On May 11, Anne Carr Regan (C ’74) was the conductor for the premiere performance of Professor Emeritus James H. Laster’s arrangement of “Praise the Lord Who Reigns Above” at Braddock Street United Methodist Church (BSUMC) in Winchester, Virginia. The piece was commissioned by the Sanctuary Choir, BSUMC and the Winchester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists in celebration of Judy Barefoot Connelly’s (C ’74) retirement after 36 years of service as organist/choirmaster at BSUMC. The chorus included members of the BSUMC choir, Front Royal Oratorio Society, conservatory alumni, professors emeriti, and friends. The organist was Dan Miller (C ’79, ’03, ’08) and rising junior Caeley Niess was the trumpeter. (Regan and Dr. Laster are pictured to the right.)
On June 5, Cathy Portlock Pacitto (C ’86) was the special guest artist for a Cranberry Coast Concerts performance at Saint Blaise Catholic Church in Bellingham, Massachusetts.
Anne Popp Lewis (B ’92, AS ’06, EL ’11) has been appointed as an assistant Loudoun County administrator in Loudoun County, Virginia. Lewis joins the other members of the Office of the County Administrator in directing and supervising the day-to-day operations of all Loudoun County departments and agencies that are under the direct control of the Board of Supervisors.
Justin Wright (AS ’95) is the global head of innovation at Novartis in East Hanover, New Jersey. Wright is responsible for leading the enterprise innovation system across the drug development process for the entire Novartis pipeline. This includes activation of the innovation strategy and leading cross-functional innovation governance internally and externally to Novartis. (Pictured to the left.)
Nancy Keller Bryant (AS ’96, EL ’11) has been appointed as the principal of Virginia Avenue Charlotte Dehart Elementary School in Winchester, Virginia.
Ronald Hawkins (C ’97, C ’99) has been appointed principal of Capital Preparatory Harbor Lower School in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Capital Preparatory Schools provide historically disadvantaged students with the college and career readiness skills needed to become responsible and engaged citizens for social justice. Capital Prep strives to ensure that all students are able to do so by offering a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, an eclectic variety of athletic programs, as well as a gifted and talented program for students who demonstrate extraordinary academic achievement.
Stanley “Stosh” Snyder (C ’97) has accepted a position as executive director of Theatre Harrisburg in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
In May, Musica Viva NY celebrated its 40th anniversary with a concert titled “Sunrise in the City” at All Souls Church in Washington, D.C. The performance featured the Musica Viva NY Choir led by artistic director Alejandro Hernandez-Valdez (C ’99).
Jerome Brooks, Jr. (C ’02) played the role of The Time Machine in the Off-Off Broadway show “The Mad Mad Scientist Play” produced by The Gnome Haus Theatre Company in New York, New York.
Gregory McClure (AS ’02) received Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education (RCOE) Outstanding Mentoring Award. McClure is an associate professor in the department of curriculum and instruction in Appalachian’s RCOE. He joined the RCOE faculty in 2010 as an assistant professor and was promoted in 2015. As a mentor, he works with students in three distinct areas: advocacy and engagement, underrepresented students and student research. He has helped to organize events focused on critical issues to public education, serves as faculty advisor for Appalachian’s Hmong Society Club and has collaborated with students on research and national conference presentations.
In the spring of 2017, Harry Culpepper (C ’03) won the South Carolina Theatre Association One Act Festival for directing a production of the “Taste Of Sunrise” in full English and American Sign Language. The production went on to perform at the Southeastern Theatre Conference, earning multiple awards including Best Supporting Actress and was chosen to be filmed by PBS/ETV to show the impact of theatre education on a student’s education. This year, Culpepper’s production of “The Balkan Women” also won Best Actor at the State Festival. He has finished his term as president of the South Carolina Theatre Association and is now serving as past president after completing a term on the board of directors of the Southeastern Theatre Conference as the South Carolina State Representative and on nominations committee. (Pictured to the right.)
After 14 years in education as a music teacher, Lesley Scherrer Lindell (C ’04, C ’06) was named the principal of St. Matthew Catholic School in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Brent Manuel (AS ’04) has accepted a position as the new town manager of La Plata, Maryland.
On June 24, 2017, Michelle D’alessio (HP ’06) married Gene Stevans at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Winchester, Virginia. Alumna Nicole Gilders Hoffman (HP ’05) was in attendance. (Pictured to the left.)
