download a nomination form. You may also
contact the Alumni Relations Office and have one mailed to you. The Alumni
Awards Banquet will be held in February, and we hope you’ll make plans to
attend, and help us celebrate our most deserving award winners.
Finally, I would like to say thank you to all of the alumni who are supporting
the University during this year’s Annual Fund Campaign. Your support is so im-portant
to our students and the success of their college experience at UNCP. If
you have not given to the Annual Fund and would like to do so, please contact
our Alumni Director, Mr. James Bass, at 910-521-6533 or send your check to:
The UNCP Alumni Relations Office
P.O. Box 1510
Pembroke, NC 28372
In keeping the tradition,
Floyd H. Locklear
Floyd H. Locklear ‘86
Class Notes
Alumni may submit new information about retirements, births, marriages, and job
changes by submitting information via:
Office of Alumni Relations
P.O. Box 1510
Pembroke, N.C. 28372-1510
tel: 1-800-949-UNCP or
(910) 521-6533
email: alumni@uncp.edu
web: www.uncp.edu/alumni
Alumni
22 UNCP Today Fall 2009
UNCP’s board chair wins SBA award
Dr. Freda Porter, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the University, was named SBA’s Small
Business Person of the Year for North Carolina.
Dr. Porter, a former member of UNCP’s Mathematics and Computer Science Department, is
president and CEO of Porter Scientific in Pembroke. She received the award on August 27 at the
Minority Enterprise Development Week celebration, sponsored by the Cumberland Regional Im-provement
Corp.
A 1978 UNCP graduate, Dr. Porter earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from Duke University and
joined UNCP’s faculty in 1991. She left the University to take over the family business, which her
father founded.
Dr. Porter expanded the scope of the Pembroke-based business and renamed it Porter Scientific
Incorporated (PSI). PSI provides a broad range of services that focus on environmental information
technology and environmental protection and improvement to commercial and government clients.
Ronette Gerber joins UNCP’s legal staff
UNCP’s new assistant university counsel is pleased to return to her alma mater. After 12 years
in a fast-paced world as a litigation attorney, Ronette S. Gerber has come home to the town and
school that have always been so close to her family’s heart.
A 1989 graduate, Gerber has maintained close ties with the University and her classmates.
“I met my best friends here at the University and we still get together regularly,” Gerber said.
“I look forward to homecoming every year and always come to the game with a group of fellow
UNCP grads.”
She has also served as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors.
After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at UNCP, Gerber earned a Master of Public
Administration degree and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a licensed
member of the North Carolina State Bar and has thus far practiced exclusively in civil law.
She is the mother of three children: Greyson, 8, Garrett, 7, and Lauren, 5. Gerber is the daughter of Ron Sutton, an at-torney
and state legislator, and Geneva Chavis Sutton, a retired nurse and a 1995 UNCP graduate.
D’Arcee Neal’s Degree is a Passport
As the economy declines, opportunities for recent college graduates become a challenge, but
D’Arcee Neal ’08 turned that challenge into an adventure.
Only one week after graduating, Neal said goodbye to North Carolina and took a job at a
private international ad agency in Georgetown D.C. The job provided him with the opportunity to
travel across the country while working.
During his travels, Neal realized that he enjoyed his job, but wanted to do more with his de-gree.
On a whim he applied for graduate school in London. Two weeks later he was accepted.
“I was so thrilled; I didn’t know what to do,” said Neal. “My heart is in writing and learning new
things. I want to be like one of the professors that taught me at Pembroke.”
Some of Neal’s friends and family couldn’t grasp the idea of him leaving the country for
graduate school.
“Going to another country for an English degree seemed silly to some people when I told them,” said Neal.
Neal saw it as an opportunity for new and exciting experiences. This past summer he and 12 students traveled to Costa
Rica with Mobility International USA, an organization that helps students travel the world.
“It was an amazing experience,” he said. “The bottom line is that just because you have an English degree it doesn’t
mean you’re going to be stuck behind a desk or end up as someone’s secretary. Life’s an adventure.”
Neal encourages all alumni to use their degree as a passport to travel the world and see their own adventures.
