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James Madison University - Index

James Madison University - Madison Magazine - Summer 2009 - Index

ClassNotes
Volleyball Coach of the Year and
was selected to coach the Virginia
High School Coaches Association
All Star Game in July. Ragland
holds Virginia’s career mark for
coaching victories in volleyball.
J. David Garlow accepted
85 a position as director for
DGD Research in San Antonio.
It is the largest private diabetes
research facility in the United
States. He writes, “I have been
employed in the clinical research
industry since 1996, and I am
a nationally certified clinical
research professional. I hope to
contribute to the development of
new medicines to help those with
life-threatening diseases.”
86
Timothy Michael McConville
joined the law firm of
Odin, Feldman and Pittleman PC
in Fairfax as a partner in the area of
labor and employment law.
Lt. Col. John Bell is
88 home after a tour in
Kabul, Afghanistan, where he
helped rebuild Kabul’s police
program. He says, “This was a 180
turn from flying planes and a very
interesting time in my life. I was
ready to get home to my children:
son Jake is 1, Megan is 3, Susan
is 5 and Amber is 9. I’ve returned
to flying the 737 for American
Airlines. I mainly head south to
Latin America, but if you are flying
out of DCA look for me, we
go up there a lot.” ✱ Edward S.
Patterson writes, “My daughter is a
freshman at JMU entering exactly
20 years after I graduated. I have
earned an M.S.Ed. at Old Dominion
University to go along with my
M.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill.”
In March, Jeff Smith ran a
90 personal best time of 3:46
in the Marine Corps Marathon in
Washington, D.C.
93
Timothy M. Persons
accepted a position as
chief scientist at the U.S. Government
Accountability Office in
Washington, D.C. Previously he
was employed at IARPA as technical
director. The GAO is the
investigative arm of the U.S. Congress.
In his new role, Persons is an
expert adviser and chief consultant
to the GAO, Congress and other
federal agencies and government
programs. He focuses on cuttingedge
science and technology, key
highly specialized national and
international systems, engineering
policies, best practices and original
research studies in the fields of
engineering, and computer and
physical sciences to ensure efficient,
effective and economical
use of science and technology in
government programs.
Carrie Willwerth
94 Brogden writes, “My
husband Craig, who is Australian,
and I have three children, Reece
(5), Isabelle (3) and Layne (1). We
own and live on a thoroughbred
racehorse farm in Kentucky. We
have 180 horses, and we love every
minute of it!”
95
Matt Cyr is the editor
of Children’s Hospital
maga zines and publications in
Boston. Earlier this year Cyr traveled
to Ghana, where he wrote
about, blogged and filmed the
work of a Children’s Hospital
cardiac surgical team. His film
was featured on Boston network
television and on ABC-TV’s Good
Morning America. Cyr lives in
Hopedale, Mass., with his wife
and their triplets, Olivia, Sophie
and Jackson. ✱ Tanya Davis was
promoted to manager of artistic
administration from artistic and
education coordinator at the
Nashville Symphony. In her new
position she manages the Nashville
Symphony Chorus, produces
the Pied Piper family concert
series and works regularly with
world-renowned soloists, conductors
and composers. ✱ David
Helfen was awarded the Department
of the Navy Meritorious
Civilian Service Award and was
recognized as the Naval Criminal
Investigative Serv ice Special Agent
of the Year for performance in
the agency’s Operations Support
Directorate. ✱ The U.S. Chamber
of Commerce honored Chad Layman,
owner of Fine Earth LLC,
with its 2009 Community Excellence
Award and a Blue Ribbon
Small Business Award in May.
The awards recognize the company’s
dedication to excellence
in financial growth, community
involvement and customer service.
Layman is an active alumnus
volunteer in the Edith J. Carrier
Arboretum lecture series.
Kimberly Matthews
98 Robertello published
Evidence-Based Practices in Alcohol
Treatment: The Robertello Evaluative
Tool for Assessment and Evaluation
with VDM-Verlag Publishers in
Germany. It is available internationally
through Amazon.com. ✱ Molly
Amburn Whelsky was promoted
to area director from assistant area
director at Boston University.
99
Kim Hartzler-Weakley
was named executive
director of the Office of Children
and Youth of Harrisonburg and
Rockingham County. She previously
served in the JMU Institute
for Innovation in Health and
Human Services, which oversees
the Office of Children and Youth.
The office offers community
programs like Gus Bus and a teen
pregnancy prevention program. ✱
The Information Systems Security
Association honored Mark Johnson
(’99M), chief information
security officer for Vanderbilt
University, with its 2008 Security
Professional of
the Year Award.
Johnson joined
Vanderbilt in
August 2004
after serving as
the chief security
officer for Mark Johnson
London Bridge (’99M)
Group, a London-based global
provider of technology solutions
for the financial services industry
that was purchased by Fair Isaac
Corp. in 2004. Johnson has more
than 16 years of experience in the
information security field and
was named the 2007 Executive
Alliance National Information
Security Executive of the Year in
the academic category. He earned
his master’s in computer science
at JMU. ✱ James Marvin Keeton
III graduated from the University
of Richmond’s T.C. Williams
College of Law in May 2008. He
is attending Villanova University
to earn his master’s in tax law.
He has been married to Hillary
Joy Campbell since December
2007. ✱ Brandy Palmore Arnold
accepted a position at Henry
County Schools in Collinsville
as a seventh-grade English and
social studies teacher. She most
recently served as a seventh-grade
social studies teacher for Halifax
County Schools.
Continued on Page 63
SCHOLARSHIP
THANKS
Dear Gary Thompson:
I am a 29-year-old junior at JMU.
I was recently married, and my
husband and I just bought our first
home. I work full time at Harrisonburg
High School, while I’m
completing my B.A. through JMU’s
Adult Degree Program. My goal is
to also complete my M.A.T. in early
childhood special education. I want
to express how grateful I am to receive
the Thompson Family Scholarship.
I am the first person in my family to
attend college, and I am paying for
my education on my own. This generous
scholarship has truly helped me
feel financially supported and secure,
which, in turn, helps my performance
at work and in school. Thank you for
making my college experience so much
easier. It means the world to me.
Kacey Neckowitz (’10)
60 MADISON MAGAZINE