Benjamin Luczak (C ’09, C ’15) was named director of individual giving at Dallas Summer Musicals, one of Broadway Across America’s largest venue and market. Luczak was selected to serve on the development leadership committee for Tessitura Network’s 2018 Tessitura Learning Community Conference. This conference is an international gathering of arts managers, thought-leaders and art technology professionals. He was also selected to serve on the inaugural steering and grant-making panel for the The Equality Fund for LGBTQIA+ of Omaha. This fund is a collaboration between the Sherwood Foundation, Mutual of Omaha, Conagra Brands Foundation, Peter Kiewit Foundation and is administered by the Omaha Community Foundation with $250,000 being granted to LGBTQIA+ organizations and outreach programs. (Pictured to the right.)
Kimberly Gaines (HP ’10) was nationally recognized for earning a specialty credential called a Certificate of Added Qualifications from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants in Emergency Medicine, a distinction earned by meeting licensure, education and experience requirements and then passing a national exam in the specialty. Gaines is employed by the Naval Medical Center at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Colin Macy-O’Toole (C ’10) spent six weeks as part of a hard-working yacht crew based in Naples, Italy, for the third season of Bravo’s reality television series, “Below Deck Mediterranean.”
Kyle W. Feldman (AS ’11, HP ’14) has been named to Shenandoah University’s board of trustees. Feldman is also a member of the Shenandoah University Alumni Association Board of Directors, and currently serves on the group’s executive committee as secretary.
Carrie Rae Barb (EL ’12) has been named the new principal of Churchville Elementary School in Churchville, Virginia, after serving Augusta County Schools for nearly 20 years.
On June 2, James Patrick O’Reilly (C ’12) was ordained to the Catholic Priesthood at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond, Virginia. Father James celebrated his first Mass on June 3, at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Yorktown, Virginia, the parish of his childhood. Some of his conservatory friends performed with the church organist and choir for the Liturgy. He has been assigned to St. Mary of Nazareth Parish in Roanoke, Virginia. (Pictured to the left.)
Nigel Huckle (C ’13) is the newest member of the platinum-selling Australian crossover group, The Ten Tenors. This year, they have toured the west coast of the United States, New Zealand and Australia. (Pictured to the right.)
Brianne Casey (N ’16) is an emergency room registered nurse (RN) for Winchester Medical Center in Winchester, Virginia. Casey is also the CEO and founder of the app, Checked In. Checked In is a mobile application suite that measures and publishes patient wait times for emergency rooms, urgent cares, primary and specialty providers, as well as dentist offices. (Pictured to the left.)
Standout pitcher Colin Morse (B ’18) has become the second member of the Shenandoah University baseball program drafted since 2016 with his selection by the Washington Nationals this month. Morse, the Hornets No. 1 starter, was selected by the Nationals in the 26th round and was the 791st player picked in the Major League Baseball draft. Morse joins his brother, Phil Morse (AS ’16), in the Nats organization.
In Memoriam
Harold W. Hovermale (C ’54) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, passed away on June 4, 2018. Hovermale received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Shenandoah in 1954 and a master’s degree from James Madison University in 1964. He was a music teacher at Boonsboro Middle School in Boonsboro, Maryland, for more than 30 years. He was a founding member of the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and the Washington County Arts Council. Hovermale wanted to help celebrate the cultural arts and to help others broaden their horizons to the arts, bringing joy and smiles to others. He wanted to provide opportunities for his students in music, theater and chorus. Wayne is survived by his sister, Nancy Gillotti; his wife of 60 years, Kathryn Gutoski Hovermale (C ’52); sons, David Hovermale and Jeffrey Hovermale; two grandchildren, Taylor Hovermale and Morgan Hovermale; and two great-grandchildren, Bella Hovermale and Jace Hovermale.
Ryan S. Puffenbarger (C ’07) of Richmond, Virginia, passed away on June 8, 2018. Puffenbarger graduated from Fort Defiance High School in Defiance, Virginia, and received a Bachelor of Music degree from Shenandoah. He loved music and played multiple instruments with an emphasis on the euphonium and trumpet. Puffenbarger was a member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity. He had an interest in the theater and had recently auditioned for and been given a performing part in the Dark Raven Museum, which honors Edgar Allen Poe. He was also a member of Mossy Creek Presbyterian Church and was active in the youth group there. In addition to his parents, Puffenbarger is survived by his life partner, Melody Wilson; his brothers Michael Neal Puffenbarger, Patrick Carl “Pack” Puffenbarger and Christopher Alan Puffenbarger; and a step-sister Brittany Melton. He is also survived by a niece, Olivia Puffenbarger, and two nephews, Brayden Melton and Zachary Melton; several aunts, uncles, and cousins; numerous friends; and his beloved cats Vader, Tori and Meeko.