Alumni News
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 23
Class Notes 2009
Regina Denise Bellamy-Mason
began graduate school at Webster
University in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
She is employed as a correctional
case manager with the N.C.
Department of Corrections. She
resides in Whiteville, N.C.
Debra O. Chavis participated in
Advance Standing, a one-year
program at UNCP for a Master’s
degree in Social Work. She was
one of 10 students chosen for the
program. She expects to complete
her degree in 2010. Debra resides
in Red Springs, N.C.
Sara Kerns married Ron Six of
Jacksonville, Ill., on June 6. She
works for FirstHealth Moore
Regional Hospital, and Ron works
for PetSmart. The couple resides in
Carthage, N.C.
Kimberly Rose Locklear married
Samuel Zane Hilburn of Cerro
Gordo, N.C., on May 23. Kimberly
is employed with Southeastern
Regional Medical Center and
Samuel is employed with Peacock
Funeral Home in Whiteville, N.C.
The couple resides in Whiteville.
Rhonda McClure won first place
this summer in the National
Institute of Health student poster
contest. As a summer intern
at NIH’s National Institute for
the Aging, she competed with
50 other student projects. Her
research was titled “Effect of
Multiple B-Cell Stimulators on
Class Switch Recombination
and AIDS Expression.” For
her work, she won a yearlong
NIH Intramural AIDS Research
Fellowship Internship Award for
2009-10. She resides in Pembroke.
Kayla McMillian is an associate
professional with Premier
Behavioral. She resides in
Lumberton, N.C.
2008
Heather Marie Bell is a math
teacher at Leak Street High School.
She resides in Hoffman, N.C.
Marquita Brazier is an English
language arts teacher at Carter
Community College. She resides
in Raleigh, N.C.
Angie Fearrington and Isaac
Hannah were married in June. The
couple resides in Lumberton, N.C.
Matthew Heckel is a news
reporter at WDTV. He resides in
Clarksburg, W.Va.
Sarah Gabell is a quality control
analyst at Genetic Testing
Laboratory, where she conducts
DNA analysis for the local sheriff’s
department. She resides in Las
Cruces, N.M.
Terrell Jones is an officer in the
U.S. Army.
D’Arcee Neal spent two weeks
over the summer in Costa Rica
learning about disability rights.
He received a scholarship from
the U.S. Department of Education
and Mobility International
USA. He will pursue his
master’s and doctoral degrees
in London, England, in creative
and professional writing at
Roehampton University.
Sabrina Spaulding-Chavis is a
teacher with the Public Schools
of Robeson County. She resides in
Lumberton, N.C.
Aaron Thompson is the assistant
track and cross country coach at
St. Andrews Presbyterian College
in Pensacola, Fla. The St. Andrews
team won the 2008 conference
championships. Thompson spent
the 2007-08 track season at
Neosho Community College in
Chanute, Kan. The community
college finished in the top 10 in
the country as a team for both
indoor and outdoor track at the
national championships. He also
helped coach 15 all-Americans
and two NJCAA National
Champions.
Clarisse Wilson is a
telecommunicator with the UNC
School of the Arts Campus Police
Department. She resides in High
Point, N.C.
2007
Danielle Chavis married Gary
Jonathan Chavis on October
17. She is a teacher and varsity
cheerleading coach with Scotland
High School in Laurinburg, N.C.
The couple resides in Laurinburg.
24 UNCP Today Fall 2009
‘07 continued on page 25
Adam Fenwick works for National
Speed Sport News, an auto racing
publication in Concord, N.C.,
where he resides.
Shaun Rian Fetzer is a 1st
Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and
is deployed in Camp Arifjan,
Kuwait, in support of Operation
Iraqi Freedom and Operation
Enduring Freedom. He resides in
Fayetteville, N.C.
Chandra Glotzback and Rodney
Collins were married on June 27.
They have two children, Kaylee
Collins, 6, and Joshua Collins, 2.
The couple resides in Asheboro,
N.C.
Connie M. Harris is an adult
programs representative with the
N.C. Division of Aging and Adult
Services. She resides in Mars Hill,
N.C.
