College of Communications Alumni -- 1990s

Information for this list is collected from alumni surveys and other communications with alumni and is updated periodically. If you are a graduate of Communications and wish to be included in the list, let us know. If information needs to be corrected, let us know. (comm@astate.edu, 870-972-2468) or College of Communications, P.O. Box 540, State University, AR 72467). (Updated Jan. 24, 2008)

Jennifer Ming Adams (JOUR '96) is senior writer with Abbott Laboratories in North Chicago, Ill.

Michelle Addison (RTV '90) is a broadcast teacher at Paragould High School.  She worked for KAIT in Jonesboro for six years where she was an intern, assistant producer, producer and a morning anchor.  Michelle is also a Methodist pastor.

Dr. Anas Al-Rasheed (Jour ’91, MSMC ’95) has been named an ASU Distinguish Alumnus. The award was bestowed during homecoming 2007. Under Dr. Al-Rasheed's leadership as minister of information, Kuwait approved a law giving the country the greatest press freedom in the Middle East. Dr. Al-Rasheed is a professor of journalism and media at Kuwait University and was named as media advisory to the Kuwait minister of education.

Paul V. Alumbaugh (RTV '93) owns a video and film production company, Raygun Productions, in West Chicago, Ill. He and wife Vicci Collins (RTV '94) have two children, Gaby and Zane.

Piyanooch Ananpakdee (RTV ‘93) works for an Australian investment firm in Thailand. She formerly worked for CNN.

Laura Anderson (Jour ‘98) is district manager of the American Diabetes Association in Indianapolis.

Jason Anthes (Jour ’98) works for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Maryam Arif (MSMC '99) has worked at CNN since 1999. She is a researcher for CNNIMAGESOURCE, a licensing office at the CNN library.

Daniel Aspinall (Jour ‘92) is a systems engineer with Hytrol Conveyor Company in Jonesboro. He has a son, Alex, born in 1997.

Tony J. Astin (Jour '97) is project coordinator for The Gladlands in St. Francis and Lee counties in eastern Arkansas. Astin lives in Forrest City.

Freddie W. Baird (Jour '93) has been promoted to vice president operations for Quantum Systems in Austin, Texas. He was featured in an article on Quantum in an issue of the Austin Business Journal He and his wife, Wendi McCormick (Jour '93) have two children. They live in Round Rock, Texas.

John Balch (Jour '90) has become associate editor of the Nashville Leader.  He is former editor of the Murfreesboro Diamond.

Bob Balfe (RTV '90) is the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas.

Jason Ball (RTV ’92) is evening executive producer for KCBS/KCAL-TV in Los Angeles, Calif. Ball was previously morning executive producer for WLPG-TV in Miami, Fla.

Lici Beveridge (Jour, French '97), is life editor of the Hattiesburg (Miss.) American.

Brad Bobo (RTV '99) is assistant director for sports marketing in ASU Athletics.

Jason Brady (Jour '94) has returned to Arkansas after directing the office of Gov. Mike Huckabee in Washington, D.C.

Steven Bridges (Jour '99) is working as a free-lance photojournalist. Previously he worked for the El Dorado News Times before moving with his wife to Corryton, Tenn., near Knoxville. You may want to check his SBC Photos Web site.

Brent Bryant (RTV '91) has opened a law office in Fayetteville, Ark. He worked at KAIT television in Jonesboro until 1994 when he left to attend law school.

Staci Burch Buchanan(Jour '97) is director of marketing communications at St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton, Ore.

Amy Bynum Burton (Jour ’96) is an educational marketing specialist for Mississippi County Community College in Blytheville. She and husband Brett live in Steele, Mo.

Chris Buxton (Jour '96) serves as director of the Church of Christ Student Center at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.

Holly Byars (RTV '94) has earned Accreditation in Public Relations from PRSA and continues to work as marketing manager for The Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics at John Brown University in Siloam Springs. She reports that husband Carey Byars (RTV '94, MSMC '98) has earned an MFA in digital cinema from National University in San Diego, Calif. Carey is starting his fifth year as an assistant professor of broadcasting and film at JBU.

Shane Carter (RTV '99) is a meteorologist with KJRH Channel 2 in Tulsa, Okla.

Scott Christian (Jour '97) is a page designer for the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

Kenneth D. (Korky) Christy (RTV ’97) is video producer/photography editor for Alltell Corporate Communications in Little Rock.

