dalton state magazine fall 2009

FALL 2009

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS

TOwERING AcHIEvEMENT: DALTON STATE’S NEw BELL TOwER

6

THE FUN PART:cLASS OF 1969 REUNION

12

18DSc FOUNDATION 2009 ANNUAL REPORT TO DONORS

CONTENTSWhen I came to Dalton State a year and a half ago, people told me that this was an institution in transition, an institution that was undergoing many changes, and an institution on the move. Having been here for a full academic year and started another one, I can vouch for the accuracy of that assessment.

This fall, Dalton State is experiencing the kinds of changes that will be viewed years from now as transformative.

We admitted our first juniors into new bachelor’s degree programs in English, history, chemistry, and criminal justice this fall. In the first three, students can earn secondary education certification and teach those subjects in middle and high schools. This expands Dalton State’s impact in education and affords our students additional career opportunities. The criminal justice major adds a new dimension to our social science programming, and prepares our students for the law or public safety professions.

Also this year, we admit our first students who will live on campus. Student housing has been a dream of the college for many years, and one that we’re excited to finally realize. These student residents will have unique experiences, and because so many of them have come from other cities and

states, they will have an impact on northwest Georgia that we can only imagine today. We look forward to offering more opportunities for on-campus housing in the near future.

An infusion of new faculty and administrative talent, expanded academic programs, the addition of student housing, a record-breaking 16% growth in student enrollment, the new bell tower and quadrangle, the opening of a new parking deck, the switch to a tobacco-free campus. All of these changes and more welcomed students on campus this fall.

Indeed, we are an institution in transition, we are growing, we are on the move. Thanks to your continued involvement and support of Dalton State, our future is bright and opportunities abound. We look forward to another successful year ahead.

A Message from the PresidentDr. John O. Schwenn

CONTENTS

Dalton State Then & Now 4 1999-2009: Ten years of growth and change

Towering Achievement: Dalton State’s Newest Campus Structure Symbolizes the Future 6 Bell Tower and Quadrangle transform campus

Around Campus 9 What’s new and what’s news

“The Fun Part”: Class of 1969 Alumni Return for 40th Anniversary Reunion 12 Dalton State’s first-ever class reunion

Excellence in Teaching – Dr. Nick Carty: “Parlez-vous l’excellence?” 16 2009 DSC Foundation Teaching Excellence Award

2009 Annual Report to Donors 18 Record number of alumni donors

Scholarships 24 Hard-working students earn recognition

Profile of a Donor: Judy & Jim Jolly 26 Practicing the art of giving

Alumni Profiles 28 Catching up with classmates

Alumni Notes 30 See what our alums are doing

page 6 page 9 page 12 page 16 page 24 page 26

Dalton State Magazine is a publication of the DSC Foundation and the Public Relations Office of Dalton State College. Comments or questions can be directed to 706.272.4469 or 706.272.4587. Editors, David Elrod and Jane Taylor; Writers: Jane Taylor, Josh Wilson, and David Elrod; Photographers: George Spence, Willis Treadwell, CLC Photography, William Massey, Linda Massey, Stanley Leary, and Phillip Spears; Design, Second Shift Design LLC, Atlanta. Dalton State College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; Telephone Number: 404.679.4501) to award the Associate and Bachelor’s degrees.

Notice of Nondiscrimination

Admission policies, activities, services, and facilities of the College do not exclude any person on the basis of race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin, or disability. Dalton State College is an Affirmative Action Program institution. Any individual who requires assistance for admission to or participation in any program, service, or activity of Dalton State College under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act should contact the designated Title IX and Section 504 Coordinator: Dr. John Hutcheson, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Memorial Hall, Room 122, 706.272.4421.

FALL 2009

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS

The bell tower photographs on the front cover, back cover, page 7, and bottom of page 8 were taken by George Spence. Used by permission.

20091999ThenDalton State…

The penultimate year of the millennium was filled with introductions and farewells.

U.S. Senator William V. Roth secured Congressional passage of the Roth IRA, the first version of MSN Messenger was released by Microsoft, and Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper” was unveiled in Milan, Italy, following 22 years of restoration work.

We bade farewell to film director and producer Stanley Kubrick, Yankees great Joe DiMaggio, and “the prince of Camelot,” John F. Kennedy, Jr., whose plane crashed off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.

Closer to home, Dalton State was still settling into its new mission as a bachelor’s degree-granting institution. The college had changed its name and mission just the year before, doing so in response to the growing higher education demands of the northwest Georgia region and the workforce development needs of the area’s business and industry.

Having dropped the middle name Junior back in 1987, Dalton College assumed a new identity in November 1998. A new marketing campaign in early 1999 raised awareness among students and the general public that Dalton State College was not only new and improved, but also a destination institution where students could complete a four-year degree without transferring elsewhere. At least as long as they wanted to major in business.

The first juniors on campus were admitted to those baccalaureate programs in fall semester 1999: Industrial Operations Management, Management Information Systems, and Technology Management, all in the then-Division of Business Administration, now the School of Business.

Dalton State received more than 1,600 applications for admission that year, and admitted its largest freshman class up to that time. Just imagine: even then students were concerned about finding a place to park.

Among those joining the faculty in 1999 were Mike D’Itri (School of Business), Geoff Poor (School of Sciences and Mathematics), and Kelson Smith (School of Technology).

They’re still here, looking forward, as we all are, to what’s next for Dalton State.

3,051 Student enrollment

99 Number of faculty

9 Number of new faculty

120 Number of staff

97 Number of academic programs

9 Number of buildings

359 Students graduating

100,840 Books in library

$1,850 (per academic year) Tuition

$21 Student Activity Fee

None Technology Fee

$800 (per academic year) Average cost of books for full-time enrollment

$5 Parking Fee

$4.6 million Foundation assets

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4 Dalton State Magazine | Fall 2009

20091999

Four years ago, the DSC Foundation purchased the Wood Valley Apartments adjacent to campus. The thinking was that someday this might become housing for Dalton State students.

Well, someday is finally here.

This past summer, nearly 120 Dalton State students were handed their keys and opened the doors to the college’s first housing complex. Dalton State is on its way to becoming a residential campus.

With help from their parents, resident assistants, college administrators, and additional hands from the local community, these students made history on Saturday, August 15, when they moved their clothes, computers, televisions, and other belongings into their new apartments. Even President Schwenn was seen lugging rugs, lamps, and small kitchen appliances for some newcomers.

After meeting their resident assistants and roommates on move-in day, these students began meeting their fellow residents and forming the bonds that many of them will carry for their lifetimes. Since then, the Wood Valley residents have gathered for an ice cream social and a service day, where they assembled and painted picnic tables that they’ll use for socializing and perhaps studying outdoors on a cool autumn day. They’ve had their first water balloon fight and attended a cookout hosted by Dalton State’s Alumni Relations office. They’re making the most of their on-campus residential experience and the best part is that it’s only just beginning.

These first student residents are from Alabama, Tennessee, and different parts of Georgia. Marietta, Snellville, Stone Mountain, and Macon are a few of the cities represented here. Over time, these students will become Dalton State graduates and will remain in northwest Georgia to raise their families and pursue their professional careers.

Whether they know it or not, these first student residents are changing Dalton State. They’re shaping the culture of the college and its future. Along with new bachelor degree programs, new faculty, and a surge of new students, the college’s first student residents are one of the transforming agents of the 2009-2010 academic year.

