Alumni News, and Pre-2001 Classes' Careers in

public affairs, international affairs and law.

(Compiled by Jeremy Lewis; thanks to Su Ofe for some contributions.)
revised 11 May '08; For more recent graduation classes, see Classmates' Index.

News of alumni

Classmates' Index

Class of 2004

Class of 2003|

Class of 2002

Class of 2001

Class of 2000

Class of 1999

Cindy with Alito after confirmation hearings '06

Cindy Barnes Hayden '99, counsel, with new Supreme Court
Justice Alito, Feb.'06.

Older Alumni:

Susan White Bennett '70

Reese McKinney '72

Marcus Melton '91

Attorneys & Judges

April Shaw, UNI '96

Jeff Sessions, '69

Elizabeth Couey Smithart '86

News of alumni from political science, public affairs, and international studies:

Spring '08

Sierra Turner, political science and Spanish, has completed her Master's in Spanish Literature from the University of Alabama and has accepted a full time position as Instructor of Spanish with the Modern Languages Dept. there.

Alexander Zachos '07, who has been working in the SMART budgeting office of the Governor, has been accepted to multiple law schools in the southeastern states.

Patrick Dean '07, who returned to campus for the Sig Eps' "Dead Day" waterslide, has made it through to the semi finals of the freshman trial competition of the law school of the University of Alabama. He reports a reading load that makes ours in undergrad political science classes look moderate by comparison!

Fall '07

Felix Parker '07 has accepted a job at the Alabama Democratic Party here in Montgomery. He is in charge of establishing a working relationship with 26 counties in the south eastern part of Alabama, stemming from his home county of Bibb to Houston county.

1Lt. Gabriel Thorn returned on leave (in early December) from Baghdad, where he is an arabic-speaking liaison staff officer with the HQ, 3rd Infantry Division.

Spring '07

Alexander Zachos '07, who graduated summa cum laude in political science and history, is a planning analyst for the SMART department of the Department of Finance, under Gov. Bob Riley. He is also preparing applications for law school.

Congratulations to Jarret Layson who will be graduated in May from the school of Law of the University of Alabama, after advising Margaret Enfinger, also at the law school.

Congratulations to Mary Hodo who will be graduated in May from the school of Social Work of Tulane University.

Valerie Marlowe, who took some political science courses in 1999-2000, is working in nonprofits, and is interested in preserving civil rights; currently she is the Volunteer Coordinator at the Memphis Zoo.

Larry McLemore, our first summa cum laude graduate in both Political Science and History, who has been teaching at Catholic HS, has just been appointed to teach history at his alma mater, St. James School. Congratulations!

Matt Jackson '06 is looking for HC students to replace him as a runner for the (large and established) law firm of Bradley Arant Rose & White LLP in their Montgomery Office.

Negin Ahmadi is looking at postgraduate study in international relations or business.

Nathaniel David Abbott was born to Cindy and David Abbott on 1/28/07, weighs 7lbs 13 oz.and is 20 inches long. Dad was our first major in International Studies, who brought pictures back to us from the Crimea. Mom and baby, after a little bit of a struggle, are doing well. Thus we have the first (known) HC political science baby!

Robert La Branche ’06 and his wife Mindy Bevan La Branche ’05 have moved to the Washington, D.C., area, where Robert is working as a staff assistant in the office of U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions ’69.

In Feb. '07 1Lt. Gabriel Thorn (HC, political science, '05) is being deployed to Iraq. As Executive Officer of the HQ company of the 3rd Infantry Division, he will be using his Arabic to liaise with Iraqi forces. Soon he will go to Baghdad. Let's keep him in our thoughts.

James Payne '99, now an international lawyer with a higher degree in European law, returned to Montgomery on a case, and was requested to speak to class. He gave an impromptu presentation (to Dr. Lewis's constitutional law class) on international trade agreements, and was engaged in conversation after the class for some time by receptive students.

Fall '06

Margaret Enfinger is now in law school at U. Alabama, where she has encountered Jarret Layson, now in his third year. Margaret maintains her interest in doing foreign exchanges, and offers help for current students who wish to take a tour of Alabama law school.