Whitney Craig Lovette married
Samantha Anne Sarvis on August
15. Whitney is employed by
State Employees’ Credit Union,
and Samantha is employed by
Shoreland Healthcare.
Jessica Lynn Scott welcomed a
second son, Wyatt Alan Bullard,
in September. She has another
son, Nakoma Obryan Scott, 3. She
is a deputy clerk with the State
of North Carolina and resides in
Lumberton, N.C.
Krystal Sease welcomed her
second child, Karmen Sphira, on
May 23. She weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz.
and was 20-inches long.
Christia Ward Shuler and her
husband welcomed their first
child, Kiel Lamar Shuler Jr., in
October 2008. The family resides
in Roseboro, N.C.
James C. Sibbett is a medical
student at Michigan State
University. His wife, Siiri Sibbett
‘07, is an assistant manager at
Walgreens in Grand Ledge, Mich.,
where the couple resides.
Donna Stees was promoted to
deputy assistant chief of staff G6
at the J.F.K. Special Warfare Center
and School on Ft. Bragg, N.C.
She is working to attain the Chief
Information Officer Certificate
from the National Defense
University. She resides in Sanford,
N.C.
Matthew Swift and Kristina
Homesly were married on June
20. He is a community recreation
specialist with the City of
Lexington. The couple resides in
Thomasville, N.C.
2006
Julianne Wright Arndt completed
her third year as an eighth
grade language arts teacher at
Lumberton Junior High School.
She has been married for six years
to Robert Arndt, a reference and
instructional services librarian
at UNCP. The couple resides in
Pembroke.
Tommy Baker was named Golf
Coach of the Year in the Carolinas
Conference. He has been the
coach at Coker College in
Hartsville, S.C., since 2007. He
resides in Hartsville.
Keita Turner Coates is a student at
International Academy of Design
and Technology, where she is
working on a second degree in
graphic design. She is married
to George Coats, and the couple
resides in Lumberton, N.C.
Carmen Deese is a claims
representative with the Social
Security Administration. She
resides in Rowland, N.C.
Candace Deese Dial and Derrick
L. Dial were married in January
2008. She is employed with Child
Protective Services through the
Robeson County Department
of Social Services. She and her
husband reside in Maxton, N.C.
Jason Harris has been selected
by the Kenan Fellows Program
for curriculum and leadership
development at NC State
University as a 2011 Kenan
Fellow. He is engaged in a two-year
fellowship supported by the
Moore County consortium to
develop innovative curricula for
use in North Carolina classrooms.
He will also work on a project
utilizing i3D technology for use
in the classroom. He is a second-grade
teacher at Southern Pines
Primary School.
Stephanie Johnson is a graduate
assistant at South Carolina State
University.
Benjamin Lee and his wife, Jessica
Gillis Lee ‘07, welcomed their first
child, Noah Alexander, on March
28, 2008. Benjamin is in his fourth
year of teaching at Evergreen
Elementary School. The family
resides in Bladenboro, N.C.
Adrienne Reaves is a teacher with
Cumberland County Schools. She
resides in Fayetteville, N.C.
Barbara Richardson is a school
social worker with the Public
Schools of Robeson County. She
resides in Fairmont, N.C.
Tracie Williams is an associate
professional with Stephens
Outreach. She resides in
Lumberton, N.C.
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 25
continued on page 26
‘07 continued from page 24
Class Notes 2005
Cotina Ames is a loss mitigation
specialist II with Citi Mortgage.
She resides in Silver Springs, Md.
Janna Susanne Barnes and John
Erik Edwards ’03 were married
on January 24. She is employed
by the Public Schools of Robeson
County, and he is employed by
Crop Production Services. The
couple resides in Orrum, N.C.
Sascha Gorres
won his
second league
championship
with the
Richmond
Kickers
professional
soccer team.
A native of Flensburg, Germany,
he is in his fifth season with the
Kickers, and he also coaches three
Richmond Kickers youth teams
(two boys teams and one girls
team). He resides in Richmond,
Va.
Thomas
Lindal and his
wife, Natalia,
welcomed a
son, Matheo
Leander, in
April. He
weighed 8 lbs.
and was 19
inches long. The family resides in
Norway.