NowDalton State…5,729 Student enrollment

150 Number of faculty

18 Number of new faculty

195 Number of staff

116 Number of academic programs

10 Number of buildings

570 Students graduating

132,279 + 56,881 e-books Books in library

$2,116 (per academic year) Tuition

$40 Student Activity Fee

$48 Technology Fee

$1,000 (per academic year) Average cost of books for full-time enrollment

$65 Parking Fee

$24.3 million Foundation assets

STA

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Dalton State Magazine | Fall 2009 5

hen Dalton State senior Jonathan Marks arrived on campus a few years ago to pursue a bachelor’s

degree in marketing, he didn’t know that he would also fall in love here.

Nevertheless, as he was walking across campus with some friends one day last spring, he spotted the object of his affection and dropped to one knee and proposed.

By his own admission, Marks has fallen in love with Dalton State’s new bell tower, a 75-foot-tall structure that looms over the campus.

“It’s always been a one-sided relationship,” he confesses.

In addition to its impact on Marks, the bell tower and its adjoining quadrangle dramatically transformed the center of campus when they were completed earlier this year. Situated just behind the Westcott Administration Building, and between Pope Student Center and Sequoya Hall, the once-uneven terrain that was dotted with scrubby pines and criss-crossed by random sidewalks was redeveloped as a traditional collegiate quadrangle, anchored by the bell tower on its eastern end.

“It’s a symbol of all the changes, of the growth on our campus,” says Malisa Cawood, a senior majoring in education.

“It makes the college look more prestigious, makes it stand out.”

The impact of the projects is already evident. Not only is the tower easily visible to the thousands of travelers on adjacent I-75, but it is “rapidly becoming a part of the campus culture,” says Marks, who notes that he passes it almost daily during his campus routine and still admires it even though it was non-responsive to his proposal.

Last May, more than 200 friends of the college gathered on the quadrangle for the first bell concert. In June, alumna Theresa Kresl (’02) took her wedding vows beneath the bell tower. This summer, the DJC Class of 1969 kicked off its 40th anniversary reunion with a class photo on the quadrangle. And days after the beginning of fall semester this year, students could be seen gathering with friends on the quad between classes and at lunchtime.

“It creates a sense of community among students on campus,” asserts Cawood, who has already participated in several events held on the new space.

Because the quadrangle includes a 30-foot by 50-foot stage wired for sound, college officials see potential for concerts, theatrical performances, and even a movie night, which is already being planned.

The $1.2 million bell tower and quadrangle projects were funded entirely by private dollars, says David Elrod, Director of Institutional Advancement for Dalton State.

“They were objectives in the DSC Foundation’s Fulfilling the Vision fundraising campaign,” he notes.

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The campaign, the first in the college’s history, raised $21.1 million from private sources for several initiatives, including the redevelopment of the center of campus with the quadrangle and bell tower.

“The bell tower and quadrangle projects tangibly demonstrate the success of our campaign,” Elrod says, “but they’re also more than that. They represent the power of philanthropy at Dalton State and how private giving can have a dramatic impact on our students, faculty, and programs.”

Credit for the bell tower idea belongs to former Dalton State president Jim Burran, says Sara “Skeeter” Pierce, Chair of the DSC Foundation, pointing out that he had the inspiration for the project as early as 2001. Burran retired in 2008.

“From the time the projects were conceived, they were thought of as student-centered areas that would provide Dalton State students a physical landmark with the bell tower and an outdoor gathering space with the quadrangle, places that they could call their own and they would remember for the rest of their lives,” she says.

“Burran also envisioned the bell tower as an institutional signature, a physical icon for Dalton State,” says Elrod. “His fingerprints are all over this.”

The bell tower and quadrangle were designed by Dalton-based architect Gregg Sims. ABUCK, Inc., of Mableton, Georgia, was the general contractor.

The bell tower project took 110 days from start to finish; the quadrangle was done in a matter of weeks.

Sims was charged with producing “a tower that would visually unify the campus both in reality and symbolically,” he says.

“The cylinder shape conveys a sense of unity. Once this shape decision was made, we decided to use four piers placed diagonally to provide the best view of the bells and reinforce the cylinder design. The rings added to the cylinder shape, as well, and they were located to accent the height and give body to the tower. The cupola completed the design and became the visual signature to the structure.”

There are 20 separate pieces of precast concrete in the tower, he notes, all sitting on a concrete footing five feet deep. Above ground, the


Dalton State Student Orientation Ambassador and Recruitment (SOAR) leaders “do the bell tower”. Left to right, Natalia Volodina, Heather Mendoza, Patton Hunt, Jonathan Marks, Justin Goforth, Lismari Gonzalez, Marisa Cardenas, and Ana Maldonado.

structure is 75 feet tall from its base to its turret atop the copper cap.

In addition to its unique cylindrical design, the tower is the first project in the United States to fully employ TX Active photocatalytic cement, a compound that reacts with sunlight to destroy atmospheric pollutants and actually clean itself. The precast concrete rings and piers were poured at Metromont USA’s facility in Hiram, Georgia. The tower already has been the focus of national attention in several trade publications.

The 25-bell carillon housed in the tower is the largest in north Georgia.

“The bells in our tower came from the Paccard Fonderie des Cloches of Annecy, France,” says Pierce, noting that Paccard has been casting bronze bells since 1796.

“Although the ratio of pure red copper to block tin is different depending on the size of each bell, most of the bells are 78% copper and 22% tin.”

The heaviest bell in the carillon weighs 1,323 pounds and is 39 ¾” in diameter; the smallest bell weighs 49 pounds and is 8 ¾” in diameter.

The carillon can be played on a keyboard by a carillonneur or pre-programmed to play electronically. The familiar Westminster Chimes preface the tolling of the hour daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Seeing the completed project instills pride in Sims, who has already been contacted to design another bell tower in the Midwest.

“We are always excited to see a project that will have an impact on so many become a reality,” he says.

“These kinds of projects define us as a people and hopefully provide inspiration to the next generation.”

For this generation, at least, the inspiration has already taken hold.

Jonathan Marks recalls that when he and several of his classmates attended a student activities conference at the University of Mississippi a few months ago, “other campuses represented there had chants about mascots.”

“We thought: ‘what symbolizes our campus?’ We came up with the bell tower.”

And they turned it into a dance.

So when Marks does get married, guests at his wedding reception might just find themselves “doing the bell tower.”


AROUND CAMPUS

Dalton State’s Bandy Heritage center is Open for BusinessThe Bandy Heritage Center for Northwest Georgia History and Culture was introduced at a campus press conference in September.

“Northwest Georgia has much to showcase with respect to its history,” says Dalton State president Dr. John Schwenn.

“The region played a major role in the decisive Atlanta Campaign during the Civil War, it served as the starting point of the Cherokee Indians’ tragic Trail of Tears exodus to the west, and it formed the backbone of the multi-billion dollar tufted textile industry.”

The Bandy Heritage Center, endowed by Dalton businessman and philanthropist Jack Bandy, will become a sort of “clearinghouse” for all types of north Georgia history, say members of the Bandy Heritage Center Advisory Council.

The Center, which will be housed in Roberts Library until a permanent location is chosen, will be staffed by a director, Dr. John Fowler, and an assistant director, Heather Howell.

“The history of northwest Georgia has been neglected in lots of ways,” believes Fowler, who also holds the distinction of being the college’s first Bandy Chair in History.

“But we have an incredible story here. And we have an opportunity to create something that the region needs.”

Fowler, a Civil War historian by training, and Howell have begun planning the activities of the Center, which will include creating and hosting lecture series, archiving materials, collaborating with area historical societies, hosting heritage symposia, and creating online exhibits.

Future plans include a museum to serve as a repository for historical resources for research and display.

“In the museum, we would expect to showcase exhibits and work with such themes as Native American life, the early settlement of the region, the Civil War, twentieth-century life, and the industrial development of the carpet industry,” Fowler says.