Larry McLemore taught at Montgomery Catholic HS and ran his mother's spirited (if unsuccessful) re-election campaign for district judge. Several current students and the Sig Ep brothers assisted in the campaign.

Summer '06:

RYAN D. OAKLEY '99, Capt, USAF and Chief, General Law Dept at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ writes that he, Susan, and David Bruce (their 8-month old) will be headed to RAF Menwith Hill, UK. He’ll be the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate in a two-JAG office.

Sierra Turner has won exactly what she wanted: a full scholarship to the Master's in Spanish program at the University of Alabama, plus a Graduate Teaching Assistantship.

Michael George has been accepted to University of Tulsa College of Law

Gabriel Thorn (army) , Negin Ahmadi (international business) and Mary Hodo (social work) returned to cheer on the new graduates.

Dec. '05:

David Abbott, International Studies '01, has maintained his interest in travel, with his wife, Cynthia: "Last month we toured the Southwest and hiked the Grand Canyon together. We hope to go back to raft the Colorado River in a few years, but next summer vacation is Italy, England and France. She's a teacher at the Alabama School for the Deaf, and I'm a magazine reporter so these days I travel a lot more than she does (we have two small company jets and a pilot, but I'm wanting to learn to fly it for myself)."

Joshua Sutta, Political science, '00, and Bridget have moved from Orlando to Altamonte Springs FL, where Joshua has managed properties inlcuding apartment buildings.

Kristi Goodrich Hill, Political science, '04, 2nd Lt, USAF, is making progress on her MBA via Boston University's distance learning program. She still visits family in Montgomery. Kristin is currently at McChord AFB, WA, serving as the section commander for 62D Aerial Port Squadron.

Whitney Woodham, History and Political Science '99, is working in viticulture in a village near Dijon, France, and taking a master's degree in viticulture (wine science) in an institute there. Her thesis is on the history of wine. She visits other centers of winemaking in California and elsewhere, and visits Montgomery when she can. (We bumped into each other, fittingly, just before Christmas at Peppertree steak and wine.)

Summer '05:

James Payne '99, JD, worked during summer '05 at the US Court of International Trade.

Jamie Jordan, Public Affairs '03, has completed the first year at Florida State University's law school. In summer 2005, she studied at St. Edmund's Hall, Oxford University. She also managed some travel to Florence, Italy; Barcelona; and Paris. A highlight was catching sight of Lance Armstrong in the Place de la Concorde next to the Champs de Elysees, along w/ all the other wonderful things that Paris has to offer on a regular basis. While she was in Barcelona she also found a jazz bar whose piano player looked exactly like Dr. Lewis!

Dan Ogle, Public Affairs '01, is now working with BOARDMAN, CARR, WEED & HUTCHESON, a firm in the Birmingham area. The firm specializes in the defense of educators and school administrators through the AEA and the Alabama High School Athletic Association. It also handles estates and other probate matters, defends retailers in premises liability and products liability actions, and is counsel for the city of Hoover.

Erin Harden, @ '05, who took PSC courses in International Relations, writes (Aug. '05) "I got a job working as the executive assistant to the President of the Austin Group, LLC. Which is a PR and Lobbying firm here in Montgomery. So needless to say I have been in the middle of Alabama politics all summer. We are working on many different issues like CAFTA and TRIA. I write letters for the Legislators to be sent to our Senators and Congressmen. Yesterday I went with my boss to the State House two committee meetings because of the Special Session and then met many of the Legislators. Earlier in the summer I went with my boss to the Alabama Republican party's Annual summer dinner and met Governor Haley Barbour and I got to speak with Govenor Riley again. I just thought you should know that, although I do love COSMO i am learning about some Alabama Politics first hand."

Jarret Layson, Political Science '04,is clerking with the law firm of Beasley, Allen following a successful first year at 'Bama law school.

Joey Hollis, Political Science '04, is pursuing a MPA degree at AUM while working full time for the Business Council of Alabama and has been accepted to Cumberland law school. He is also considering a teaching career.