Krystle Melvin graduated from
the University of Virginia School
of Law with a Juris Doctorate
degree on May 17. She resides in
Lumberton, N.C.
Leslie Oxendine was certified
as a family nurse practitioner by
the American Academy of Nurse
Practitioners on June 10. She
and husband, Jessie, have been
married for 18 years. The couple
has four children and resides in
Pembroke.
Adria Pontious is employed with
the U.S. Forest Service. She resides
in Seattle, Wash.
Torrey Warriax married Maj.
Davance Locklear on August
15. Torrey works for Fayetteville
Manor Assisted Living and Maj.
Davance is in the U.S. Air Force.
2004
Carey McNeill Collins earned the
Doctor of Dental Surgery degree
on May 16 from Meharry Medical
College School of Dentistry in
Nashville, Tenn. She is attending
the Pediatric Dental Residency
Program at Nationwide Children’s
Hospital at Ohio State University
in Columbus, Ohio. She is married
to Chris Collins, and they have
two children, Tevin and Nathan.
Ashley M. Grier and her husband,
Tray Martin, welcomed their
first child, a boy, Rylee Mitchell
Martin, on May 16. The family
resides in Fairmont, N.C.
Curtis Henderson was accepted
into a Ph.D. program in mass
communications at Howard
University. He resides in
Morrisville, N.C.
Teresa Langley is an administrative
support specialist with New
Hanover County. She resides in
Wilmington, N.C.
Carl L. McLaurin is pursuing a
fashion and textile degree at North
Carolina Central University. He
completed an internship at New
York’s Fashion Week in Bryant
Park. He resides in Durham, N.C.
Nakecia Locklear Radford is a
teacher at Lumberton Junior High
School. She resides in Lumberton,
N.C.
Quiana Shaw
Robinson and
her husband,
Stuart,
welcomed
a baby girl,
Kendall Payton
Shaw, on
June 25. She
weighed 7 lbs. and was 20.25
inches long.
John Riley Secrist is a U.S.
Navy supply officer. He was
decommissioned from the USS
Augusta SSN-710 and is serving in
Afghanistan for one year.
Kelly White is a teacher at Ripon
Children’s Learning Center in
Ripon, Wis. She resides in Fon Du
Lac, Wis.
26 UNCP Today Fall 2009
continued on page 27
continued from page 25
continued from page 26
2003
Betsy Kristin Bridgers married
Robert Orrie Coonrod of
Charleston, S.C. on October 3.
Kylie Cirioli McKinney and Jermey
McKinney were married in May.
They reside in Charlotte, N.C.,
where they both work.
Candice E. Horner-Fuhrer
graduated from St. George’s
University School of Veterinary
Medicine on June 14 with a
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine.
She works as an associate
veterinarian in Phoenix, Ariz.,
where she resides with her
husband, Christian.
Genea S. Pittman was accepted
into the Ph.D. program in the
English Department at the
Pädagogische Hochschule
Ludwigsburg in Germany and
will work as an Akademische
Mitarbeiterin in the English and
Kunst (Art) Departments until
August 2011. She resides in
Ludwigsburg, Germany.
2002
Ryan Freeman was named men’s
basketball coach at Northern
Guilford High School. He was
previously the head basketball
coach at New Bern High School.
He resides in Greensboro, N.C.
Rebecca Jones LaClaire welcomed
her second child, a daughter,
Molly Nicole LaClaire, in June
2008. She weighed 6 lbs., 11oz.
The family resides in Asheboro,
N.C.
Susan M. Locklear is a teacher
for exceptional children with the
Public Schools of Robeson County.
She resides in Maxton, N.C.
Debra Nelson is a narcotics
investigator with the Bladen
County Sheriff’s Department. She
resides in Bladenboro, N.C.
2001
Jason Brady won a silver
medal in June in the 26th
Annual Healthcare Advertising
competition for a logo design and
for his work on billboards, radio
and print ads. Jason works for
Cape Fear Valley Health System
as a marketing coordinator. He is
married to Erica Jones Brady ’01
and resides in Fayetteville, N.C.