“An important mission of the Bandy Heritage Center,” says Fowler, “will be public outreach programming and heritage tourism.”

The Bandy Heritage Center will also sponsor research and publishing activities that promote a more thorough understanding of the region’s heritage, Fowler says.

Gathering for the official announcement of Dalton State’s new Bandy Heritage Center were, left to right, former president Dr. Jim Burran, Bandy Heritage Center director Dr. John Fowler, Bandy Heritage Center donor Mr. Jack Bandy, Bandy Heritage Center assistant director Ms. Heather Howell, and Dalton State president Dr. John Schwenn.


Expanding One Degree at a Time

This fall Dalton State adds four new bachelor degrees to its curriculum, bringing the total number of baccalaureate programs to fourteen.

“The addition of four-year programs in English, history, chemistry, and criminal justice demonstrates that the demand is great for liberal arts and science majors,” says Dr. John Hutcheson, Vice President for Academic Affairs.

“There has been nothing to change the face of this institution as dramatically as the addition of the bachelor degree programs,” he says, noting that the first bachelor degrees in business were offered on campus in 1999.

Hutcheson points out that Dalton State’s School of Education, which began offering the baccalaureate in early childhood education in 2005, now offers an option for teacher certification in secondary fields for biology, chemistry, English, history, and mathematics.

Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Patricia White emphasizes that demand for math and science teachers is very high and is expected to remain so for the foreseeable future.

Dalton State welcomes Two New Deans

Dalton State’s Schools of Education and Social Work each welcome new deans this semester.

Dr. Merry Boggs, Professor and Dean of the School of Education, assumed her administrative duties in June. She comes to Dalton State from Texas A&M University at Commerce, where she was Associate Professor of Education and Assistant Department Chair. She also has experience as an elementary school teacher and administrator. Her professional affiliations include a term as president of the Texas Association of Teacher Educators.

Dean Boggs holds the B.A. from Auburn University, the M.Ed. from Southwest Texas State University, and the Ph.D. from the University of South Florida-Tampa.

Dr. Spencer Zeiger, the new Professor and Dean

of the School of Social Work, arrived on campus this summer from Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, where he had been Chair of the Social Work Department. He previously taught at the University of Alaska. He has served as president of the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors and as a board member of the Institute for Advancement of Social Work Research.

Dean Zeiger holds the B.A. from the University of California at Santa Cruz, the M.A. from California State University, and the M.S.W. and Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

“Deans Boggs and Zeiger bring impressive credentials and experience to two of the schools that we see as being major growth points of Dalton State,” says Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. John Hutcheson. “We are delighted to have them here.”

Zeiger

Boggs


AROUND CAMPUS

BMOc: USG chancellor visits Dalton State

University System of Georgia Chancellor Erroll Davis was on campus in August as part of his annual tour of the 35 campuses in the university system.

Davis met with students, faculty, staff, and community leaders during his visit, and took time to answer questions and discuss higher education in Georgia.

“We are always proud to host the Chancellor on campus,” says President John Schwenn.

“That he would take the time to come here and see first-hand the impact we’re having in northwest Georgia, and to learn about our incredible growth and future plans, reassures us that the system leadership in Atlanta is keeping a close watch on Dalton State and is willing to work with us to move Dalton State forward.”

The Dalton State Alumni Relations office hosted the first annual Watermelon Wednesday during the college’s Welcome Week festivities for the first week of classes this year. Free watermelon, t-shirts, and frisbees were distributed to future Dalton State alumni.


n 1969 Americans walked on the moon, Creedence Clearwater Revival released “Bad

Moon Rising,” and “Sesame Street” premiered on television.

Also in 1969, the first 67 students graduated from then-Dalton Junior College. They had been among the 524 students who were the college’s first when the institution’s doors opened just two years earlier.

On a Saturday this past June, almost 40 years to the day since their graduation, members of the DJC Class of 1969 returned to campus for their first-ever class reunion. They were joined by nearly a dozen faculty and staff members who were their contemporaries at the college in those early years.

“We conceived of this gathering as an opportunity for these makers of history to make history yet again,” says Dalton State’s Alumni Relations Coordinator Josh Wilson.

“As the college’s first graduates, these individuals occupy a unique place in the institution’s story. It’s not every college that can say its first graduating class is back on campus for a reunion.”

A planning committee comprised of seven Class of 1969 alumni organized the event, sponsored by the alumni relations office. Bob Beavers, Elizabeth Springfield Gould, Brenda Dietz Hall, Lelia Ewton

Mullis, Lynn Frost Smith, Tim Smith, and Holly

Triplett served on the committee.

Their fellow alumni and former faculty and staff returned to a campus that is quite different than the one they remembered from 40 years ago, but in many ways familiar.

The campus where they graduated in 1969 had one academic classroom building, called the Classroom Building, which later was named Sequoya Hall and expanded. The Westcott Administration Building was only two-thirds of its current size, and it housed the college library. The gymnasium, the single-story upper level of the student center, and a maintenance building rounded out the original campus.

“I was impressed with the new buildings and the bell tower,” says Marvene Middleton Green (’69), who saw some of the new additions for the first time during the reunion.

“During my time, I felt like they put into the buildings everything that was beyond the call of duty for a junior college. And then I went to the reunion and was so pleased that everything was so well kept.”

Lynn Frost Smith (’69) agrees.

“The campus is absolutely beautiful. I was amazed at the number of buildings. All the growth is in excellent taste.”

Dr. Ben Wygal was also on hand to greet former colleagues and students. Wygal was the first Academic Dean “at the ripe old age of 28, my fresh Ph.D. under my belt,” and the second employee of the college. He remembers a time even before the buildings were constructed.

When he interviewed for the position with then-President Arthur Gignilliat, who had been the college’s first employee, Wygal and his soon-to-be boss “went over

I

“THE FUN PART”ClASS oF 1969 AlUMnI RETURn FoR 40TH AnnIVERSARy REUnIon


and tramped around on the site a little bit,” where land was being cleared for campus construction.

“It was just mud and woods mostly,” he reflects. But in a matter of months, the campus had begun to take shape.

While the campus was being built, the college’s first offices were in a two-story house at the intersection of Dalton’s Thornton Avenue and Cuyler Street, in what would later become Davies Jewelry & Gifts. The building still stands today.

“This was like an adventure,” Wygal says, thinking back to everything that was involved in getting the college up and going.

He and Gignilliat hired the first faculty members, developed the curriculum, recruited students, and performed some non-academic but no less essential tasks. Wygal put together the first collection of books for the library, set up a mimeograph machine in his home garage where he printed admission applications and student forms, and he and Gignilliat even assembled some classroom furniture.

“I was too young to know it was hard, all of these things I was doing,” he confides now. “We just did everything. It was a lot of fun.”

“Mostly in dealing with [new] faculty members, what we had to offer was the opportunity to be on the ground floor, to make a difference. That was our pitch. And we got some really great people to come. We were selling something [the college] that nobody could see. We had to romance it a lot to get people excited about it.”

“When this school started, there were a lot of young faculty and they were all excited about the school and we were just like one big family,” basketball coach Melvyn Ottinger recalls.

Ottinger, who spoke during the reunion dinner, which was held on the basketball court inside Bandy Gymnasium, regaled the reunion attendees with stories of DJC Roadrunner basketball’s glory days.

“Back then I was only 27,” he says. “I didn’t know you were supposed to work 24/7, which I did.”

He spent his first year setting up the basketball program and identifying potential recruits.

“I remember in 1967 I saw 105 high school games. Someone asked how in the world I could see 105 games in one year. Back then, the state tournament in Macon would begin at eight or nine in the morning….