Cass Chulick (RTV ‘95) is director of an hour-long newscast for WSPA Spartanburg, S.C., and produces special projects.

P. Jay Clark (RTV ’94) directs ministry for youth and their families at  Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock. 

Marsha Clowers (Jour '91) is professor and administrator at John Jay College at CUNY. Dr. Clowers is director of the basic speaking course, the women studies committee and the gender studies minor.

Christy Coker (RTV ’99) works for GWL, a full-service advertising agency in Little Rock. She does copywriting and broadcast production. The company serves clients, primarily auto dealers, all over the South.

Leslie Cook-Rhodes (MSMC '91) is a reporter for ABC7/WJLA-TV and NewsChannel8 in Washington, D.C.

Craig Cornett (RTV '92) is a morning personality on St. Louis radio station the Bull (KSD-FM).

Wendy Reiser Cromwell (Jour ‘91) is working in public information for Agnes Scott College in Atlanta.

Sonya Davis (Jour '99) is enrolled in a non-traditional licensure program for teachers. She previously worked as an information services specialist for the Pulaski County Special School District.

Darcy Douglass (RTV '98, MSMC '00) is anchoring the weekend news for NBC and Fox affiliates in Wilmington, N.C. She does reporting and producing during the week.

Jason Eaton (Jour '99, MSMC '01) is working for the Department of Human Services in Hot Springs.

Alix Strickland Felkins (Jour ‘98) is working at Creative Multigraphics as a customer service rep.

John Edward “Jef” Fox (Jour ‘96) has joined Cranford Robinson Woods advertising and public relations company in Little Rock as an account executive. Fox is former account executive at The Marketing Advantage in Little Rock and was director of marketing and public relations for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

Janet Shirley Garrett (RTV '95, MSMC '97) is a marketing representative for Florida State Parks. She received a distinguished achievement award for promoting nature and heritage tourism. She lives in Tallahassee.

Chuck Gatlin (RTV '96) is the promotions director for KKPT The Point 94.1 in Little Rock.

Layne Gneiting (M.A. SCOM '98) earned a Ph.D. at Arizona State University in 2002 in communication with a performance studies emphasis and teaches at Arizona State University in the Interdisciplinary Studies program.  He moonlights as a professional storyteller and has performed at such venues as the Timpanogos and Mesa Storytelling Festivals.

Robin Newton Grafton (Jour '90) has returned to Publix Super Markets Inc. in Lakeland, Fla., as a corporate communications developer after working at Tech Data Corp. as a project manager and Florida Southern College as director of public relations. She has two daughters, Bailey and Bryn. She is active in the Tampa Bay Chapter of PRSA and is co-chair of a statewide accreditation marketing task force.

James P. Grant (RTV ’94) owns and operates JPeg Productions in North Little Rock. JPeg is a full service video production company that produces 30 second TV commercials in Central Arkansas.

Darrell Greene (RTV '91) is moving to Orlando, Fla., to become 10 p.m. news anchor at WFTV/WRDQ (ABC 9) on Aug. 8. He has been a news anchor in New Orleans for the past 10 years.

Jeannie Gray (M.A. SCOM and Theatre '92) is in her 29th year of teaching at Sylvan Hills High School in Sherwood.  Her teaching assignments are EAST Lab, Oral Communications and Competitive Speech.

Harper Grubbs (RTV '95) is Web manager for Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. His responsibilities include seven public sites and four intranet sites.

Brandy Gundaker (RTV ’96) is a video editor/producer with Marketing Solutions. She lives in North Little Rock.

Mylea (Walters) Hargett (Jour '92) is editor of Arkansas Catholic in Little Rock.

LaShonda (RTV '99) and Rashad Hatch (Jour '97) report they are still in Dallas. He works for Apartments For Rent magazine, a division of Trader Publishing Company. He is a CTP (pre-press) technician, based at the production hub in Carrollton, Texas. He prepares agency ads and pdf files to send to several commercial printers. LaShonda is doing work with Adecco Staffing.

Chad Heritage (RTV '91) is director of country programming for KSSN and KHRN in Little Rock. He is also on-air for KSSN during afternoon drive time (3 p.m. - 7 p.m.)

Dave Hershey (RTV '91) has left CBS in Dallas to become vice president of Edge Creative in Burbank, Calif. David reports the company has been "doing some incredible work recently, including the ABC/Oscar spots, Fox's Prison Break and many many others."