Rikki Cockrell
Rich is the
assistant
athletic
director at
N.C. Wesleyan
College. She
was previously
sports
information director and Title IX
coordinator at N.C. Wesleyan.
Rikki was sports information
director, senior woman’s
administrator and assistant athletic
director for media relations at
UNCP from 2003-05. She and her
husband, Marcus, live in Rocky
Mount, N.C., and they have one
daughter, Addison, 2.
2000
Kelvin Hunt and LaTisha Whitaker
Hunt ‘03 are the proud parents
of Madilyn Alyse, born on June
6, 2008. The family resides in
Fuquay-Varina, N.C.
Randall Channing Jones is the
assistant town manager for
Pembroke, N.C. He previously
served as operations manager for
Southtech Plastics in New Bern,
N.C. He is also completing a
doctoral degree at UNC-Chapel
Hill.
Meredith Huffman Terry and
John Christopher Huffman ’93
welcomed a new addition to their
family, Kamden Riggs Huffman,
in May. He joins Keely (2001)
and Kaleb (2004). Meredith is a
teacher with Hoke County Schools
and John is employed by the
Public Schools of Robeson County.
The family resides in Laurinburg,
N.C.
Tamara Thorn received her Master
of Science degree in physician
assistant studies in August from
King’s College in Wilkes-Barre,
Pa. She works as a psychiatric
physician’s assistant with Satilla
Community Services in Waycross,
Ga. Tamara holds both Bachelor’s
and Master’s of Social Work
degrees, her LCSW credential in
North Carolina and Pennsylvania,
and is a Diamond Life Member of
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
1999
Kelly D. Avant married Robert
Hickerson Crabill on June 13.
She is a registered nurse with Rex
Hospital in Raleigh, N.C. The
couple resides in Raleigh.
Eric Edmondson was named
mortgage loan officer at
CommunityOne Bank, serving
Richmond and Scotland counties.
He previously worked as a
financial specialist for Wachovia
Bank in Southern Pines, N.C. He
and his wife, Kary ‘99, have two
children, Ethan, 5, and Ava, 2.
The family resides in Rockingham,
N.C.
Dawn Holt is a teacher with North
Carolina Virtual Public School.
She resides in Hope Mills, N.C.
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 27
‘99 continued on page 28
Class Notes Don Ingle is an 8th grade algebra
teacher at Hawley Middle School
in Creedmoor, N.C. He has been
teaching since January 2007.
Before that, he worked for almost
eight years in the television
business, including nearly six
years at WRAL-TV in Raleigh,
N.C., as a news photographer. He
and his wife, Deb, have two sons,
Avery, 4, and Greyson, 2.
William Pence is a district sales
manager with Monsanto. He
resides in Wernersville, Pa.
Aaron K. Thomas was named
Business Person of the Year at the
2009 Business Visions Awards
Banquet. He is the president and
CEO of Metcon Construction, Inc.
He is enrolled in the master of
construction management program
at East Carolina University and
expects to graduate this year.
Aaron and his wife, Azalea, have
three daughters, Ayanna, Alena
and Ashtyn. The family resides in
Pembroke.
1998
Chad Griffin and his wife, Sherry
Severs Griffin ’99, welcomed
their second child, Addison Grace
Griffin, on Nov. 21, 2008. The
couple also has a two-year-old
son, Hayes Walker. Chad stepped
down as head coach of the boys
and girls soccer programs last
spring to take over as full-time
athletic director at Calvary Day
School in Savannah, Ga. Sherry is
moving into her seventh year as
head softball coach at Calvary. The
couple resides in Savannah.
Jennifer Whittington is a teacher-recruiter
for UNCP’s School of
Education. She is also a 2009
graduate of UNCP’s Master’s of
School Administration program
and resides in Lumberton, N.C.
Johnnie Winchester is an
appliance advantage agent at
Lowe’s corporate headquarters. He
resides in Winston-Salem, N.C.
1997
Iris Bethea was selected as a
Biltmore Who’s Who 2009-10
member. She was also selected
as a member of the National
Association of Professional
Women 2009. She is a recreation
specialist with the Federal
Correctional Institution in
Bennettsville, S.C. She resides in
Laurinburg, N.C.