Larry McLemore, Political Science '04,is helping run Judge Lucie McLemore's re-election campaign. He has finished a year at 'Bama studying for a master's degree in history, and is beginning a doctorate in history at Vanderbilt.

Mary Hodo, Political Science'05, won a scholarship to Tulane school of Social Work.

Ryan Cabarrao '03, who excelled in Dr. Lewis's liberal arts symposium section, left coaching soccer for HC to head to a new career in Orlando, Florida with his bride.

Jessica Fails, Political Science '03, is the Director for Central Alabama OIC Early Childhood Development Center. She is going to start graduate study in Education at Alabama State next fall.

**Class of 2000**
The program began in Fall 1997, the year after Dr. Lewis arrived and designed the major field curricula. The first student transfer major graduated in 2000 and the first four-year class in 2001.
In 1997.	JoshuaSutta, 2000, from Florida, transferred to us from a catering college in upstate New York, and claiming the nickname "Poppa Smurf". He worked in catering management and helped organize the central American cultural festival on campus in spring 2000. On several occasions he took advantage of the Alabama World Affairs Council speaker events. In spring 2000 he became the first PSC major to complete the capstone, writing a research paper on the administrations of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. In May 2000 he became our first PSC graduate. Congratulations! He is thinking of reading for an MPA in future. Joshua was a trainee jewelry store director for Mayors stores, a rapidly expanding chain. He also managed restaurants. He married Bridget in June 2001 in New York state.	In 1999.

**Class of 1999**
These student PSC *minors*, who graduated before the PSC majors became available, have gone on to success in law school anyway!
In 1999.	Cindy Barnes Hayden, 1999, active in the republican and business clubs as well as the public affairs club, Miss Huntingdon, and former state chair of the College Republicans, graduated near the top of her class in UA law school. Still thriving, she visited us for Homecoming spring 2001. In 2003, Cindy became counsel to the US Senate's Judiciary Committee. In 2004, she travelled to the battleground states to aid the Republican election efforts.	Cindy Barnes Hayden '99, Senate Judiciary subcommittee counsel (R), with Supreme Court Justice Scalia. (Photos thanks to Hayden.) Cindy Barnes Hayden '99, counsel, with new Supreme Court Justice Alito, Feb.'06.
In 1997.	Jimmy Payne, 1999, an active member of the public affairs club, and a singer, gave us a taped interview of advice on law school applications. Dr. Lewis met up with Jimmy in December 2001 and January 2002, in Washington DC. Aided by a Methodist scholarship, and taking course overloads, Jimmy completed a JD in international law and a Master's in international studies at American University in Washington DC, in only three years. In Fall '04 he proceeded to the University of Amsterdam for an excellent European LLM program. There he came top in his first term exams in public law and international relations. He spent summer 2005 working at the US Court of International Trade. He intends a career in international consulting in Europe.
In 1997.	Ryan Oakley, History with political science minor, 1998, spent a year at UC Santa Clara law school before returning to AL to specialize at Cumberland law school. In May 2000 he won the moot court competition there and competed in regionals. At left, he commentated on television, Jan 1997; at right, he watches a presidential speech on TV with Leslie Turk and Damian Mayho. He returned to visit us in spring 2001. Susan Ogilvie '01 and Ryan Oakley '98 married at First United Methodist Church in Clanton. Ryan graduated from Cumberland Law School and passed the bar exam on the first try. He was in 2003 a first lieutenant with the United States Air Force, stationed outside Valdosta, Georgia, and serving on the Judge Advocate General's staff. In 2004 he was stationed in his home state of California. In 2006, Capt, Oakley, USAF and Chief, General Law Dept at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ writes that he, Susan, and David Bruce (their 8-month old) will be headed to RAF Menwith Hill, UK. He’ll be the Deputy Staff Judge Advocate in a two-JAG office.	In 1997.
In 1997.	Misty Sosebee, Business with political science minor, 1999, active in the republican and business clubs as well as the public affairs club, was roommates with Cindy Barnes at the UA law school at Tuscaloosa. She graduated with the JD in May, 2003.
	Whitney Woodham, History and Political Science '99, is working in viticulture in a village near Dijon, France, and taking a master's degree in viticulture (wine science) in an institute there. Her thesis is on the history of wine. She visits other centers of winemaking in California and elsewhere, and visits Montgomery when she can.

