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Alumni News
- Legends and Leaders to be honored May 1
- Help a student—be an alumni mentor
- Student Alumni Council hosts CASE ASAP District 3 Conference
- We Want to Hear from You
- Save the dates!
Legends and Leaders to be honored May 1
A celebration of the 2009 Distinguished Alumnus, The Honorable Mercer Reynolds III, will be held Friday, May 1, as the UTC Office of Alumni Affairs hosts the annual Legends & Leaders Dinner at the Chattanooga Golf & Country Club. Dr. Clifton Cleaveland and his wife, Ruzha, will also be honored as this year’s Outstanding Service Award recipients.
Established in 1969 by the UTC Alumni Council, the Distinguished Alumnus Award was created to recognize alumni who have made significant contributions to the community and society and whose accomplishments and career activities have reflected glory on our University. The Outstanding Service Award was initiated in 1985 to honor someone inside or outside the University family who has given outstanding service to the University and who is also involved in the community.
Mercer Reynolds IIIThe Honorable Mercer Reynolds III is the Chairman & CEO of Linger Longer Companies and Reynolds Capital Group with offices in Greensboro & Atlanta, GA. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his M.B.A. from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1968.
During the 2000 Presidential Campaign, Reynolds served as a member of the Bush-Cheney National Executive Committee and as Chairman of the campaign’s Ohio Finance Committee. After the 2000 election, President George W. Bush named him a co-chairman of the 2000 Presidential Inauguration Committee. In 2001 he accepted an appointment to become the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. He served as U.S. Ambassador until 2003.
Currently the Chairman and CEO of Linger Longer Companies, Reynolds is an active member of the community and belonged to many civic organizations including The Commonwealth Club, the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, and the National Coalition for the Protection of Children & Families. He is the Founding Chairman of the Oconee Performing Arts Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts in Central Georgia. He also serves on the NCAA Leadership Advisory Board.
Ruzha Cleaveland
Dr. Clifton CleavelandDr. and Mrs. Clifton Cleaveland have both committed years of service to the community and to The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. On the UTC campus, Ruzha Cleaveland has served on the WUTC Advisory Council. She served as the Chairman of the UTC Chancellor’s Roundtable and was a staff assistant for the Meacham Writers’ Workshop. A strong advocate for education, she has given her time and talents to assist many organizations. She has been a PTA President, a member of the Signal Mountain Public Library Building Committee and Board, the Chamber of Commerce Education Task Force, and the Lyndhurst Foundation Teacher Awards Selection Committee. From 1976-1978, she served as the local president for the League of Women Voters, and was the state president in 1982-83.
Dr. Cleaveland received his undergraduate degree from Duke University, his Masters from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and his MD degree from Johns Hopkins University. He served as a clinical assistant professor, clinical associate professor, and clinical professor at The University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga unit from 1971-1975. He has also served as a member of the adjunct faculty at UTC, and was awarded the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty award in 2006. Cleaveland is the Founder and President of the George Connor Memorial Society which funds a yearly lectureship at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in literature and religion. He has also participated in PERSPECTIVES: The Raymond B. Witt Lecture Series. Community boards that have benefited from Cleaveland’s service include the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Association, the Internal Medicine Education Foundation of Chattanooga, the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, and Vanderbilt University Medical Alumni Association. Currently, Cleaveland teaches UTC Honors students and has a bi-monthly column on health issues in the “Chattanooga Times Free Press”.
For complete biographies on The Honorable Mercer Reynolds III and Dr. and Mrs. Clifton Cleaveland, visit www.utcalumni.com.
Help a student—be an alumni mentor
Remember what it was like when you were in college trying to decide a career path? Students still need someone to talk with who can provide information and direction, helping them narrow their search. The UTC Placement and Student Employment Center coordinates the Alumni Career Mentor Program, offering students a database of volunteers with whom they can network and explore career goals.
Alumni mentors have diverse academic backgrounds and represent many industries, career fields, and job functions. They act as a resource in many ways, including: career contact and networking, company & industry information, employment trends (profession or industry), job function information, job search strategies, job shadowing, mock interviews, resume critiques, or sounding board for ideas and plans.
Currently there are about 180 alumni mentors in the system. Students can match themselves with a volunteer who agrees to be a career mentor. The program includes alumni from all around the country including Washington DC, New Jersey, Illinois, California, Florida, North Carolina and many from the Chattanooga area.
“Students who have utilized the Alumni Career Mentor Program have found it very helpful,” said Jayne Holder, Director of Alumni Affairs. “Some students have indicated that it helped them learn more about certain industries, actual day to day job tasks and appropriate majors for certain career fields. The opportunity to network with alumni has been very important to senior students who want information about corporate climate and culture to ease the transition from college to the work world.”
Alumni interested in participating in the program may contact Jean Dake, the Director of the Placement and Student Employment Center, Jean-Dake@utc.edu or (423)425-4184.
Student Alumni Council hosts CASE ASAP District 3 Conference
Nearly 400 students and their advisors representing more than 35 institutions throughout the Southeast gathered at the Chattanooga Convention Center for the 2009 Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Affiliated Student Advancement Programs District 3 Conference (CASE ASAP D3). CASE ASAP brings together student organizations with a mission to advance their institution. Most of the participating organizations in CASE ASAP are student ambassador programs, student alumni associations and student foundations.
“The UTC Student Alumni Council has been a member of CASE ASAP for some time and has participated in both regional and national conferences throughout the United States, which serve as an avenue to help students and advisers network, develop leadership skills and share resources,” said Jayne Holder, Director of Alumni Affairs.
