Class notes

1960s

Richard T. Elmore, Jr. (MED ’68) was a professor in the School of Psychology at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida, from 1982-2020 and retired in August 2020.

 Roberta Thompson Richmond (BSED ’64) earned an MAT from Emory University and was named District Teacher of the Year in Suwannee County, Florida, and is a certified gifted teacher for K-12, a national board teacher, and president of Alpha Delta Kappa teacher organization.

 Mary Margaret Wood (EDD ’63) just completed a series of study guides for teachers and parents to identify and respond to naturally developing anxieties in children's behavior. Through the nonprofit Developmental Therapy Institute, these new materials include a 30-minute video and six independent skill building topics, field-tested for developmental effectiveness.

1970s

Barry L. Jackson (PHD ’75) is a Fulbright Senior Scholar, former Eisenhower Foundation delegate to Vietnam and Cambodia, and professor and director emeritus of the Drug, Alcohol, and Wellness Network of the Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania. He served as a commission delegate for the National Board of Certified Counselors, International for the development of a master’s degree program in counseling for the African Union based in Malawi. In July 2024, he was recognized by the Wall Street Journal as a distinguished leader. In October 2023, he retired as vice president from the Osteo Re Osteopathic Medical School in Bucharest, Romania after five years of service.

1980s

Debbie Clark (BSED ’83, MED ’86) has just begun her forty-third year as a classroom teacher at Johnson High School in Gainesville, Georgia. Her book, “‘Twas the Year of the World Series,” has won three national awards, including the 2024 National Family Choice Award. All profits from the book went to the Most Valuable Teacher Program in the Atlanta Braves Foundation.

 Kimberlee Finazzo (BSED ’88) is an Orton-Gillingham associate and helped start the Dyslexia Support Program at Greater Atlanta Christian School. This will be her fifth year in the program.

 Steve Kamerschen (BSED ’87) retired early.

 Claire Hubbard Mann (BSED ’87) retired from teaching elementary school for 25 years, moved to Birmingham, Alabama, and became the admission and program coordinator for the Honors Program at Samford University.

 Mandi Sisk (BSED ’88) retired after teaching elementary school for 28 years. In May, she became the new director at her local church preschool, Joyful Noise, where she recently completed her first week leading the staff and the school’s 45 students.

 Cheryl Varnadoe (BSHE ’83, MED ’84) was promoted to national program director for LifeSmarts, the nation’s leading consumer education program for teens sponsored by the National Consumers League. She retired from UGA in 2018 after a 34-year career with UGA Extension 4-H as a 4-H specialist and county extension agent.

1990s

Donna G'Segner Alderman (MED ’96) was recently promoted to distinguished lecturer at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education.

Stacey Anderson (BSED ’90) retired from the DeKalb County School District with 31 years of service.

Lewis Cartee (BSED ’92) was promoted to strategic accounts manager (business development) in the builder and multifamily division at Shaw Industries.

Jeff Daulton (MED ’97) was promoted to assistant training director at the North Texas Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Center, a training center jointly administered by the local union and union-affiliated contractors. The five-year training program combines classroom theory and job experience to prepare apprentices for careers in the electrical industry.

Andrea Lakly (AB ’98, MED ’99, EDS ’19) was selected as Fayette County's Teacher of the Year and accepted a position as assistant principal at Bennett's Mill Middle School.

Sean McBride (BMUS ’96, MMED ’99) was named 2025-27 Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) State Band Division Chair and the GMEA District 1 Music Educator of the Year in 2025. He is also the director of the Savannah Bananas Pep Band.

Danielle Busson McDonald (MED ’96) was honored with the AVP/Senior-Level Student Affairs Professional Award at the 2024 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Annual Conference.

Anne Pieper Ramsay (MA ’95) retired from Cincinnati Public Schools after teaching K-12 math for 30 years in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Cincinnati.

Kathryn “Kat” Shreve (BSED ’90) recently became the executive director of Aurora Day Camp, a nonprofit that serves children, their siblings, and families living with cancer. Located in the Atlanta metro area, Aurora Day Camp provides year-round program opportunities at no cost to participants.

Claire Smith (BSED ’95, MED ’96, EDS ’04) was promoted to assistant principal at Statham Elementary School at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.

Sherna Spearman-Lott (BSED ’99) wrote, self-published, and released three children's books—"My Teacher Sees Me,” “Mi Maestra Me Ve,” and “My Teacher Loves Me”—in 2024. She also released an accompanying reflective journal/coloring book in December 2024. Spearman-Lott had the honor of presenting her first breakout session during the Georgia Conference on Children's Literature in March, titled “From the Heart of a Teacher,” and she hopes to return in the future as a nominated author. In July, the Wayne County Branch of the NAACP selected her as a recipient of the Trailblazer Award.