Class of 1969 alumni taking part in the class photo during the reunion festivities were, seated, left to right, Elizabeth Springfield Gould, Lelia Ewton Mullis, Holly Triplett, Lynn Frost Smith, Brenda Dietz Hall, Claudia Miller Powell, Sharon Cadden Thompson, April King Spross, and Mary Miles Davis; standing, left to right, Gayle Callahan Bean, Marvene Middleton Green, Ronald Neal, Bob Beavers, C. Lamar Wright, Smith Foster, Tim Smith, Richard Alton, Jerry Clements, Cathy Covington Campot, and Linda Bryant King.


So you could go down there for a week and catch 60 or 70 games and that’s what I did.”

By 1969, Coach O was on his way to building the Roadrunner basketball dynasty, which endured for a decade.

Coach O, Arvine Phelps, Terry Christie, Reba Ketner, Harlan Chapman, June Sparks, Ben Tate and dozens more original faculty and staff are remembered today with fondness and respect by the first students.

“Encouraging,” “caring,” “tough,” and “fair” are typical descriptors early alumni use when reminiscing about the faculty and staff who shepherded the Class of 1969 from admission to graduation.

Recalling her time as a student, Marvene Middleton Green admits that “the academics

are what got me. It wasn’t easy: we were challenged. We got two years of the best teaching we could have possibly received.”

“The professors were as interested in our achievements as we were,”

remembers April King Spross (’69), another reunion

attendee.

Seeing former professors and staff at the reunion sparked in

Lynn Frost Smith “a greater admiration and respect for

them that they were willing to take a chance on a

brand new junior college 40 years ago.”

One of them, Harris Mynatt, who was DJC’s first Dean of Students, returned to campus

for the reunion and reprised his former

role by calling the students to order to

kickoff the reunion dinner, then reminiscing

about the Class of 1969 and the college’s first students.

“A great number of our students were the first in their families to attend college,” he reflects.

The students “came from homes that were no-nonsense, that expected proper behavior,” and Mynatt attributes these disciplined backgrounds with providing DJC with students who were serious about their studies but who also knew how to engage with their peers in a variety of campus activities.

The new college’s “emphasis was on teaching,” Mynatt says. The faculty “cared what happened to the students. When DJC was new, there were questions about the quality. It did not take long to alleviate that concern.”

The Dean of Students saw to it that student life was not all classroom work, though, for he quickly set about building a vibrant student activities program and fostering a lively campus atmosphere.

In the first years, 10:00 a.m. was the activities hour, when student clubs and organizations could meet and plan and host events. The campus newspaper (The Boulder) and the yearbook (The Chaparral) staffs met during that time, as did the drama club (“The Carpet Players”), the fencing club (advised by Donna Bentley), and the DJC Chorus, directed by John McDonald, who sent four DJC’ers to all-state chorus in two years.

“There was always something in the works to entertain and involve the students,” remembers April King Spross.

For a small fee they could take a whack with a sledgehammer at an old car spray-painted with professors’ names to raise money for a student club. There were always board games and card games going on in the student center. There was the annual Miss Chaparral (Annette Grigsby, 1969) pageant. There were Roadrunner basketball games, and for a college that did not have a formal music program, students recall a lot of tunes heard on campus throughout the year.

Highlights for the Class of 1969 four decades ago were appearances in the gymnasium by “The Lettermen” and “The Tams,” two bands that were “hot” in the late ‘60’s.

Being on campus during that time was “exciting and exhilarating,” Mynatt remembers.


Among everyone on campus – students, faculty, and staff – “there was a congeniality, a camaraderie,” that made it a truly remarkable period in the college’s evolution.

He credits a lot of that atmosphere to the guiding hand of President Gignilliat, whose “experience determined the direction of the college” in its formative years and set it on the path to success. Mynatt asserts, citing Gignilliat’s progressive career in higher education as a faculty member and an able administrator, as well as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

“I am grateful to Dr. Gignilliat and Dr. Wygal for asking me to be a part of the college, and to Dr. Gene Meadows, then-Dean of Students at Kennesaw State and former colleague at Georgia Tech, for recommending me for the position,” Mynatt says.

A highlight of the reunion program was the appearance of President Gignilliat’s son and namesake, Arthur M. Gignilliat, Jr., who was on campus with his wife, Mollie, for the festivities.

“Mom and Dad loved Dalton and they loved Dalton Junior College,” Gignilliat recalls.

DJC was his father’s last position and he viewed it as a magnificent ending to a long career.

“The community support for the young college, the enthusiasm of the faculty and staff, the excitement of the students – all of it came together in this special place at a special time, and my parents were honored to have played a part in it.”

In a nostalgic mood after the reunion, Lynn Frost Smith notes that “it’s hard to believe that 40 years have passed so quickly. It was great to see how kind time had been to all of us.”

Members of the Class of 1969 are already looking forward to their 50th anniversary reunion in 2019, and making quips about attending in wheelchairs and the college having enough ramps to accommodate them.

A few weeks after this summer’s event, former Dean of Students Harris Mynatt, who knows a thing or two about these kinds of things after his 17½-year stint at DJC, was asked what role reunions play in the life of a college. He didn’t hesitate.

“The fun part,” he said, and smiled a knowing smile, because he had been there.

(Left Photo) Faculty and staff from 1969 participating in the class photo during the Class of 1969 reunion were, seated, left to right, Eileen Fitzgerald, Helen McIntosh, Mickey Sutton, and Melvyn Ottinger; standing, left to right, Harlan Chapman, Terry Christie, Ed Mobley, Ben Wygal, David Blackwell, and Harris Mynatt.


Dalton State is more than 4,300 miles away from Paris, but students in Dr. Nick Carty’s French 1001 class aren’t overly focused on the distance. They experience French culture, customs, or cuisine every time they walk through the door.

“Voulez-vous un croissant?” asks Carty, as he walks through aisles offering crescent-shaped pastries to each student.

“Oui,” answers one. “Merci,” responds another.

Offering a choice between “un café,” “un Perrier,” or “une limonade,” three students, role playing as waiters, walk up to imaginary tables in an imaginary French café on, well, let’s just say the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, asking classmates what they prefer to drink.

“How would you say, ‘Please, I would like a lemonade’?” prompts Carty, reminding the students that “the French expect you to be polite.”

“S’il vous plaît, Je voudrais une limonade,” volunteers one.

Students enrolled in Carty’s French 1001, French 1002, and/or Communication 1110 classes discover early on what lies at the core of the 52-year-old’s teaching philosophy: his love for experiential learning.

“Experiential learning is a win/win for students,” says Carty, the recipient of the DSC Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award for 2009. “When students


It’s a well-known fact that the fear of public speaking is one of the greatest fears known to man. That’s why Associate Professor of Speech Nick Carty makes a special effort to calm anxious students beginning on day one in his Communication 1110 classes.

“When you try to see the world through their perspective, you get insight into how to help them overcome often irrational but still deeply felt fears,” says Carty, who believes that many students are nervous because they are afraid they’re going to be judged negatively by their peers.

So one of his typical first-day icebreakers involves having students introduce a

partner in class and then asking them to rate their own level of nervousness on a scale of one, not nervous, to ten, extremely nervous. Then their classmates are asked to rate them as well.

“Almost always, if a student says she’s an eight on a scale of ten in terms of feeling nervous, the other students will rate her as a two, or even lower.

“Research shows that most physiological reactions are unseen. The audience can’t hear the student’s heart racing, can’t feel the sweat that often accompanies being nervous. Once students realize that they don’t appear to be noticeably nervous, they tend to relax a bit.”

