09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College

The ’50s
Don Dilmore ’50 and his wife,
Marie (Case) ’53, had a busy
summer. They celebrated their
59th wedding anniversary on
Aug. 16, 2009. The couple also
celebrated their 14th year of
residence at their Montgomery,
Texas, home. Don reports that it’s
the longest they’ve ever lived in
the same house. Summer also
marked the publication of Don’s
fifth book, Adult Report Card —
We are Failing our Children. It tells
how adults and churches can
start making a difference in
children’s lives. His soon to be
published sixth book, Danny’s
Red Jacket, is based on the
adventures of a 12-year-old
during the 1930s.
Samuel G. “Jerry” Hicks ’59
was inducted into the Indiana
Football Hall of Fame on
May 3, 2009.
The ’60s
Laima Druskis ’69 recently
showed two pieces of her photographic
work in the YoloArts
“Art Farm” show at Gallery 625
in Woodland, Calif. Laima has
been a visual consultant and
commercial photographer in
the West Coast area since 1997.
Her photography has appeared
in Financial World Magazine,
Time Magazine and educational
publications for Simon &
Schuster and major universities
on the East Coast.
The ’70s
Russ Ashworth ’71 served as
acting assistant secretary for
administration with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture from
January 2009 to June 2009, when
President Obama’s nominee for
the position was confirmed by
the Senate and sworn into office.
In this position, he served
Secretary Tom Vilsack as his chief
administrative adviser. He and
his wife, Jan, live in southern
Maryland.
Beth (Campbell) Pyle ’71 recently
completed her doctorate in
education at Illinois State
University and began a faculty
position at Western Kentucky
University this fall. Her teaching
position is in the department of
kinesiology, recreation and sport
in the physical education teacher
education program.
Geoffrey Doughty ’72 recently
had his 21st book published,
New York Central’s Through
Passenger Service, Challenge
and Retreat 1950–1967. He is in
his 35th year as Maine Public
Broadcasting’s radio voice for the
Portland Symphony Orchestra.
He serves as director of safety
and loss control for the New
Hampshire Motor Transport
Association.
Karen (Sturdy) Yarnall ’74
was selected the 2009 State of
Delaware Art Teacher of the Year.
She is the fine arts department
chair at Newark High School and
resides in the city of Newark. She
is married to Robert Yarnall ’71,
and they have three children.
Kimberly Shaver-Hood ’78, Ph.D.,
has been appointed interim
superintendent of Blackstone-
Millville schools in Massachusetts.
She has served as assistant
superintendent since April 2008.
She previously served as the first
principal of the Frederick W.
Hartnett Middle School, which
opened its doors in August 2003.
Kevin Widdison ’79 received
first place in the category of
Best Writing during the annual
convention of the Oregon
Newspaper Publishers Association
on July 16 and 17. He also
received a second-place award
in the category of Best Editorial.
The awards came in the division
for daily newspapers with
circulations between 10,000
and 25,000. Kevin is city editor
at the Daily Courier in Grants
Pass, Ore.
The ’80s
Valeri (Brown) Marks ’80 has
been named chief executive
officer of Hire Velocity in Tampa,
Fla. The company provides
recruitment and hiring services
for small to medium-sized
businesses. Previously, she was
president and CEO of New
Homes Realty in Tampa and
prior to that she was president
of the interactive media services
division of Ameritech.
Kerry “Pete” Keener ’84 has just
been granted GS-11 status with
the federal government. Pete is
a project manager at Walter
Reed Army Medical Center in
Washington, D.C. Pete lives in
Charles Town, W. Va., and enjoys
hiking the The Appalachian Trail
in Harpers Ferry.
Bob Bultman ’86 works for HILTI,
an international manufacturer of
tools and anchors. He is the local
process expert of pricing and
works in the western hemisphere
office. HILTI tools and team
members were instrumental
during the rescue and recovery
efforts at the Murrah Federal
Building in Oklahoma City after
the bombing and at the World
Trade Center and Pentagon
after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Bob is a long-time volunteer with
Habitat for Humanity. He resides
in Kiefer, Oka.
The ’90s
Janice Bullman ’90 has been
named conservation development
specialist for the Indiana
Association of Soil and Water
Conservation Districts.
CLASS NOTES
Valeri (Brown) Marks ’80
Bob Bultman ’86 shows off his custom-made Franklin
College cowboy boots, featuring the athletic logo.
“During one of my training classes at work, I had to
give a brief talk about myself. I used my boots to show
the FC logo and discussed the role the college played
in my life and still does. I always take pride in telling
people a little about FC,” said Bob.
WWW.FRANKLINCOLLEGE.EDU AUTUMN 2009 63
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