2000s

Stephen Bismarck (PHD ’09) was hired as the dean of the College of Education at Lander University.

 Lee-Ann Callebs (BSED ’02, MED ’07) graduated from the University of West Georgia in December with a specialist degree in elementary education.

 David Chen (BSED ’08) completed an MBA at Georgia Tech and is now managing the small business solution engineering team at Salesforce.

 Chris Freer (MED ’03) became the eighth president of Woodward Academy on July 1. Freer earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Davidson College, a master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in educational policy studies from Georgia State University. He most recently earned an executive certificate in nonprofit leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School. He started his career at Woodward in 1994 as a classroom teacher and coach.

 Joseph Hayes (MED ’05) was promoted to associate vice chancellor for auxiliary services at Indiana University Indianapolis.

 Arietha Lockhart (EDS ’07) joined the faculty at Clayton State University as a part-time instructor for elementary music methods.

Kimberly Osborne (PHD ’06) started a new job as director of education for Accounting Technicians Ireland in Dublin, Ireland.

Kirk Shook (BSED ’07, MPA ’13, EDD ’24) was elected to a three-year term on UGA's School of Public and International Affairs Alumni Board of Directors.

Cara Simmons (MED ’07, PHD ’18) began serving as president of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences for the 2025-26 term in July.

Alexis Stokes (MED ’07) recently co-authored two book chapters focused on advancing organizational sustainability, innovation, and equity. The first chapter, “A Framework for the Sustainability of WOC DEIA+ Practitioners,” is included in the book “Chief Diversity Officers in Higher Education Today” and offers a framework to support the well-being and retention of women of color serving in DEIA+ roles, a critical yet often overlooked area in higher education leadership. The second chapter, “Unlocking Long-Term Sustainability with a Culture that Drives Innovation and Gender Diversity,” appears in “Aligning Talent Management and Organizational Innovation Goals” and explores how inclusive workplace cultures can drive both innovation and long-term organizational success.

 Emilie Thompson (MED ’05) obtained an EDD in curriculum and instruction from Columbus State University.

 Jennifer Whitaker (BSFCS ’01, MED ’04, EDS ’07, EDD ’27) was named chief academic officer for Oconee County Schools.

 Tasha Young (BSED ’01, MED ’20) recently accepted a new teaching position with Gwinnett Online Campus at Gwinnett County Public Schools, continuing her passion for inspiring students in science education. She also had the honor of presenting at both state and national conferences and is a member of the UGA Mentor Program, which allows her to mentor future educators currently in the education pathway at UGA.

2010s

Alexander Aguilar (BSED ’15, MED ’16) was promoted to director of ticket operations and experience for the Atlanta Falcons.

 Lindsey Boozer (BSED ’19, MED ’23) won the Stephen Award for Excellence in Teaching at her school in May, which was made possible through a generous gift from the James R. and Lana B. Stephen Family Fund. This award honors junior upper school faculty who define the present and future excellence of the school.

 Tonia Dousay (PHD ’13) led significant growth and innovation in educator preparation at the University of Alaska Anchorage over the past year as dean of the School of Education. She received the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education Colleagues’ Choice Innovation Award in April for the school’s apprenticeship model and delivered the opening keynote address at the Thailand Cyber University International E-Learning Conference in Bangkok/Thai Association for Educational Communications and Technology.

 Kathleen Rigsbee Pittman (AB ’18, BSED ’18) left the San Francisco 49ers last August to manage the sales of premium hospitality ticket packages for the FIFA World Cup 2026 project with On Location. She is selling for all 16 venues across North America has been in the top 10 of sales leaderboards so far on the project.

 Lindsay Sitterly (BSED ’13, MED ’15) began working in the Hawaii Department of Education in social studies.

 Gabriel Snell (MED ’18) recently left the active-duty Army to be closer to his kids. He started a career as a talent and organizational development specialist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. He still gets to serve his country, but now does it for two organizations—the Department of Energy and the Army Reserve.

 Anna Swindle (BSED ’17, MA ’19) is a speech-language pathologist in the acute care medical setting. She received a certificate in neuroscience as well as certification as a brain injury specialist and is currently working on becoming a board-certified swallowing specialist.

 Joy Treadwell (MED ’10, PHD ’17) was recently appointed as CEO of CT3 Education, a national educational consulting firm committed to ensuring every student has a champion.

 Rebecca Vander Plaats (PHD ’15) became public relations and communications director for Auxiliary Services at the University of Georgia in March.

2020s

 Sahar Aghasafari (PHD ’22) received the University of South Carolina’s Garnet Apple Award for Teaching Innovation, which recognizes innovative and impactful teaching practices.

 John Agin (BSED ’24) recently began his doctor of physical therapy degree at Mercer University. His white coat ceremony was held on Aug. 15 to mark the beginning of his journey as a student physical therapist.