Vincent Castano received
his doctorate in education in
October 2008. He had an entry
published about the western
expansion of North Carolina
railroads during the 19th century
for the “Encyclopedia of North
Carolina” (2008), edited by Dr.
William Powell. He is the director
of Student Support Services at
Central Carolina Community
College and resides in Sanford,
N.C.
Robert D. Locklear is principal at
Magnolia Elementary School in
Lumberton, N.C., and is a doctoral
candidate in the educational
leadership program at South
Carolina State University. He
resides in Fairmont, N.C.
Daniel Rogers is a driver for
United Parcel Service. He resides
in Fayetteville, N.C.
1996
Timothy Jacobs and his wife,
Stephanie, welcomed a baby boy,
Brayden Seth Jacobs, on May 29.
The couple also has a daughter,
Bethany Rae, 3. The family resides
in Lumberton, N.C.
Geraldine Thompson is an
adult home care specialist with
Columbus County Department
of Social Services. She resides in
Chadbourn, N.C.
1995
Clara Lassiter is an early
childhood instructor in the
Education Department at
Fayetteville Technical Community
College. She resides in Columbia,
S.C.
Dana Lowery Ramseur completed
her Master’s of Library Science
from East Carolina University in
August and is employed as the
media coordinator/librarian at
Northwest Cabarrus High School
in Concord, N.C., where she
resides.
Jennifer Pala and Patrick “Rick”
Ellen ’88 were married on April
11. She is an associate scientist III
with Beckman Coulter Genomics.
The couple resides in Holly
Springs, N.C.
28 UNCP Today Fall 2009
‘99 continued from page 27
continued on page 29
1994
Jerry V. Beck is pastor of Sandy
Grove Baptist Church. He and his
wife, Ruby Beck ’95, reside in
Tar Heel, N.C. Their grandson,
Noah Beck, is a freshman at
UNCP.
Amelia Hammond Tanon, her
husband, Edgar, and daughter,
Grace, welcomed a new addition
to their family. Joshua Edgardo was
born March 3, weighing 7 lbs., 1
oz. Amelia is a therapy support
coordinator with Biogen Idec. The
family resides in Raleigh, N.C.
Darline G. Tripp retired from the
Harnett County School System on
July 1 with 25 years of service. She
resides in Dunn, N.C.
1992
Chris Armfield is employed with
Xerox Corporation. He resides in
Manakin Sabot, Va.
Donnie Byers won a gold
medal in June in the 26th
Annual Healthcare Advertising
competition for an interactive Web
banner series he created. He also
won a bronze medal for his work
on a brochure. Donnie works for
Cape Fear Valley Health System
as a marketing coordinator. He
resides in Fayetteville, N.C.
Richard Glancy is deployed to Iraq
with the N.C. National Guard. He
is employed as a sergeant with the
Town of Cary Police Department.
He resides in Fuquay-Varina, N.C.
Susan Robbins is a teacher with
Bladen County Schools. She
resides in Elizabethtown, N.C.
Kristy Woods is a teacher with the
Public Schools of Robeson County.
She resides in Maxton, N.C.
1991
Marsha Bunce Brenes is a fifth
grade teacher with Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Schools. She is
married to Robert Brenes, and the
couple has three boys: Spencer,
17, Mason, 11, and Luke, 6. She
has been teaching for 18 years,
and Robert is a tennis director at
a country club in Charlotte, N.C.,
where the couple resides.
Terry A. Hunt is a real estate
appraiser with Thompson
Appraisal Services in Myrtle
Beach, S.C. He also owns and
operates two tanning salons
called ARUBA Tan, as well as
Hunt Enterprises, a real estate
investment company that buys and
rents condos. He has been married
for 10 ½ years to Carol Bourne, an
accountant. The couple serves on
the board for Junior Achievement
in Horry and Georgetown
counties, and they reside in Myrtle
Beach.
Chiffon Strickland Jenkins won
the Mrs. Georgia United States
Pageant on February 22. She
competed in the Mrs. United
States Pageant on July 23 in Las
Vegas, Nev. She is a patient
accounts manager with Piedmont
Health. She resides in Atlanta, Ga.
