CSU Class Notes

By Charleston Southern on August 19, 2010 - 8:59 am in Class Notes / no comments

1971

Rev. Richard “Dickie” Knight is the Marion District Superintendent for the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. He and his wife, Brenda, have three children and seven grandchildren.

1976

James S. Allen was appointed chaplain of the Yalobusha County Sheriff’s Department in Water Valley, Miss., in January 2009. He sends greetings to his former class mates and would like to hear from his friends. His e-mail is jimallen@ms.metrocast.net.

1978

Dr. Vashti K. Washington is the new superintendent of the Jasper County School District. Previously, she was an associate superintendent of the Charleston County School District.

1980

Rev. Bobby Byrd is the transitional pastor at South Hartsville Baptist Church. He is employed by the S.C. Employment Security Commission in Marion.

1981

Virginia Kirkland Hammond is the new minister of music at Elko Baptist Church. She is also a kindergarten teacher for the Aiken County School District.

1985

Tony Fountain has been appointed to the national Commission on Ethics in Aging Services to serve a three-year term. Tony writes, “The Commission identifies, analyzes and provides education for nonprofit providers and their affiliates as directly related to public policy and ethical implications surrounding the senior adult population and those nonprofit providers who offer related services across the country.” Tony is the president/CEO of Westminster Towers Senior Living Services in Rock Hill. Additionally, he is an International Accreditation Surveyor with the Continuing Care Accreditation Commission in Washington, D.C., is an instructor with Duke University’s Nonprofit Management Program, is chair-elect for the Board of Directors of Aging Services of South Carolina, is a House of Delegates board member for the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, and is on the CSU Board of Visitors and Alumni Board.

1997

Melissa Crowley Dean was named a distinguished education for the 2010 Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching, representing the Schertz-Cibolo Universal City Independent School District and John A. Sippel Elementary School. Melissa received a $1,500 cash prize, a certificate from the mayor of San Antonio and a Tiffany & Co. Crystal Apple Award from Trinity University. She is a fourth grade teacher at Sippel Elementary, where she was selected as its first teacher of the year in 2009.

2001

David Cobden writes, “The past 10 years have been somewhat of a whirlwind and have absolutely flown by. Immediately after graduating from CSU, I continued my education at Georgetown and Dartmouth, earning master’s degrees in biotechnology and public health economics. Thereafter, I began working in the pharmaceutical industry and am currently based in upstate New York covering a wide region of the eastern U.S. as a health economist working with large insurance companies. I’ve also been working toward completing a PhD in health policy and economics, which Lord willing, I’ll be able to complete sometime later this year. The Lord has been so unbelievably merciful and faithful to me and my family, it just leaves me in awe. I hope everyone from my class is doing well; unfortunately, I haven’t kept in touch as often as I ought, but look forward to remedying that – check me out on Facebook if you’ve got it.”

2002

Crissy S. Dillahey graduated from The Citadel Graduate College May 9 with a master’s degree in elementary administration and educational leadership. She is the communications and technology teacher at Chicora School of Communications in North Charleston.

Lili Gresham was named to the Charleston Regional Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 for leadership in business and community involvement. She is director of corporate relations and planned giving at Charleston Southern and is the daughter of Faye Breland Gresham ’73. Pictured with Lili, center, are Virginia Williamson ’99, ’06 MBA, and Juliana Londono Johnson ’08 MBA.

2004

Proud parents, Samantha Dyal and her husband, Buck, announce the birth of their third little blessing, Bradley Asher Dyal, born Oct. 28, 2009.

Kate Hayden Jackson, MEd ’05, and her husband, Eric, welcomed their first child, Kayden Grace Jackson, on Feb. 8. She weighed 6 lbs., 3 oz. They live in Brunswick, Ga.

Kristen Elizabeth Ward and Dustin Robert DeGoursey were married March 6 on Sullivan’s Island. She is an account executive with Amedisys Home Health. They live in Lexington.

2005

Charly Elizabeth Moore and Kevin Mitchell Pryor were married March 27 in Florence. He is employed by AT&T, and they live in Florence.

2006

Yonnick Hammond was recently featured in Roll Call as a new staffer with Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.). Hammond’s duties are covering health care, housing, small business and Social Security.

Casey Jean Locklear and Joseph Christopher Heard were married Feb. 20. Casey writes, “I am currently working as a Spanish/English bilingual accounts receivable representative for Synter Resource Group in North Charleston. My husband (a 2004 Clemson grad) is a systems engineer for ARINC, also in North Charleston. We are living in West Ashley and are expecting our first child at the end of September.

SuQuesta Williams and Tsgt. Monte Dixon were married April 10 in North Charleston. She is employed by the S.C. Commission for the Blind, and they live in North Charleston.

2007

Kathryn Leigh Beaty and Kevin Brooks Meetze were married April 3 in Rock Hill. She is a teacher at Eastover Elementary School in Charlotte, and they live in Huntersville, N.C.

Julie Lane Gunnin and David Goodwin Kopp Jr. were married April 17 in Marion. She is women’s director of mobilization for Campus Outreach Ministries. They live in Charleston.

2008

Katharine “Katie” Baxley and Anthony Pieretti Jr. ’09 were married Dec. 12, 2009, at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Charleston. Anthony writes, “We are both graduate students. Katie is a master of arts in teaching early childhood education student at the College of Charleston, and I am a master of arts in teaching social studies student at The Citadel.”

Heather Kuehl recently had her second paranormal title released with Eternal Press, Promises to Keep. She writes, “…first release, Fade to Black, reached #1 on Fictionwise.com’s bestseller list for fantasy eBooks and has been praised as ‘one kick butt action-adventure ride from start to finish’ by Dark Diva Reviews. Fade to Black’s sequel, Malevolent Dead, is due out later this year.” For more about her books, visit www.heatherkuehl.com.

Kathleen Love, MS in criminal justice, has been promoted to sergeant with the North Charleston Police Department.

Kristina Nicole Steen and Bryan Gregory Sadler were married Oct. 9, 2009, at Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner. Bryan is a police officer with the North Charleston Police Department, and his wife is a medical assistant at Doctor’s Care in North Charleston.

2009

Navy Seaman Johann L. Dinoso, MBA, completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.

Christin Elizabeth Donnelly and Edwin Wilson Rogers III were married March 20 in North Charleston. She is employed by Berkeley County School District, and they live in Goose Creek.

2010

Jessica Lynn Wood and Randall Roscoe Carter Jr. were married May 1 in North Charleston. She is employed at Charleston Southern and is pursuing an MBA. He is employed by Berkeley County School District and is also self-employed. They live in Charleston.

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