Freddie Hettle (RTV ’91) is communication coordinator in the benefits administration department at Wal-Mart in Bentonville.

Kris Higdon (RTV '94) is an attorney with the Arkansas Department of Human Services in El Dorado.

Brandi Hinkle (Jour '98) is a public relations account executive with CJRW in Little Rock and performs public relations functions for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. She has an MBA from ASU and has served on the ASU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Myleea Hill (MSMC ’94) is an assistant professor of journalism at ASU. She earned a doctorate in educational leadership at ASU in December 2005.

Wayne Hoffman (RTV '94) is communications director for Congressman Bill Sali of Idaho.

Jodie Hohn (Jour ‘99) is executive administrative assistant at Best Diversified Products in Jonesboro.

Heather Howard (Jour ’90) is a police and government reporter for The Charlotte Observer. She took the North Carolina position after three years as a reporter with the Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller-Times.

Jennifer (Wiseman) Humphries (RTV ’92) works as a speech language pathologist for the Calico Rock school system. She and husband Link live in Salem, Ark.

Gretchen Hunt (Jour '98) is managing editor of The Times Dispatch in Walnut Ridge.

Tena Roberson Hutchison (Jour ’91) serves as director of volunteers for the White River Health System. She is responsible for volunteers at four Health System locations and edits the corporate newsletter.

Brad Hyde (Jour '94) is director of public relations and community education for St. Bernards Behavioral Health.  He was the campaign chair for last year's election of Doug Formon for mayor of Jonesboro.

Tim Ingram (RTV ’95) is general manger at KAIT in Jonesboro.  He previously was operations and marketing director for KLTV in Tyler, Texas, and a senior producer/director at  WAVE in Louisville, Ky.

Scott Inman (RTV ‘95) is co-anchor of 5, 6 and 10 p.m. news at channel 7, KATV, in Little Rock.

Kenny Jackson (RTV '99) is owner of Kenny Jackson Video, providing full-service high-definition video production in Northeast Arkansas.

Georgie Johnson-Duncan (Jour ‘91) works as a technical writer for State Farm Insurance in Bloomington, Ill.

Annette Jones-Gatlin (RTV ‘97) and Chuck Gatlin (RTV ‘96) are married. She does computer graphics at Channel 4, KARK, in Little Rock. Chuck is in promotions for KSSN 96, Cool 95 and K-Duck radio stations in Little Rock.

Paula Parker Johnson (Jour ‘92) is assistant editor of Cotton Outlook. She and husband Jeff live in Cordova, Tenn.

Bellamy Kemp (Prin '97) is supervisor of the pressroom and bindery at the University of Mississippi's Medical Center's in-plant printer. He and his wife live in Jackson, Miss.

Jennifer Kerschner (Jour ’98) is a reporter for The News Enterprise in Elizabethtown, Ky.

Stephanie Curton Kinley (Jour '99) and husband David have returned to Jonesboro. David works for ASU's admissions office.

Karen Lewellen (MSMC ’93) hosts a talk show program, Prime-Time, airing in several markets.  The program can be accessed on-line.

Christina Lewis (RTV ’97) is program director and midday talent for KBXB in Sikeston, Mo.

Wendy McCool Lewis (Jour '97) is working for the in-house advertising agency for Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs.

John Lombardi (MSMC ’91) is a faculty member in the Communication and Theatre Arts Department at Western Carolina University. He earned a doctorate from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1999.

Liz Massey (RTV '97) is on the weekday anchor desk at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. at KTHV-Tv, Channel 11 in Little Rock. Massey has been with KTHV since 2000. She began as a general assignment reporter and in two years became a weekend anchor.

Jennifer McCullough (Jour '93) is the director of community and physician relations for Physical Therapy Specialists Clinic Inc. in West Plains, Mo.

Duane McElroy (RTV ‘93) is the broadcast manager for Wal-Mart Television in Bentonville. He is married to Allison McElroy (RTV ’93).

David McGough (Jour '98) has joined the staff of the Arkansas Press Services (a part of the Arkansas Press Association) as a marketing consultant. He had been director of marketing for Lindsey & Company Inc. in Searcy.

Monica Woods McNeal (RTV '93) is the meteorologist in charge at CNN/US. McNeal joined CNN from WGCL-TV in Atlanta. McNeal was a DJ in Little Rock before switching to television. She received a meteorology degree from Mississippi State University. She previously worked for stations in Charleston, S. C., and Cleveland, Ohio.