Skip Lovette
was appointed
to the North
Carolina
Association of
CPA’s Taxation
Committee. He
is a Certified
Public
Accountant in private practice
in Greensboro, N.C., where he
resides.
1990
Candace Forrester is an executive
assistant and assistant accounting
manager with Anderson Creek
Club, an exclusive gated golf
and residential community in
Spring Lake, N.C. She resides in
Bladenboro, N.C.
Connie Patterson Hewke is a
secretary with Fields Plumbing
and Heating Co., Inc. She resides
in Pinehurst, N.C.
Myra Maness is a social worker
with the Columbus County
Department of Social Services. She
resides in Tabor City, N.C.
1988
Ed Drew and wife, Brenda,
have two children and three
grandchildren. Ed was appointed
in June to the Milwaukee Charge
of the United Methodist Church.
He continues to teach introduction
to the Old and New Testaments,
as well as world religion studies
at Pitt Community College in
Winterville, N.C. He and his wife
reside in Conway, N.C.
1987
Jackie Jacobs is founder and
principal of JTalentgroup, a
Seattle-based Native American-owned
full service entertainment
agency. She has been retained as
tribal publicist by the Quileute
Tribe of LaPush, Wash., in
response to the increasing
popularity of the “Twilight” book
series by Stephanie Meyer and
subsequent movies. She is also a
member of the Lumbee Tribe of
North Carolina.
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 29
continued on page 30
continued from page 28
Class Notes 1985
Keith Hight had his book
“Professional Theatre in the
Academic Setting” published. He
is a technical director and adjunct
faculty member in the Theatre
Arts Department at Campbell
University.
Harriette Floyd Lovin started her
25th year of teaching music in
public schools, currently at South
View Middle School in Hope
Mills, N.C. Her husband, Mack,
works for Mueller Steam Specialty
in St. Pauls, N.C., and their son,
Kyle, lives in Chapel Hill. Harriette
also serves as music director for
Chestnut Street United Methodist
Church in Lumberton, N.C., where
she resides.
Terry Townsend is the editor of the
Red Springs Citizen newspaper in
Red Springs, N.C. She is employed
by Heartland Publications and
resides in Red Springs.
Lisa Huggins Oxendine was
accepted into UNC-Chapel Hill’s
Gillings School of Global Public
Health’s Executive Doctoral
Program in health leadership.
Veronica Ward is a child mental
health and behavioral case
manager and supervisor at New
Life Services, Inc, in Lumberton
N.C. She resides in Laurinburg,
N.C.
1982
Mark Madden is vice president of
Waccamaw Bank. Mark resides in
Lumberton, N.C., with his spouse,
Lynne, and daughters, Jessica and
Morgan.
1981
John B. Bridgers is a tax assessor
for Polk County. He resides in
Columbus, N.C.
Howard
Hughes, a
captain at
the Richland
Sheriff’s
Department
in Columbia,
S.C., was
transferred
from the Special Operations Unit
of the Uniform Division to the
Professional Standards Division.
Hughes oversees the Internal
Affairs Unit. He joined the
department after earning a master’s
degree from the University of
South Carolina in 1982. Hughes
and his wife, Sandra, celebrated
their 25th wedding anniversary.
They reside in West Columbia.
Ronald Gene Locklear is the
operator responsible in charge of
the wastewater and filter plants for
WestPoint Home in Wagram, N.C.
He resides in Pembroke, N.C.
Lori Varallo is the manager of Port
City Java in Wilmington, N.C. She
resides in Wilmington.
1980
Jeff Jernigan was named 2008-09
Cumberland County Principal of
the Year. He was also the 2009
Wachovia Sandhills/South Central
Principal of the Year. Jeff serves
as principal of Cape Fear High
School in Fayetteville, N.C. During
his tenure as principal, Cape Fear
High School has been recognized
by U.S. News and World Report
as a “Bronze Medal” recipient
in “America’s Best High School
Search” (2008-09). Jeff is married
to Joyce Lewis Jernigan ’80, and
the couple resides in Fayetteville.
Joy Atkinson McGugan was
accepted at the Chicago Art
Institute as part of its Teachers
in Contemporary Art Fellowship
during the 2009 summer. Joy
teaches art at St. Pauls High
School and continues her studies
at UNCP.
