Chronicles

1960s

Robert Byrd III (’65) and Louise Verdery were married in October 2010 and are living in Augusta, Ga.

Patrick G. Blanchard (’66) was recently elected to the 2010-11 Board of Directors of the Community Bankers Association of Georgia for a 20th year of consecutive service to the board. Blanchard was named 1994 CEO of the Year by the Augusta Business Journal and was named 1995 Sponsor of the Year by the Credit Professionals International Georgia. The Georgia Southern Department of Finance and Logistics office complex is named in his honor and he was inducted into the Business Administration Hall of Fame in 1999.

Judy Bedgood McCollough (’68) writes, “Retirement has been great! Former classmates please e-mail me at girty.jr@gmail.com.”

1970s

Tony Jones (’70) has retired and returned to Statesboro after 40 years in Atlanta as a corporate facilities engineer and facility project manager at several major companies, including Delta Air Lines, Turner Broadcasting, Georgia-Pacific, BellSouth and the Southern Company. He also served as facilities manager for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games in 1996. Tony traveled extensively throughout the U.S. and other countries in his work.

David Cook (’76) has been named by Georgia Governor-elect Nathan Deal to serve as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health. Cook has served as executive director and CEO of the Medical Association of Georgia since 2001.

Myra Phillips (’79) has been promoted to senior vice president at Sea Island Bank in Savannah. She is manager of the Wealth Management Team at Sea Island. Phillips has worked in the financial services industry in Savannah for more than 22 years and joined Sea Island in 2006. A graduate of Leadership Savannah, she serves on the College of Business Administration advisory board at Savannah State University and the advisory board of Savannah/Chatham Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). Phillips is a member of the board of directors of Hospice Savannah and the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra. She is a certified financial planner and serves as an elder at First Presbyterian Church.

1980s

Greg Harper (’84) has been named a vice president with Charles Aris Inc. He will lead the multi-national search firm’s Industrial practice. A native of Warner Robins, Ga., Harper has been with the company since 2006.

1990s

Ken Rabitsch (’93) has been named executive vice president at Sea Island Bank in Savannah. Rabitsch, who joined Sea Island in 2004, has served as a senior commercial lender since 2007. In addition to maintaining a commercial client portfolio, he is in charge of the Commercial Banking Team in Savannah. He has served on the executive committee of the Royce Learning Center and the finance committee for Savannah Golf Club. Rabitsch is a member of Bull Street Baptist Church.

2000s

Robert Bryant (’02) has joined Florida State University as an assistant director in the Center for Multicultural Affairs. He writes, “I am excited about being a former student employee with PR at GSU, and even happier to be an Eagle!”

Jenny Lee Chandler (’04) and her husband, Adam, celebrated the birth of their second child, Colton Robert, in July 2010. The couple lives in Blairsville, Ga., and encourages friends to contact them at jlee@corrugatedparts.com.

Hayley Glisson Moore (’07) and Jonathan Moore were married last September and are living in Statesboro. Hayley, a CPA, completed her master’s degree in accounting from Georgia College & State University in May 2010 and has also earned the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) designation.

Daerzio Harris (’08) and Angela McAllister Harris (’09) were wed in June 2010 in Douglas, Ga. They reside in Evans, Ga.

In Memoriam

Alumni

Tom Byars (’71), Barnesville

Faculty

John S. Wallace, School of Technology

Retired School of Technology Director John S. Wallace Sr. died in January. He was 66. In addition to his longtime service as a faculty member and administrator at Georgia Southern, he was an avid woodworker who also built a functioning handcrafted car and airplane. He was a frequent organizer and participant in overseas and domestic church mission projects. Mr. Wallace also consulted with the Georgia Department of Vocational Rehabilitation to improve ways of communication, mobility and comfort of clients with disabilities. Survivors include his wife, three children, two brothers and a grandson.

Staff

William L. Cook, Vice President for Business and Finance

Retired Vice President for Business and Finance William L. Cook died in January. He was 86. For more than 35 years Mr. Cook was employed with the State of Georgia, first with the Georgia State Department of Education, then with the State Department of Audits, and as the Internal Auditor at the University of Georgia. He moved to Statesboro to become the vice president of business and finance, retiring in 1984. A highly decorated veteran of WWII, Mr. Cook was active in community and church, and was inducted into the University Athletics Hall of Fame, was a Rotary Citizen of the Year, and was a recipient of the Deen Day Smith Award and the Life Time Achievement Award. Survivors include his wife, a brother, a daughter, a son, and three grandchildren.

Donald O. McDougald, comptroller