Carty says he reminds students that even if their worst fears are realized, and they do end up “bombing” their speech, they’re still going to return home to a parent, spouse, or friend who loves them all the same. He emphasizes that a failed speech “isn’t going to ruin their lives.”

“What they don’t realize initially is that being a good speaker is not all about the presentation. An effective speech has to show signs of organization and good supporting materials in addition to an effective delivery. Once they begin concentrating on getting their message across in an effective, organized manner, and begin truly trying to connect with their audience, many of those fears begin to fade away.”

are engaged in the learning process, they become better grounded in the theory of the course.”

Carty’s always been a big believer in learning by doing. To make learning fun, practical, and memorable, the Arkansas native creates classroom experiences that go beyond memorizing French vocabulary words or telling students where to stand when they’re delivering a speech.

Learning to cook gourmet French cuisine, competing in campus-wide French Open Tennis Tournaments, and parading down a makeshift runway during a faux Parisian fashion show are just some the activities that facilitate his students’ mastery of a foreign language.

Take his French 1002 class, for example. Verbal commands are perfected during weight training sessions at the college’s fitness center, where pairs of “trainers” and “trainees” issue and respond to commands to “contract” (contract) or “pousser” (to push) while working out on “une presse” (weight training machine).

Experiential learning works well in his Communication 1110 classes as well. Those enrolled in fall semester sections are invited to participate on an intramural flag football team, where they use terminology introduced during class time to call, execute, and run plays on the athletic field.

These activities are not random, Carty admits. A personal trainer, he participates in Senior Olympics, and bikes, runs, swims, and weight-trains his way to fitness.

Carty is also an unabashed Francophile who spent several years working in Paris and has taught abroad through a

University System of Georgia Study Abroad program. And, as a gourmet chef, Carty could be considered a modern day Renaissance man.

His ability to integrate his interests into the classroom has earned him a reputation among current and former students for being an excellent professor who “makes class fun,” is always “positive,” and “makes the most nervous students more comfortable.”

“Although he teaches subjects, public speaking and foreign language, about which many students are extremely apprehensive, he has shown extraordinary creativity in finding ways to engage his students’ senses and their passions

as well as their intellects,” notes Dr. John Hutcheson, Vice President for Academic Affairs, who praises Carty for being an instructor who brings his varied experiences and cosmopolitan interests into the classroom.

Hutcheson says that Carty’s selection as the DSC Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award for 2009 recipient came as no surprise,

despite the fact that there were “numerous qualified and talented faculty members in this year’s pool.”

“Each spring, faculty members are nominated for the award by their peers,” Hutcheson explains. “A committee consisting of faculty, staff, and students reviews the nominees and their portfolios and selects that year’s recipient. It’s a great honor, and we’re very proud of the high quality of instructors we have on this campus that has resulted in consistently outstanding award recipients over the years.”


DALTON STATE COLLEGE FOUNDATION

2009 ANNUAL REPORT TO DONORS

LETTER FROm ThE ChAIR

On behalf of the Dalton State College Foundation, I am proud to say thank you to our donors – alumni, friends, corporations, and foundations – who generously gave of their resources during the Foundation’s fiscal year that ended March 31, 2009.

You’ll notice that our donor list is a little longer this time than in years past. That’s due to the growing alumni support we’re experiencing, and you’ll see their names in italics throughout the list. They know that an investment in their alma mater enhances the value of their degrees and strengthens their ties to Dalton State.

Thanks to the generosity of our more than 500 donors last year, the DSC Foundation awarded 120 scholarships to Dalton State students, supported more than 70 faculty professional development or research activities, and acquired an additional 10 acres of land for the college’s future growth. Initiatives like these are possible only with private support, and that is why your continued advocacy for Dalton State is critical to our success.

We continue to be amazed at the number of people who tell us they’re excited about what’s going on at the college and want to be a part of the action. It’s an honor to hear this, but it’s humbling to know that we’re in the spotlight. With your help we’ll continue to move Dalton State forward for the benefit of today’s and tomorrow’s students who will graduate and then become, like you, avid supporters of our college.

Again, thank you for your continued friendship to Dalton State and for your gifts that make so many good things happen.

Sincerely,

Sara C. Pierce Chair, DSC Foundation



Alrol of America, Inc.American Postal Workers Union-Marietta LocalAzeez Shaheen Charitable TrustBearden Retired Active TeachersBeaulieu of AmericaBP America Inc.-The Fabric of America FundBrown-Whitworth FoundationBryman’s PlazaChild & Family ConsultantsCohutta Banking CompanyThe Community Foundation of Northwest GeorgiaContainer Service CorporationCustom Grinders Sales, Inc.Dalton Beverage CompanyDalton Policemen Benevolence Fund

Dalton-Whitfield BankDixie Group FoundationDorsett Industries, L.P.The Dow Chemical CompanyDSC School of Social Work Faculty and StaffFaith, Hope, and Charity Recycle StoreFannie B.H. Jones Charitable Lead UnitrustFincher/Loughridge FoundationFirst National Bank of ChatsworthFred Whitaker Co.H & L Electric, Inc.Hamilton Medical CenterHubert Judd Charitable TrustJ & J IndustriesKaro’s Corn PlaceKenneth E. Boring Charitable Foundation

Knox County Association of Baptists Marketing Alliance GroupMohawk Carpet FoundationNAMSB Foundation, Inc.National Association of CountiesNorth Georgia AIDS ProjectOMNOVA Solutions FoundationProfessional PharmacyRoman Open Charities, Inc.Shaw Industries Group, Inc.Softball Players AssociationSurya Carpet, Inc.United Community BankUniversity System of Georgia FoundationWachovia Foundation Matching Gifts ProgramWindstream Communications

Dalton State College Foundation 2009 honor Roll of Donors

Corporations, Foundations, and Civic Organizations

Mr. B. Jackson BandyMr. and Mrs. Stan GoodroeMr. and Mrs. James R. JollyMr. and Mrs. Robert W. KinardMr. and Mrs. Shelby Peeples, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. C. Kenneth White

Mr. and Mrs. Jim BethelDr. and Mrs. William BlackmanMrs. James E. BrownMr. and Mrs. David JollyMs. Kay B. LaumanMr. and Mrs. Lamar LyleMr. and Mrs. Robert L. McEntireMr. and Mrs. Stuart McFarlandMr. and Mrs. David Pennington, IIIMr. and Mrs. Lamar PierceMs. Dora R. PriceMr. and Mrs. Brooks Rizer2 Anonymous Donors

Mr. David AftMr. and Mrs. Scott A. BaileyMrs. Johnnie B. BakkumMr. and Mrs. Murray BandyMr. Roy BarrettMrs. Barbara BellMs. Joanne BensonMr. and Mrs. Francis BrantleyMr. and Mrs. G. Robert BuchananDr. and Mrs. James A. BurranMr. and Mrs. Robert ChandlerMrs. Ruth ChenMr. and Mrs. Dan CombsMr. and Mrs. J.D. CopeDrs. Greg Stanley and Judy CornettMr. Mike CowanMr. and Mrs. Lee DanielDr. and Mrs. Rodger EidsonMr. and Mrs. Gerald EmbryMr. and Mrs. Tom W. GreesonMr. and Mrs. Carl Griggs, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Bryan HairMrs. Ruth Lee HairMr. and Mrs. James A. HammackMrs. Bobbye F. HarrisMr. and Mrs. Kevin W. HarrisMr. Lee Tubbs and Dr. Marilyn M. HelmsMr. and Mrs. Robert HubbsMr. and Mrs. Michael HurttDr. and Mrs. John A. Hutcheson, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Edward JohnsonMr. and Mrs. Thomas Johnson, IIIDr. and Mrs. J. Sherwood JonesMr. and Mrs. Jim KellerMr. and Mrs. Nolan KennerMr. and Mrs. Bob KokoszkaMr. and Mrs. Mike LaChapelleMrs. Ruth LambMrs. R. Lynette LaughterMr. and Mrs. Gerry LewisDrs. Charles and Donna Mayo