Gregory L. Price is a partner at
Nelson Price & Associates, P.A.,
in Lumberton, N.C., where he
resides.
1976
June Montgomery Gillis retired on
June 15 with 31 years of teaching
kindergarten and first grade with
Cumberland County Schools. She
resides in Fayetteville, N.C., with
her husband, Robert, and two
children, Jenna and William.
30 UNCP Today Fall 2009
‘76 continued on page 31
continued from page 29
William H. Schmidt is the
worldwide account manager of
corporate accounts for FedEx
Services. He resides in Fayetteville,
N.C.
1975
Dr. Kenneth Locklear and the
Burnt Swamp Baptist Association,
through a mission project,
recently assisted a young girl in
the Philippines to have a tumor
removed from her face. Dr.
Locklear’s story was published
in the Fayetteville Observer
newspaper. The Burnt Swamp
Baptist Association has provided
medical care for more than 450
people in the Philippines. Dr.
Locklear is a physician at Robeson
Family Practice Association in
Red Springs, N.C. He resides in
Pembroke.
1974
Max George retired from the
Gastonia Police Department in
August 2007 after 30 years of
service. He retired at the rank
of captain and was a district
commander at retirement. He was
a founding member of the sniper
team and won the departmental
medal of honor for apprehending
two armed robbery suspects after
a shootout. He was featured on
“America’s Most Wanted” for his
part in apprehending William
Glen Barefoot, who escaped
from the Hoke County Jail. He
is married to Caron, a technical
systems educator with the
Gastonia Police Department. He
resides in Gastonia, N.C.
Clyde Jackson is a teacher with the
Public Schools of Robeson County.
He resides in St. Pauls, N.C.
1972
Wayne T. Bone celebrated six
years as senior pastor of First
Baptist Church in Linden, N.C.,
where he resides.
Ronnie Chavis was named
National Athletic Director of the
Year on April 3 by the National
Association for Sports and Physical
Education. Chavis has been the
Athletic Director for the Public
Schools of Robeson County since
1992. He resides in Pembroke.
Betty McArthur Clark is the
information services director for
Cumberland County. She resides
in Laurinburg, N.C.
1971
Donna Chavis
was one of 35
North Carolina
leaders
chosen to be
interviewed for
the recently
released
coffee table
book “Secrets of Success:
North Carolina Values-Based
Leadership.” In her essay, Donna
tells the story of how her father
inspired her to lead through
giving. Donna is the executive
director of N.C. Gives, a statewide
non-profit organization celebrating
and strengthening the giving
of “The 3 Ts” (time, talent and
treasure) in North Carolina —
particularly among women, young
people and communities of color.
She resides in Pembroke.
1970
Dale Strickland retired on June
10 as superintendent of Florence
County School District Five, a
position he held for 11 years. He
began his career as a teacher in
Aynor, S.C., in 1970, and since
that time, held the positions of
teacher, coach, assistant principal,
principal, assistant superintendent
and superintendent. He and
his wife, Cheryl, reside in
Johnsonville, S.C.
1969
Fred Gordon is a retired physical
education and health teacher. He
resides in Erdenheim, Pa.
William Gehrman is an associate
technical fellow with the Boeing
Company.
1968
Gwen Simmons, a former director
of UNCP’s Counseling and Testing
Center, now maintains a small
counseling and coaching practice
in Vass, N.C., and presents
workshops on selected topics. She
is co-author of a book published
in April 2009 titled “See Jane Not
Run…Teachers are Leaders.” She
resides in Vass.
1967
Matt Gwynne retired in 2009
as vice president and director
of security for the McDonald’s
Corporation after 28 years. Before
his employment with McDonald’s,
he was a special agent for seven
years with the N.C. State Bureau
of Investigation, Department of
Justice. He was also a high school
social studies teacher and a
coach for four years. He resides in
Angier, N.C.
1966
Sue Faircloth Gordon is a retired
elementary school teacher. She
resides in Erdenheim, Pa.
Fall 2009 UNCP Today 31
‘76 continued from page 30