**Other Alumni News**
	Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), a 1969 alumnus of Huntingdon College, sponsored a tax-free pre-paid tuition plans bill enacted as part of the 2001 tax relief bill. The tax relief bill cut income tax rates, repealed the death tax, fixed the marriage penalty, increased the child tax credit, expanded education IRAs and enhanced pension benefits. Earlier in the year, Sessions introduced the Collegiate Learning and Student Savings Act of 2001, or CLASS Act, and was able to get the proposal added to the tax bill. Sessions' plan will allow all state or private tuition savings and pre-paid plans to be tax-free. It also will allow private colleges and universities to establish pre-paid tuition plans. "This will give families an extra incentive to be prudent savers for their children's education," said Sessions. "This tax relief plan could produce billions in savings for college in the years to come." Under Sessions' plan, tax-free treatment would be extended to all plans; state savings and pre-paid tuition plans would become tax-free in calendar year 2002; pre-paid tuition plans established by private colleges and universities would be extended tax-deferred treatment starting in calendar year 2002, and private pre-paid tuition plans would also become tax-free starting in calendar year 2004. All 50 states have enacted pre-paid tuition or college saving plans, which allow parents to pay prospectively for their children's tuition at participating institutions. The plans are tax deferred, meaning the IRS can't tax them until the student enrolls in college and begins to draw on the investment. Sessions' proposal would make all such plans exempt from federal taxes. There are more than 50,000 children enrolled in Alabama's pre-paid college tuition plan. According to the Alabama Treasurer's Office, the plan's trust fund has in excess of $530 million. Last year, the trust fund paid out more than $13 million in benefits for participants to attend college. Alabama recently enacted a college savings plan. Interest earned on the money in such a plan also will receive tax-free treatment as a result of Sessions' proposal.
	Huntingdon has several attorneys and judges in the news. Thanks to John Williams for these brief notes. Kristi Lee, former assistant to Sen. Sessions, nominated to a federal judgeship, has been a federal magistrate for Baldwin and Mobile counties. Her career included being an attorney and counsel to the Senate investigations committee. Leura Garrett Canary is the US attorney for middle Alabama, (replacing Redding Pitt who spoke to our fieldwork class.) Her husband Bill Canary is a Republican campaign consultant and Business Council of Alabama leader, who has also spoken to our class. Jan Shackleford (graduate in History & English) is now a judge in Pensacola.
	Susan White Bennett '70 has been appointed Director of Asia and European Programs for The Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan international foundation “dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit.” In this position, she will develop and conduct programs in the United States that focus on media issues in Asia, Europe and the former Soviet Union and will work with Freedom Forum centers in London and Hong Kong. Bennett joined The Freedom Forum as director of communications in 1999 after serving as editor and writer of USA Today’s editorial page, specializing in aviation safety and foreign affairs. She had previously held positions as a national correspondent for Knight-Ridder newspapers where she covered Congress, presidential politics, and the State Department from 1987 to 1994. As a diplomatic correspondent, Bennett accompanied Secretaries of State James Baker and Warren Christopher to more than seventy countries, writing about arms control, the collapse of communism, the Persian Gulf War, and the Middle East for the chain of thirty U.S newspapers and two hundred wire clients. In 1989, Bennett was awarded the Olive Branch Award from New York University for “outstanding coverage of international security” as a member of Knight-Ridder’s foreign affairs team. From 1981 to 1987, Bennett worked as Washington correspondent for the Philadelphia Daily News, covering Congress, the Pentagon and presidential politics. She was cited by Philadelphia Magazine as “Best Washington Correspondent.” A native of Memphis, she began her journalism career with UPI in 1975 and was named bureau chief in Memphis six months later. There she covered politics, college and professional sports and, of course, the death of Elvis. She also dispatched throughout the South to cover riots, natural disasters and other national news stories for UPI. In 1980, she was named state editor and Richmond bureau chief for UPI in Virginia. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, former board member of Women in International Security and former president of the State Department Correspondents Association. She has been a commentator on CNN, BBC, NPR, C-Span and the Canadian Broadcasting Network and a guest lecturer for the Poynter Institute, Foreign Service Institute, National War College, Princeton, and numerous other colleges and universities.