Keith Merckx (RTV '92), works for the Texas State Network, which serves more than 130 radio affiliates in two time zones with news, talk and sports programs. TSN is owned and operated by Texas Infinity Broadcasting, L.P.

Mike Meroney (Jour ’95) is ranked among the top 25 Texas lobbyists by Capitol Inside.  Mike is corporate lobbyist and spokesman for Huntsman Corporation, a global manufacturer of chemicals with more than 11,000 employees in 22 countries.

Kyle Miller (MSMC '95) has left television news after eight years. He earned a master's from a seminary and is working as a pastor in Helena, doing part-time PR work for a non-profit and running the after school program for the Helena school district.

Mecy Mitchell (RTV '91) is an account executive for KMJX radio in Little Rock.

Scott Mitchell (Jour '98) is a member of the copy desk of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Kelly Moore (RTV ’99) works for GWL, a full-service advertising agency in Little Rock. She does media buying and broadcast production. The company serves auto dealers all over the South.

Melissa Myers (Jour '95) has been named grants and annual giving officer for Pulaski Technical College. She has held similar positions at the Centers for Youth & Families and at St. Vincent Foundation in Little Rock.

Robin (Clark) Niell (RTV ‘93) serves as news director for WRD Entertainment in Batesville. She works with news staffs at four radio stations (KWOZ, KZLE, KBTA and KAAB). Robin is married to Richmond Niell.

Charlene Oldham (Jour ’96) is covering workplace and management issues for the Dallas Morning News. She was formerly with the Orlando Sentinel.

Micha Bradley Pace (Jour ’95) is employed by Innovex Inc., a contract pharmaceutical firm, selling for Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals in the Little Rock area. She and spouse Mark Pace, a network administrator for Pulaski Bank, live in Sherwood.

Suzi Parker (Jour '91) reports that one of her essays, previously published in The Washington Post, has been reprinted in the new Bedford's/St.Martin's book, Shop Talk and War Stories: American Journalists Examine Their Profession, by Jan Winburn. Other writers featured in the book include Ben Bradlee, Bob Woodward, Anna Quindlen, Geneva Overholser and Rick Bragg. Parker's essay is about her time as an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette obituary writer.

Kristie Parrott (RTV '95) is a speech language pathologist for Meyer Speech Services in Fayetteville.

Tammy Arnett Phillips (RTV '95) married Darrell Phillips in 2004. They live in Memphis.

Keith Pinchback (Jour '90) is director of development for Arkansas State University at Beebe. He previously worked in advertising at the Jonesboro Sun and in marketing for St. Bernards Behavioral Center.

Jayne Pyle (Jour '92) serves as director of distance education for the UALR College of Business. She oversees the distance MBA program and online courses. She recruits and builds publications, and she is the webmaster for the College of Business.

Julie Robbins (Jour ‘95) is director of communication and development for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. She lives in Little Rock.

Bryan Reeves (‘95) is the morning and mid-day director at Fox 41 in Louisville, Ky. He worked previously in Lexington, Ky.

Michelle (Yanosick) Rogers (RTV '91) has left KARK-TV in Little Rock after seven years as a news producer. She is now a customer service officer for Regions Bank in Sherwood. Her husband, Steve, works for the Democrat-Gazette. They have two daughters.

Rey Rosales (MSMC '96) has published a book, The Elements of Online Journalism, available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers. Rosales is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Communications at Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill. He holds a doctorate from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

Blake Russell (RTV ‘92) and Lisa (Accounting ‘91) are living in Beaumont, Texas. Blake is director of operations/creative services for KJAC-TV.

Karen Russell (RTV '91, MSMC '98) is producer of a two-hour news and entertainment show called "Tennessee Mornings" in Nashville, Tenn.

Aaron Sadler (Jour '99) is a reporter with the Stephens' bureau in Washington, D.C. He is reporting primarily on federal government issues related to Arkansas for the Stephens newspapers in the state.

Daniel Schabot (SCom '97, MA '00) has received the Travis G. Jones Award for 2006 given by the National Christian College Forensics Association for outstandingly service, dedication to Christian speech and debate education and ongoing commitment to excellence in speech and debate. He is director of forensics and assistant professor of communication at William Carey College in Hattiesburg, Miss.

