Chronicles

Gayle U. Wooten (’68), has retired after more than 51 years as an educator and education advocate. For the past 21 years, she served as the human resources director and in other administrative roles with the Professional Association of Georgia Educators in Atlanta.

Cheryl Y. Bland (’77) has been elected to a second term on the Morgan County Charter School Board of Education in Morgan County, Georgia.

Justice Michael Boggs (’85)
was unanimously elected by justices on the Supreme Court of Georgia as the court’s next Presiding Justice. He succeeds Presiding Justice David Nahmias who was also elected by his colleagues to become the next Chief Justice of the court. As Presiding Justice, Boggs will serve in the Chief Justice’s absence and as the vice chair of the Judicial Council. Boggs has served on the Georgia Supreme Court since his appointment by former Gov. Nathan Deal in 2016. He won statewide election to a six-year term in 2018. Boggs had previously served as a state Court of Appeals judge and Superior Court judge for the Waycross Judicial Circuit.

Mike Davis (’88) is retiring as the head of the U.S. Golf association (USGA). The Georgia Southern golfer spent his entire career with golf’s governing body in the U.S. In recognition of his service to the organization, the USGA is renaming the organization’s Turfgrass Environmental Research Program, the Mike Davis Program for Advancing Golf Course Management. It is the golf industry’s largest private grant program dedicated to sustainability and improved on-course experience. Last fall, the CEO announced he would leave the USGA to pursue his longtime passion for golf course design and construction.

John Shuman (’95) president and CEO of Shuman Farms, was named the 2020 Grower of the Year by the Vidalia Onion Committee. He has contributed to the industry for more than 25 years.

Carla Jennings MacDonald (’98,’02,’12) was accepted into the Baylor University Doctorate of Education program in Learning and Organizational Change.

Teresa MacCartney (’99, ’01) has been tapped as the acting chancellor of the University System of Georgia (USG) by the USG Board of Regents. Before joining USG, MacCartney served as Georgia’s chief financial officer as well as director of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget. Prior to the interim appointment, MacCartney served as USG’s executive vice chancellor for administration.

Cicely Thomas (’99) has been appointed to the Georgia Board of Examiners of Licensed Dietitians. She is the nutrition service director for the Northwest Georgia Division of Public Health. Thomas has worked as a public health administrator and educator for 20 years, specializing in community nutrition, education, and outreach.

Justin Wright (’02,’03) has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer of Great Southern Wood Holdings.

Jeremy Olson (’03) has joined the University of North Georgia faculty as an assistant professor of chemistry.

Matt Lee (’04) has been recognized as Volunteer of the Year by the Associated General Contractors of Georgia, the leading association of the construction industry. Lee is vice president of Young Contracting/SE in Atlanta.

Cameron Harmon, Ph.D., (’07) has been selected as the dean of math and sciences at Fayetteville Technical Community College.

Cherie Dennis (’10) is a Top Ten Finalist for Georgia Teacher of the Year. She teaches English to Speakers of Other Languages at a K-8 school in Savannah. Dennis is also the 2021-2022 District Teacher of the Year for the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System.

Kenya Harrison (’10) retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in August 2020 after 23 years of service.

Kayley Ralton (’10) has been promoted to head women’s soccer coach at the University of North Georgia. She was a four-year standout at Armstrong State from 2006-09.

Zerik Samples (’11,’13), a member of the Alumni Board, is CEO of the Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Georgia in Savannah.

Nicole Pope (’12) has been honored as a 2021 Georgia Rising Star by Super Lawyers Magazine. She practices in the areas of technology law and intellectual property law with HunterMaclean in Savannah.

Michael Choromanski (’14) has joined Savannah Chatham County Public Schools as a middle school 7th grade life sciences teacher.

Hannah Clements (’15) has a new job as a board-certified behavior analyst for Refocus Behavior in Hinesville, Georgia.

Connor Bizon (’16) has a new job as a senior chemist for Thermacell Repellents, Buford, Georgia.

Andrew E. Jones (’17) has a new job as a speech language pathologist, Calhoun, Georgia.

Sarah M. Strickland (’20) has a new job as a laboratory manager at the University of Georgia.

John S. Gadalla (’20) joined Mustard Seed Dental Studio in Augusta, Georgia, as a dental laboratory technician.