	Reese McKinney '72 Note: Judge McKinney was elected in November 2000 to a full term. -- JRTL. Judge Reese McKinney served twenty years as the administrative assistant to Mayor Emory Folmar, and was appointed Montgomery County Judge of Probate in 1998. He won his bid for reelection in November, 2000. A member of the City's Committee of 100, McKinney received the Hixson Fellowship Award, one of Kiwanis International Foundation's highest honors, and serves on the Steering Committee for the State Republican Party as well as on many local and state boards. Montgomery Judge of Probate Reese McKinney '72 told Huntingdon business students during his address at the Huntingdon Talks Business lecture series, that everything “just clicked” during his time at Huntingdon. He spoke of the small classes and personal attention being a perfect match for his undergraduate needs. Since graduating, Judge McKinney has spent most of his life working in careers with real estate and public service, which he told the students he has “come to love.” He encouraged all students to serve their communities in any way possible. Appointed as probate judge in 1998 by the governor, Judge McKinney said that he has applied business principles of inverting the organizational pyramid to serve the population at large first. In his three years in this position, Judge McKinney eliminated the fee to renew automobile tags by mail, initiated boat license renewal by mail, set up satellite probate offices in more remote areas of the county, brought the probate office to the Internet by setting up a web page, and modernized payment pportunities by allowing customers to use credit cards to cover fees. The Montgomery county probate office is the largest in the state, handling more than 400,000 transactions a year, including 1500 probate cases and estates, and more than 64,000 deeds, mortgages, judgments, easements and property filings. In addition, the office handles business licenses, automobile registration, drivers’ licences, boat, hunting and fishing licenses, and name changes. Elizabeth Couey Smithart '86, of Union Springs, Ms. Smithart earned her Juris Doctorate at the University of Alabama in 1989. A solo practitioner in Union Springs since 1998, she worked formerly with the firm of Jinks, Smithart, Jackson & Daniel. She is the chair of the Quality Assurance Committee for the Bullock County Department of Human Resources, a member of the Governor's Black Belt Action Commission and Education Committee co-chair, vice president of the Bullock County Development Authority, a member of the board for Bullock County Public Schools Foundation, and a graduate of Leadership Alabama, Class XIV.
	Marcus Melton '91 Marcus Melton graduated Huntingdon College in 1991 with a BA in Accounting. After a few years in a small business in Alabama, he accepted a graduate assistant position in the M.P.A. program at George Washington University, and received his degree in 1999. His studies in public administration enabled him to work as a policy evaluator at GAO, and now as a public sector senior consultant with KPMG, LLP, here in Washington, DC. He writes, "I was pleased and surprised that Huntingdon is now offering public administration as an undergraduate program. It appears from your web page that the program is off to a great start. Please let me know if I can be a resource for you or your students."
	April Shaw, UNI '96 April, one of Dr. Lewis's best students from his previous college, has written with news from Washington DC. The Institute for Women's Policy Research in December 2000 released her reports on women's status across the states and in Tennessee in particular (Alabama is up for revision in 2002). April earned her MS from Rutgers University in New Jersey in policy studies and (following an internship) has evidently put it to good use in Washington! Here's her bio from the IWPR web pages: April Shaw, Policy Analyst, april@iwpr.org April Shaw grew up in Davenport, Iowa. She received her BA in Political Science from the University of Northern Iowa. April earned her MS in Public Policy from Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. Before going to IWPR, April worked at McAuley Institute, a faith-based, nonprofit housing organization that focuses on women and children. April's research interests include poverty, violence against women, and child care. In January 2002, Dr. Lewis caught up with her again in Washington, and found her working on more reports on the status of women in the states -- including the Alabama one, which appeared in 2002. April moved on from IWPR in 2005, developing her career in policy analysis.