During the three day conference, students attended speaker presentations and breakout sessions where they shared best practices on how to strengthen their organization and advance their institution. Under the leadership of the two UTC student conference co-chairs, Emily Martin and Shamika Malone, members of the Student Alumni Council served as conference planners, volunteers and session hosts for the 2009 CASE ASAP District 3 Conference. Besides meeting at the Chattanooga Convention Center, students and advisors gathered at the Downtown Chattanooga Marriott and on UTC’s campus.
Their efforts were noticed and appreciated, according to Holder.
“The Student Alumni Council and the UTC Office of Alumni Affairs received numerous compliments about their efforts in hosting this year’s conference,” Holder said.
For more information about CASE ASAP, visit www.case.org and type in keyword “ASAP” in the code box. To learn about the programs and efforts the UTC Student Alumni Council facilitates to advance The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, please visit the organization’s website at www.utcfam.com.
We Want to Hear from You
Share good news with former classmates on the MocBlog at http://blog.utc.edu/MocBlog. Wedding and birth announcements, new jobs, special accomplishments and recognition create class notes all UTC alumni will want to read.
Please submit a class note by visiting the UTC Office of Alumni Affairs website at www.utcalumni.com and then click the Update Profile link at the top of the page. UTC alums may also send a note to the Alumni Affairs Office at this address:
c/o Class Notes
UTC Office of Alumni Affairs
Department 6506, 615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Make sure to include your first, maiden name (if applicable), and last name, graduation year, degree, current physical and email address (will not be published) and your recent news.
Here is a sampling of some of the most recent class notes.
Mocs Marriage: Milliken and Wiese Wed at Patten Chapel
December 19, 2008
Tara Milliken Wiese (’04) and Jeffery Wiese (’07) shared their vows at UTC Patten Chapel on September 6, 2008. Jeff currently is a Sales Representative for First Ascent Sales, representing The North Face. The couple currently resides in Chattanooga.
Other UTC graduates who were in the wedding party included Melissa Long (’05), Jessica Smith (’04), Andrea McClain (’05), Susan Chesky (current UTC student), Daniel Cosby (’04), Wesley Napier (’07) and Eric Wiese (’02).
Congratulations Tara and Jeff on your Mocs Marriage. We wish you a very happy life together.
Class Note: Robert Adkins (’49)
February 25, 2009
Robert Adkins (UC ’49) and his wife Faye (UC ‘50) are planning to attend the 2009 50-Plus Reunion. It will be his 60th Reunion and his wife’s 59th. At UC, Dr. Adkins was on the Track Team, served as an officer member for Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and he was a member of the Business Club and International Relations Club. His senior year was spent in Law School in absentia from UC. He and his wife married in August 1948 and celebrated their 60th Anniversary last August 21st.
Adkins earned an MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business (1955) following Korean War service as a USAF Lead Navigator for a B-29 squadron. He then worked for IBM in NYC selling computers, General Electric as a manager, followed by two presidencies of entrepreneurships. He earned a doctoral degree in Business in 1975 from the University of Arkansas, followed by a 25 year second career as a Business School Dean and Professor. He retired after ten years at Liberty University in 2000 and then taught as an adjunct professor for several universities. Currently he occasionally serves as a consultant to developing countries for USAID.
Baby Moc: Samuel Luke King
February 13, 2009
Becky Raines Kings (UTC ‘03) and her husband Christopher King announce the birth of their son, Samuel Luke King, who was born on October 5, 2008. While on campus, Becky was active in Campus Crusade for Christ, the Christian Student Center and the History Club.
Class Note: Dr. Tim Jennings (’86) Earns America’s Top Psychiatrists in 2008 Award
February 25, 2009
Timothy Jennings, M.D. (UTC ‘86, UTHSC ‘90) was recognized as one of America’s Top Psychiatrists in 2008 by the Consumer Research Institute in Washington, D.C. Jennings is currently President of the Southeast Tennessee Psychiatric Association and has recently moved his psychiatry practice closer to his collegiate home, just down the street from UTC’s Fletcher Hall on Oak Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
In 2007, Jennings released his book titled “Could It Be This Simple?: A Biblical Model for Healing the Mind” which led to a slew of speaking requests across the nation. He is sought after for his experience as an adult Christian psychiatrist focusing on issues regarding mental health and interpersonal relationships.
More information regarding Jenning’s practice can be found at www.timjenningsmd.com.
Class Notes: Stuart Silberman (’74) Finalist for National Superintendent of the Year
February 25, 2009
Stuart Silberman (’74) was selected by the American Association of School Administrators as one of the four finalists for the 2009 National Superintendent of the Year Award. The winning finalist will have the opportunity to give out a $10,000 scholarship to a student from one of their schools.
Save the dates!
UTC’s 2009 Homecoming Week will be September 21-26. A week full of alumni and student activities including pep rallies, the golf tournament, and campus activities will culminate with tailgating at First Tennessee Pavilion at 3 p.m. The UTC Mocs will play the Wofford Terriers at 6 p.m. at Finley Stadium Mark you calendars, plan to join former classmates and celebrate your college experience!
If your organization or constituency would like to reserve a tailgating space in First Tennessee Pavilion, please contact the UTC alumni office at (423)425-4785. Make your reservations early—space is limited.
The annual UC Fifty Plus weekend will be held September 25-27. Special honored guests will be the Class of 1959, who will celebrate their 50th reunion with activities designed specifically for them. All University of Chattanooga alumni from years 1959 and before are invited back to campus to renew old friendships, reminisce, and see the exciting happenings at UTC today. The planning committee, including Johnny Green, Lee & Emily Godfrey, Scrappy Moore, Jr., and Mose Payne, is already hard at work.
Go to the UTC alumni website, www.utcalumni.com for updates on these two special alumni events.
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