Individual Supporters (Dalton State alumni are shown in italics)

$50,000+

$10,000 – $49,999

$1,000 to $9,999


Mr. Bryan E. McAllisterMr. and Mrs. Dan McEntireMr. and Mrs. John T. Minor, IVMr. and Mrs. John P. Neal, IIIMr. H. Phillip NeffMr. and Mrs. Rodney OwnbeyMr. and Mrs. Jack Partain

Mr. and Mrs. Carl PhillipsMr. and Mrs. Dewey ReamsMrs. Derrell C. RobertsDr. and Mrs. John O. SchwennMr. and Mrs. David ScogginsDr. and Mrs. Sidney SellersMr. and Mrs. Gregg Sims

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur TaylorMr. John TiceMr. and Mrs. Robert K. Walsh, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Roger WilliamsMr. and Mrs. Larry WinterMr. and Mrs. Lamar Wright1 Anonymous Donor

Ms. Sally AddisThe Almon FamilyMr. and Mrs. Terry BaileyMs. Kimberly S. BartaDr. Debbie BaxterDr. Joseph T. Baxter, Jr.Mr. and Mrs. Chris BedwellDr. Beth BironMr. and Mrs. David BlackwellDr. Mihaela BlanariuMr. Travis BoatwrightMr. and Mrs. Michael A. BorjaDr. and Mrs. J. Don BowenDr. David P. BoyleMr. David John BradburnDr. Cassie F. BradleyDr. Carol BrandMr. and Mrs. William O. Breedlove, IIMs. Sherry BreitweiserMr. George BrewerMr. and Mrs. Bruce L. BroadrickMr. Garrett BurgnerDr. Lynn M. CabeMr. and Mrs. John CampbellMrs. Katherine C. CampotDr. and Mrs. Nick CartyMs. Elizabeth R. ChadwickMr. Charles R. CobleDr. and Mrs. Henry CodjoeDr. James E. ColemanDr. Richard F. CollisonMs. Jamie ConnorsMr. and Mrs. Warren Coppedge, Jr.Ms. Elena E. CortinaMr. and Mrs. Steven CoxMs. Kendra Diona CrossMr. and Mrs. Terry CulliferDr. Donald E. DavisDr. Thomas M. DeatonMrs. Helen “Dudd” DempseyMrs. Rebecca L. DempseyMr. and Mrs. Salvatore Dickinson

Mr. and Mrs. Doyle M. DillardMs. Emily Elaine DuncanMr. and Mrs. Kent EarleyDr. and Mrs. Conrad H. EasleyDr. Ken EllingerMr. and Mrs. David J. ElrodMs. Jane ElzaDr. and Mrs. Royal T. FarrowMrs. Sherrian FinneranMrs. Marilyn FitzpatrickMrs. Sarita GaleMs. Carol GavaganMiss Callie GeeMr. and Mrs. Robert Gilbert Mr. Elijah J. GreenDr. Randall GriffusMr. and Mrs. Zach HallMr. Ted and Dr. Angela HarrisMs. Beth H. HarrisMs. Janet A. HayesMr. Tyson W. HaynesMr. and Mrs. Donald HendrixMr. and Mrs. Nick HenryMrs. Donna K. HillDr. Clare E. HiteDr. and Mrs. Michael P. HoffMr. Steven G. HopkinsDr. Celeste M. HumphreyMr. and Mrs. Baker HydeMr. Fernando IzaguirreMrs. Cathy JacksonMs. Teresa G. JamesMs. Lynda L. JenkinsDr. Charles JohnsonDr. Jean M. JohnsonDr. Larry JohnsonDr. Harold JonesDr. Billy J. JumpMs. Susan KennedyMr. Kenneth and Dr. Gina TartarMr. and Mrs. Ryan P. KingDr. Hubert B. Kinser

Ms. Lydia F. KnightMs. Dorothy L. KnisleyMr. Reed W. KrauseThe Kresl FamilyMr. Michael Val LaRocheMs. Edith M. LarsonMs. Gina L. LawsMr. Donald L. LedfordDr. Stephen A. LeMayMr. and Mrs. Johnny E. LovinDr. and Mrs. G. John Lugthart, IIIMrs. Kelley K. MahoneyMr. Ronnie MarksDr. Nancy MasonMrs. Rebecca McAfeeMr. and Mrs. T. David McCreeryMr. and Mrs. Aaron McCroskeyMr. Garnett McMillanMr. and Mrs. Paul McMurrayMr. and Mrs. Greg MeltonDr. Sarah K. MergelDr. and Mrs. Andy MeyerMr. and Mrs. Clifford MillerMr. and Mrs. John T. Minor, IIIMr. and Mrs. Larry B. MorrisMs. Tamya MorrisMs. Lynn MorseDr. Lelia Christie MullisDr. Barbara M. MurrayMs. Barbara L. NeidingerMr. Charlie and Dr. Mary T. NielsenMr. Truett and Dr. Lee Ann NimmonsMrs. Cheryl C. NuckollsJudge and Mrs. Charles PannellMs. Lisa B. PedenDr. and Mrs. Keith R. PerryDr. and Mrs. Barry PeytonMrs. Ruthie Ammari PfeifferMr. Max T. PierceDr. Geoffrey PoorDr. Christy PriceMrs. Regina J. Ray

$1,000 to $9,999 (continued)

$100 to $999



Mr. and Mrs. Dale E. RelyeaMr. Jack B. ReynoldsMrs. Robin RoeMs. Kathleen J. RossMs. Nathalie SandersMr. Jim Clyde ShahanMrs. Barbara ShifflerMs. Marge ShirillaMs. Doris M. ShoemakerDr. Lorena A. SinsMr. and Mrs. James N. SkeenMr. George E. Smalley

Mrs. George SparksMs. Carol E. StansburyMr. Donnie G. StantonMr. Marcus and Dr. Cordia StarlingMrs. Lorie StennettRev. and Mrs. Dean TaylorMrs. Mary TaylorMr. and Mrs. Henry TeelMr. and Mrs. Henry TharpeDr. Natalie TriceMr. and Mrs. David TuckerDr. Thomas D. Veve

Mrs. Christy D. WalkerDr. and Mrs. Jack WaskeyDrs. Robert and Dorothy WeathersbyMs. Susan D. WestMs. Linda WheelerMr. John Lennis WilliamsMs. Jane WimmerMr. and Mrs. Jimmie WitherowMs. Holly WoodsDr. Javad H. Zadeh13 Anonymous Donors

Mrs. Betty W. AndersenMr. David P. AskewMrs. Lucena L. AultMs. Christy AyarsMs. Jennifer L. BakerMr. Rex Roderic BartlesMr. Anthony Vincent BartlettDr. Kristin M. BartonMr. and Mrs. Antonio Bautista-MaldonadoMr. and Mrs. Bob BeaversDr. and Mrs. Frank BeesleyMr. Steve BettisMrs. Donna L. BledsoeMrs. Jane Jordan BoggsMrs. Marsha Wright BoydMrs. Lois BradfordMr. Dewayne BramlettDr. Mary Bricker-JenkinsMr. Thomas J. Brown, Jr.Ms. Nancy P. BrummettMr. Bart BuffMr. and Mrs. Fred BurdickMr. and Mrs. Norman BurkettMr. Steven A. CaldwellMr. and Mrs. Steve CantrellMr. and Mrs. Jimmy CarrierMs. Louise B. CaseMrs. Joan ChapmanMs. Julie Rene ChastainMs. Tammy M. ChastainMrs. Angela G. ClarkMs. Beverly Marie ClintonMr. and Mrs. David Cochran Mr. and Mrs. Leslie A. ColeDr. Emma CooleyMs. Debra Lyons Cooper