Amy Seitz (RTV ’98) is working for JWT Specialized Communications, a division of J. Walter Thompson.

Sally Shackleford Bergeman (RTV ‘92) is in technical operations for CNN in Atlanta. She previously was an operations engineer for WPLG-TV in Miami, Fla. Her husband works for CNN in satellite operations.

Joel Shaw (Jour '99) has joined the law firm of Danna McKitrick, P.C., in St. Louis. He practices in the areas of civil litigation, workers' compensation and insurance defense.  He lives in Richmond Heights, Mo.

Tory Shirley (RTV ‘94) is the sales coordinator at KAIT in Jonesboro. Tory was recently named to the ABC Affiliate Research Advisory Board. She and husband Jeremy Shirley (RTV ‘00) live in Paragould, AR.

Laurie Smalling (RTV '98) is working for a firm that does lobbying for Wal-Mart in Washington, D.C.

Bobby Sisk (RTV '95) co-anchors WCNC's highly rated 6NEWS Today Sunday Morning with Maria Kotula in Charlotte, N.C.

Ludovic Sourdot (RTV '98) teaches French for the education service center, Region 20, in San Antonio. Classes are delivered via satellite. He lives in Kyle, Texas.

Sara Starkey (Jour '98) is marketing director at Southern Eye Associates in Memphis.

Chris Stevens (RTV ‘97) has become a producer at WPBF the ABC affiliate in West Palm Beach, Fla. He previously was a producer/associate producer at WFTV in Orlando.

Myra Surrat (RTV ’94) is with Turner Broadcasting serving as network operations coordinator for Turner South.

Mike Sutton (Prin '97) is director of new business development for Fulton Press Inc. and marketing executive for Fortune Hi-Tech. He and his wife Shelly (who has a master's from ASU in English literature) live in Little Rock and have one son, Samuel Riley Sutton.

Kirkley Thomas (Jour '90) is manager of economic development with Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas in Little Rock.

Lucille Sims Thomas (Jour '83) works as a copy editor with the San Antonio Express-News. She previously was features copy editor for the San Diego Union Tribune. She and spouse Michael R. Thomas (an ASU sociology graduate) have two children: Excelsha, 16, and Sebastian, 10.

Ann Thompson (Jour '93) is a writer and producer for Lewis Advertising in Rocky Mount, N.C.

Stephanie Thum (RTV ’93) is communication & pursuit strategist at Ernst & Young in Pittsburgh, Penn. Husband Andy Thum (MSMC '94) is on full-time active duty with the Army Reserve.

Lance Turner (Jour '99), is online editor for Arkansas Business in Little Rock.

Parice Tyler-Porter (RTV '97, MSMC '01) is associate director for Greek life at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. She was director of Greek affairs at the University of Memphis.

Jeana Vaughan (RTV '93) is director of development for the Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation in Little Rock.

Misty Shaw Velasquez (Jour '93) is director of marketing for the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau, Gulfport, Miss.

Dawnetta M. Van Dunk (Jour '95) is senior manager in the technology services division for L3 Communications in the Washington, D.C., area. She previously was director, corporate relations, and assistant director of the Research Opportunities Program for Information Technology at Purdue University.

Jeanna Vaughan (RTV '93) is director of special events at Baptist Health Foundation in Little Rock after working several years as a promotion writer/producer at KFSM-TV in Fayetteville. 

Chanda Washington (Jour '95) is a manager with the Washington Post, overseeing the layout for the communities sections of the Post.

Kenneth Washington (MSMC '93) is a technical writer with the global defense and technology giant Northrop Grumman in Washington, D.C. He formerly was managing editor at Phillips Investment Resources, a financial newsletter publishing company.

Annette Wells (Jour ‘93) has been promoted to marketing officer at First Security Bank in Searcy.

Steve Watts (Jour '94) is a copy editor for the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. He lives in Cabot.

Hatton Weeks (RTV '99) is assistant news director at KAIT TV in Jonesboro.

Krisha Williams (Jour '98) is on the design desk at the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

Michael Scott Wyatt (RTV ’90) and his partner rank #1 during afternoon drive time with their “Kyle and Scott” show in Jackson, Tenn. Scott is also sales manager for WLSZ-FM “The Vision.”

Greg Yarbrough (RTV ‘97) is assistant manager at KARK-TV in Little Rock.

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