 Autumn Bedingfield (MED ’22) presented at the World Literacy Summit, hosted at Oxford University, in April about the need for students to interact with nature for their reading development. She attended the summit as a delegate and presented to literacy experts and practitioners from around the globe.

 Frances Beusse (MED ’21) was voted president-elect and conference chair for the Georgia Education Advancement Council.

 Rebekah Bobo (MED ’23) works for the Cherokee County School District as an augmentative and alternative communication specialist and was named the 2024-25 Itinerant Staff Member of the Year.

 Johna Brown (EDS ’24) recently became the computer science teacher at M. Agnes Jones Elementary School.

 Holly Chafin (BSED ’21, MED ’21) was named Teacher of the Year at Cogburn Woods Elementary in Fulton County.

 Alvie Coes (EDD ’21) became the chief workforce officer for the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce in February and currently oversees the Athens Achieves Initiative, which is focused on a comprehensive workforce development strategy for the Clarke County community. In September, he was promoted to a major in the U.S. Air Force and currently serves as the command support section flight commander for the 94th Aeromedical Staging Squadron at Dobbins Air Reserve Base.

 Sarah Caroleo (MED ’20) earned her PHD in education from Johns Hopkins University and serves as a postdoctoral research associate in education policy at Annenberg Institute at Brown University.

 Madison Drummond (BSED ’21, PHD ’28) was accepted to participate in Engagement Scholarship Consortium's Emerging Engagement Scholar Workshop, a selective intensive professional development program that provides advanced doctoral students with opportunities to increase their knowledge and enhance their practice of community engaged scholarship.

 Tori Ector (BSED ’20, MS ’21) recently completed her EDD in global sport leadership from East Tennessee State University in May. She also accepted a promotion at Washington State University as the associate athletic director for student-athlete, staff, and alumni relations in March.

 Isabel Flanagan (BSED ’21, MED ’21) completed a Fulbright grant in Athens, Greece as an English teacher after teaching first grade in Georgia for two years. Currently, she is beginning a new chapter in her career as an incoming first-year law student at Georgia State University’s College of Law.

 Arshan Grant (BBA ’24, BSED ’24) started a new full-time job with the Terry College of Business in April.

 Virginia Jackson (AB ’24, BSED ’24, MED ’25) recently accepted a job as an English teacher in South Korea.

 Wanda Johnson (EDD ’23) was awarded the 2024 Dissertation of the Year Award from the Southern Association for College Student Affairs. Her dissertation, “Still I Rise: Using Sista Circles to Explore the Lived Experiences of Undergraduate Black Women Who Attend(ed) Historically White Institutions,” reflects her passion for amplifying student voices and creating spaces of belonging.

Amanda Keller (BSED ’21) was recently named Teacher of the Year at Creek View Elementary School in Fulton County Schools. She is a special education teacher with a teacher leadership endorsement who also coaches Girls on the Run.

 Jessica Lonon (MAT ’21) is teaching business education at Madison County High School.

 Allison Mehler (BSED ’22) began working as a speech-language pathologist at Prisma Health in Columbia, South Carolina, in September 2024 and received her full credentials, CCC-SLP, in May.

 Lorraine Montague (EDS ’22) is lead mentor at Heritage High School, the 2024 Georgia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences’ Teacher of the Year, the 2025 EverFi Champion, and received the Westover High School 2025 yearbook teacher dedication.

 Mackenzie Pease (BSED ’23, MED ’24) started a new teaching job at Hightower Trail Middle School in Marietta. Her grandmother taught there when the school first opened, and her mother is currently the school’s media specialist. Pease is a sixth-grade social studies teacher, making her a third-generation teacher at the same school.

 Lisa Prodigo-Nimorwicz (EDS ’22) is an instructional technology specialist at the Henry County Schools District Office. She is one of six ITs on the team at the District Office and serves as the lead instructional technology contact for 11 middle and high schools. She also provides district-level professional learning regarding the effective use of instructional platforms and digital tools.

 Chandler Spivey (MS ’23) is a lower school PE teacher and head middle school cross country and track and field coach at Athens Christian School. She is also a level 2 trainer, nutrition coach, menopause specialist coach, client success manager, and childcare director at CrossFit Liberate.

 Chasity Tompkins (MED ’20, PHD ’25) is a teacher ambassador for the National Association of Agricultural Educators for the 2025-26 school year. She also won a RAYN EdRack Hydroponics System and received an American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture White-Reinhardt Grant, a National FFA Grant for Growing for Apalachee High School, and a National FFA Grant for Growing for Westside Middle School. She is graduating with her fourth degree from UGA and her second one from the College this year.

Laurie Zielinski (MED ’25) earned her MED in learning, leadership, and organization development from the University of Georgia in May. This achievement reflects her dedication to professional growth and ability to balance graduate studies with a leadership position.