Mr. and Mrs. Lanny CooperDr. and Mrs. Larry W. CooperMr. Mitch CooperMr. Travis R. CooperMrs. Jacqueline Hall CopelandMr. and Mrs. Kevin CordellMs. Cynthia E. CoulterMs. Helen CrawfordMrs. Annette CzerneskiMr. Raymond J. DalesMs. Donna Lee DavisMs. Sara C. DavisDr. Cecile A. de RocherMs. Constance B. DedmonMs. Carol DenneyMr. Norman DesRosiersMrs. Ava B. DigioiaMs. Lisa DouglasMr. and Mrs. Mike DoyleMrs. Theresa K. DuggarMs. Esther DunnMrs. Patricia Ledford DurrenceMrs. Jillianne McClain EdwardsMr. Douglas G. EllisMs. Sherry B. ElsberryMr. Joshua Thomas EricksonMs. Aimee D. EvansMs. Carlyn Sue EvansMrs. Linda P. FletcherMs. Phyllis A. FountainMs. Lee FreemanMr. and Mrs. Fernando GarciaMs. Robin Bagley GordonMs. Linda S. GreenMs. Elizabeth GreesonMs. Orenda G. GregoryMs. Pamela Ware Gunter

Dr. Baogang GuoMr. James S. HallMr. Larry R. HeadrickMr. Ronald Edwin Headrick, Jr.Ms. Melissa A. HegwoodMr. and Mrs. Kendall HendersonMrs. Carol J. HerndonMr. Jonathan A. HildrethMr. and Mrs. Kenneth L. HillMrs. Glenda HobbsMrs. Janet M. HolbrookMr. Kerry L. HolmesMrs. Arlene HookerMs. Shirley W. HopkinsMs. Mary Ann HudsonMs. Lisa B. HuntMrs. Elizabeth J. JohnsonMs. Nina A. JohnsonMs. Tammy B. JohnsonMs. Barbara JonesMs. Geneva Sue JonesMs. Jane G. JonesDr. Joe KeenerMrs. Kelli KeenerMr. Ronnie David KeithMrs. Holly S. KelleyMr. John T. KenemerMrs. Mary Alice KinneyMr. Cy KirkMr. William C. KuzniakMr. and Mrs. John LaneMs. Jaime Annette LarkinMrs. Cynthia Weaver LeatherwoodMr. and Mrs. Norris LittleMr. Lamar LivelyMs. Elizabeth E. LonesMs. Sue H. Long

$100 to $999 (continued)

Up to $99


Ms. Rebecca L. LoweryMrs. Ina MartinMr. and Mrs. Charles F. MasonMr. and Mrs. Joseph MasseyDr. Marsha MathewsMs. Karen H. McCartneyMrs. Dawn Maria McFaddenMr. Dennis N. MitchellMr. Erwin MitchellDr. Carla C. MoldavanMrs. Carolyn H. MorganMrs. Sheila D. MossMr. Donald J. Mroz Dr. Thomas W. MullenMr. Chris D. MullinaxMs. Darla J. MunnDr. Lynn MurphyMr. and Mrs. Tom NealMr. Ronald D. NealMr. Patrick A. NeblettDr. Benedict NmahMs. Kimberly Ann NolandMrs. Jennifer O’BrienMs. Kellie OlsonMr. Charles Martin O’MahoneyMrs. Nina G. O’NeillMr. Robert R. OxfordMs. Stacey PageMs. Kimberly Dawn ParkMrs. Fred Parrott

Mrs. Sharon K. PaytonDr. Kenneth PestkaMs. Rachel J. PierceMs. Glenda S. PileggiMr. William Z. PoarchMr. and Mrs. J. Marion PorterMr. Jason M. PorterMr. Norman E. Powell, Jr.Ms. Emma M. PowersMrs. Billie PreciseMr. and Mrs. Terry L. ProctorMr. Derek S. PutnamMrs. Tricia RafeyMr. John David RaisinMrs. Jackie Reed Mr. and Mrs. Charles ReevesMs. Holly Lynn RiceMs. Teresa D. RiddleMs. Patricia W. RidpathMs. Martha Ann RobertsonMrs. Mollie RogersMr. Grant R. RosenMrs. Corey D. RoyDr. Monte SalyerMs. Christine M. SandowDr. Aslam SandviMs. Rubye P. SaneMrs. Kelly SeoMs. Dawn S. SerrilliMs. Charlsie Sexton

Ms. Nancy Lynn SharpMrs. Anita Neal ShattuckMs. Josalyn D. ShultsMs. Madalyn H. SmithMr. Richard F. Smith, Jr.Mr. DeWayne W. StansellMr. Arthur W. SuttonMr. Kendall Ross TateMrs. Ann L. TaylorMs. Deborah W. TaylorMr. and Mrs. Rodney TeasleyMrs. Carrie M. ThomasDylan, Morgan, & Devyn TrostMs. Connie F. TurnerMr. and Mrs. Brian J. VerheyenMs. Janet Anne VetterMrs. Jennifer D. VeveMs. Karen W. WagnerMs. Frances WallerMs. Gail WardMs. Christina B. WatanabeDr. Rebecca A. WelchMs. Deby WestMr. and Mrs. Thomas J. WhatleyMr. Kenneth Arthur WhiteMr. Philip B. WilliamsMs. Kristi R. WillocksMr. Jeremiah Lee WordMr. Randall H. Wright3 Anonymous Donors

Up to $99 (continued)

The DSC Foundation gratefully acknowledges the generosity of these friends of Dalton State. The preceding lists reflect gifts and pledges received during the Foundation’s fiscal year of April 1, 2008, to March 31, 2009. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of these lists. If you know of an error, please notify the DSC Foundation at 706-272-4473.


Dalton State College Foundation, Inc. Significant Financial highlights

for the year ended March 31, 2009

Assets Cash & Cash Equivalents 2,000,966

Investments 8,257,085

Alternative Investments 2,159,483

Accounts Receivable 10,033

Deferred Tax Benefit 40,223

Pledge Receivables 9,185,624

Prepaid Expenses 207,837

Property & Equipment 5,140,009

Mortgage Acquisition Costs 26,143

ToTal asseTs $27,027,403

Liabilities Accounts Payable 284,653

Security Deposits 5,655

CRAT Payable 146,411

Mortgage Payable 2,326,395

Net Assets Unrestricted 12,958,412

Temporarily Restricted 1,731,067

Permanently Restricted 9,574,810

ToTal liabliliTes & NeT asseTs $27,027,403

Revenues Contributions 706,827

Investment Income 444,799

Net Realized Gain/Loss on Sale of Investments (1,522,316)

Net Unrealized Gain/Loss on Sale of Investments (2,699,354)

Net Unrelated Business Income (69,275)

ToTal ReveNues $(3,139,319)

Expenses Program Expenses 2,006,364

General & Administrative 156,565

Fund Raising 79,908

ToTal expeNses $2,242,837

ChaNge iN NeT asseTs (5,382,156)

NeT asseTs aT begiNNiNg of YeaR 29,646,445

Net Assets At eNd of YeAr $24,264,289



“This is arguably the best place I could have gone,” says David Amis, a junior history major. “Being at Dalton State during my senior year of high school just solidified my desire to go here.”

