1960s
Jerry Moore, BBA ’61, will be honored with a statue outside Appalachian State University’s Kidd Brewer Stadium. Moore served as the head coach for the Appalachian State football team from 1989 to 2012, finishing with a 215-87 record at the school. In addition to three national championships at the FCS/I-AA level, Moore lead the Mountaineers to an upset win over the Michigan Wolverines in 2007.
1970s
Beverly K. Plauché, BBA ’72, released “Walking with the Lord: What a Way to Go!” The book is a heartfelt tale that follows Plauché as she continues to look for something that would eventually complete her life.
Les Leskoven, BBA ’78, of Corsicana, was elected to the Community National Bank and Trust of Texas’ board of Directors.
1980s
Brad Prizer, BBA ’80, has been named the vice president of marketing and communications for e3 Partners/I Am Second in Plano, Texas. e3 Partners is a global church planting ministry that is focused on establishing churches for all believers in every part of the world. I Am Second, e3 Partners’ digital media ministry, produces films that tell the stories of those who have experienced life restoration through faith in Jesus Christ.
Lacy Schneider O’Connor, BBA ’80, walked at the Baylor commencement alongside her nephew in December 2019, 38 years after her graduation.
Bob Roberts, MPA ’81, joined Legacy Capital of Little Rock as chief operating officer.
Charlene Burk, BBA ’83, was named president of CentraLand Title Company after 25 years with the company located in Temple, Texas. After several years as a real estate paralegal in Dallas, following graduation from Baylor, Burk raised her family in Central Texas. Prior to becoming president, she served as an escrow officer, commercial closer and policy department manager.
Valerie Reardon, BBA ’83, was named executive vice president, chief operating and continuity officer at Blue Cross of Idaho. She has been serving as the interim chief operating officer since March, in addition to her role as senior vice president, chief compliance and privacy officer for Blue Cross of Idaho.
Shawn Todd, BBA ’85, CEO of Todd Interests, has refurbished 18 buildings in downtown Dallas and is set on tackling the biggest project yet, the historic First National Bank Tower, which will be the largest historic renovation in the state.
Steve Thevenin, MBA ’87, was appointed as EVP of leader and organization improvement (LOI) at Maine Pointe, a global supply chain and operations consultancy. In his new role, Thevenin will be responsible for planning, development and deployment of LOI in consulting engagements.
Greg Kirkpatrick, MBA ’88, was named as Community Bank President of First United Bank in Sherman, Texas.
Chad Patterson, BBA ’88, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Big Pines, spoke of the core values of leadership and the behaviors that drive impact, change and results at the Greater Marshall Chamber of Commerce’s “Leadership HEART” business professional luncheon Aug. 30. The luncheon challenges each participant to take full ownership, accountability and a sense of urgency to create impact and results in and through their leadership.
David L. Peavler, BBA ’89, was recently named the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) top enforcement official in Texas. During his previous 15 years at the SEC, Peavler led several high-profile investigations and prosecutions, including the Seaboard Corp. case, where the SEC first established its corporate cooperation guidance.
1990s
Nancy Erba, MBA ’90, was appointed senior vice president of strategic finance and chief financial officer of Infinera, a global supplier of innovative networking solutions. She will lead the company’s global finance strategy, including financial planning and analysis, accounting and reporting, tax, treasury, internal audit and investor relations.
Craig Christina, BBA ’91, was elected as the next associate executive director of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Christina serves as the pastor of Shiloh Terrace Baptist in Dallas.
Barbara Tate, MBA ’93, retired as director of the local MHMR in McLennan County after 43 years of service. Tate became a mental health volunteer while enrolled at Baylor.
Jonathan Grant, BBA ’94, MDiv ’00, was named the new director of Waco-area nonprofit World Hunger Relief, where he plans to refocus the organization to see global hunger filtered through the prism of local hunger, with food grown by its staff and volunteers to address food insufficiency in the Waco area.
Fraley Dakan, BBA ’98, was announced as the senior vice president of Corporate Development for Contango Oil & Gas Company. Dakan will be responsible for the integration of the company’s recent acquisitions, as well as the identification, evaluation, financing and integration of future acquisitions as part of the company’s consolidation strategy.
Matt Foster, BBA ’98, has joined Franklin Templeton as a national retirement consultant. Prior to joining the firm, Foster was a director of Retirement National Accounts at Invesco.
2000s
Michael Quaranto, BBA ’00, along with fellow Baylor-alum Andrew Brown, created a patented process for cleaning large movie screens, such as IMAX screens. The pair launched 1570 Cinema Services, which is believed to be the only large-format screen cleaning service in the country.
David W. Bertrand, BBA ’01, launched Bertrand Leadership, an executive coaching and leadership development practice, to complement his work as a Professor & Director at SMU in Dallas, Texas. Bertrand was recently recognized with a first-place prize at the annual conference of Harvard’s Institute of Coaching, the premiere global gathering of thought leaders concerning the nexus of coaching and leadership.
Thasunda Brown Duckett, MBA ’01, was appointed to Nike’s Board of Directors. Duckett is CEO of Chase Consumer Banking, a division of JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Ryan Schroer, BBA ’05, developed a thriving coffee business with a longtime friend. Black Mark Coffee Company, a subscription-based service, has been shipping and delivering coffee in Dallas/Fort Worth since 2018.
Lindsey Skinner, BBA ’07, was honored as a 2019 Waco Under 40 honoree by the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. She is a partner at Pattillo, Brown & Hill, LLP, where she started in 2007. Skinner has chosen to share her accounting skills with the Robinson Little League Baseball Association, where she has served as treasurer for two years, and the Greater Hewitt Chamber of Commerce, where she has served as treasurer for four years.
2010s
Heather McLeod, MBA ’10, was recently promoted to chief marketing officer for Authority Brands, based in the Baltimore, Maryland, area. Authority Brands is the parent company of seven home service franchise companies: One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, Mister Sparky Electric, The Cleaning Authority, America’s Swimming Pool Company, Mosquito Squad and Homewatch CareGivers.
Blake Cross, BBA ’11, was announced as the new family practice physician at CHRISTUS Clinic in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
Terry Mercier, MBA/MHA ’15, and his family received a special tribute from the Green Bay Packers and WPS Health Solutions during the Packers’ Monday Night Football game against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 14, 2019. The event was part of “Operation Fan Mail,” which honors families with a member who is on active duty or a veteran.
Anthony Taylor, BBA ’15, was promoted to associate and Austin Jolesch, BBA ’16, MACC ’16, was hired as an analyst by Pinecrest Capital Partners, an investment banking firm in Dallas that offers exclusive advisory services to middle market companies.
Daniel Pelligrin, BA ’16, JD ’19, was officially sworn in as a member of the Texas Bar by U.S. District Judge Robert Schroeder III on Oct. 28, 2019. He begins his career at the Houston offices of Martin, Desiere, Jefferson & Wisdom.
Lincoln Smith, BBA ’17, joined Rastegar Property Company, an Austin, Texas-based commercial real estate firm, as the Manager of Investor Relations. He will be leading the Rastegar team in cultivating and maintaining current and prospective sponsors participating in Rastegar’s direct investment opportunities. Prior to joining Rastegar, Smith lead capital planning and distribution for an emerging private equity firm by sourcing and structuring partnerships that gave Wall Street access to Texas real estate investment opportunities.
Teddy Delong, BBA ’18, along with family, opened K9 Resorts of Malvern, a 13,000-square-foot luxury pet hotel in East Whiteland, Pennsylvania. The facility specializes in overnight boarding and day care for dogs and can accommodate about 100 dogs per day with a staff of about 25.
Itzayana Aguirre, MBA ’19, penned an essay about how her parent, church and the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas became extremely important in her journey of higher education. Aguirre is digital fundraising coordinator at Cook Children’s Health Foundation and serves as church administrator of Iglesia Bautista Victoria en Cristo in Fort Worth.
Jacob Kehoe, BBA ’19, and Economics lecturer Wayne Hampton partnered to develop Aerial Intelligence Reports, a company specializing in drone technology affecting the roofing industry. The two met at Baylor when Kehoe enrolled in one of Hampton’s courses.
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