Amis, who was a joint enrollment “Accel” student from Ringgold High School during his senior year, finished a year’s worth of college credit courses by the time he graduated from RHS in May 2007. And by then, he’d already fallen in love with Dalton State.

“I love this school to death,” he says. “The campus, the professors, the environment. I wouldn’t trade anything for having made the decision to come here.”

Amis, the recipient of the Derrell C. Roberts Memorial Scholarship, admits he’s also fallen in love with the study of history, primarily because “the history professors are amazing.”

“After taking a class or two with Dr. [Tom] Veve, I knew I wanted to be a history major. And after working as a student aide in the Tutoring Center and in the Advising Center, I know that I want to teach.”

This fall, Amis was one of the first students to enroll in the Bachelor of Arts in History degree program with the teacher certification option. As such, he will be qualified to teach in the public school system once he graduates in May 2011.

“I’ve received a lot of support from the faculty while I’ve been here, and many of my professors have encouraged me to become a professor. Their faith in me means a lot.”

DAvID AMIS

Courtney Wallin, who will graduate with a registered nursing degree in May, admits that her choice of career path is all about the “adrenaline rush.”

“For me, the gorier, the better,” says Wallin, 20, a native of Dade County and a recipient of the Kenneth E. and Dottie S. Boring nursing Scholarship.

“I plan to work as a surgical nurse in the operating room. In the o.R., you’re always on your toes; you never know what you’re going to see next. I know this kind of nursing is not for everyone, but someone’s got to do it. And I love it.”

Wallin joined her county fire department’s Fire and Rescue Squad to gain experience with crisis situations that result in major injuries. She is also working on her Emergency Medical Technology (EMT) certification and hopes one day to work as a lifeforce nurse, one who treats critically ill or injured patients being flown in helicopters to major trauma centers.

Her future goals include earning a Bachelor of Science in nursing degree. The Trenton native plans to stay in northwest Georgia, where she can be near her mom, stepdad, and eight “Brady Bunch” siblings.

“Having the Boring nursing Scholarship means so much to me. There’s definitely no way I could be in school without it. This is the only way I can go. These scholarships are a blessing.”

cOURTNEy wALLIN


ScholarshipsBlake Boling remembers being placed on academic probation, and then on academic suspension, while he was a relatively new student at Dalton State in 2004.

But he believes his greatest accomplishment is sticking with it and raising his grade point average high enough to be accepted into the college’s registered nursing program, which has paved the way for a bright future in hospital nursing.

“That was a big feat for me,” says Boling, a former place kicker on northwest High School’s football team who played ball for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga during the fall of 2003.

“When I transferred to Dalton State, I wasn’t ready for college at that point. I’m just glad I stuck it out and turned things around.”

When Boling, a recipient of the Kenneth E. and Dottie S. Boring nursing Scholarship, graduates in May 2010, he’ll be ready to begin working full time, most likely at Hamilton Medical Center. Because HMC offers a bachelor of science in nursing program through a University System of Georgia school, he’ll be able to continue his education while working full time at the hospital. Eventually, he’d like to earn his Certified Registered nursing in Anesthesia (CRnA) certification, which will allow him to work in hospital operating rooms as a nurse anesthetist.

“I definitely want to work in a field like critical care, perhaps the intensive care unit (ICU). I job shadowed a CRnA technician a while back, and I really enjoyed seeing what he was able to do – to administer anesthesia on his own following a doctor’s order.

BLAkE BOLING

“I also like the ‘one patient’ focus you get when you’re working in surgery or in ICU. I’d like to be a part of that kind of environment.”

Criminal justice major Rachel Wilson Mcnew plans to focus on helping troubled youth after she earns her degree in a few years.

As one of the first to enroll in the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree program, Mcnew admits she has “a heart for teens” and can envision herself working within the court system as a child or teen advocate.

“I have always felt drawn to young people who are struggling,” says Mcnew, who, as the oldest of four children and a former church youth leader, understands the adolescent mind fairly well.

Mcnew is a recipient of the Roy Barrett Scholarship. She credits the scholarship and the money she earns through her student aide position in Student Activities and Enrollment Services with making it possible for a “struggling college student” to realize her dreams.

“I love Dalton State,” she says. “once you take the initiative to do something more than just go to classes, you realize how great the experience here really is.”

RAcHEL wILSON McNEw


Judy and Jim JollyT H e A R T O F G i V i N G :

profile of a donor


T H e A R T O F G i V i N G :

or Dalton State’s friends Judy and Jim Jolly, the art of giving is something

they’ve been practicing all of their lives.

“I learned giving from watching my mom and dad,” says Jim, who serves as a Trustee of the Dalton State College Foundation and sits on the Foundation’s Executive Committee.

“Volunteering in the community and in church just seemed to come with the territory” when he was growing up. His family moved to Dalton when he was three. Jim’s father, Rollins, was a key player in helping to establish the college in the early 1960’s and was a Charter Trustee of the Foundation in 1967.

“Growing up here, I just want to give,” says Judy, whose family moved to Dalton when she was four.

The Jollys know a thing or two about giving.

Jim is in his third five-year term on the Foundation board, having completed previous terms in the 1990’s and the 1970’s, including a year as chair. He’s also on the board at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, where he’s concluding a term as chair. And he’s a member of the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents, the 18-member governing body for public higher education in the state. He chairs the Regents’ Committee on Real Estate and Facilities.

Both Jollys are active in their church, Dalton’s Grace Presbyterian, and have worked with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes on the local and national levels.

Judy has served on the boards of the Family Support Council and Christian Heritage School.

In addition to their numerous service roles, the Jollys generously support Dalton State with their financial resources, adhering to the Biblical teaching of Matthew 6:21 that “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

They were original donors to Dalton State’s James and Sis Brown Fellowship in 1998, a donor society for individuals giving $10,000 or more for the Foundation’s unrestricted use. The Jollys endowed the Jolly Family Regents Engineering Transfer Program (RETP) Scholarship in 2004 to support Dalton State students majoring in pre-engineering or physics. And they played instrumental roles in the

Foundation’s recently completed Fulfilling the Vision campaign, making a major investment in the college’s future and asking others to do so as well.

“What they’ve done here is incredible,” says David Elrod, Director of Institutional Advancement for Dalton State. “Their influence, their impact, their inspiration to others is extraordinary.”

The Jollys’ roots in Dalton run deep. They met at Fort Hill School when she was going into the sixth grade and he was entering the seventh. The family business, commercial floorcovering manufacturer J&J Industries (one of the J’s stands for Jolly), is under its third generation of family leadership. Having grown up in Dalton, raised their family here, and seen their business prosper, they are justifiably proud of their hometown.

“We give here because it’s our home,” says Judy. “We believe in it, and we’ve been blessed.”

Investing so much of themselves in worthwhile causes like education gives the Jollys “a feeling of ownership. You just want to see them succeed,” she says.

When asked what excites them most about Dalton State, they answer simultaneously, each with a number of things that motivate them.

“I’m impressed with the number of scholarships the Foundation has for the students,” Judy says. “That kind of support says a lot about our community.”

“The college has had outstanding leadership through four different presidents in its history,” says Jim, citing Presidents Gignilliat, Roberts, Burran, and Schwenn. “We’ve evolved from small beginnings to a time when it’s exciting to look to the future.”

One thing that pleases both Jollys is “how important Dalton State is to the whole region – the relationships the college has, and the energy and talent that resides here with the faculty and students.”

The Jollys are “excited by the college’s access mission,” citing its impact on students who become the first in their families ever to graduate from college.

“That’s a great role to play,” they say.

F


Theresa kreslTheresa Kresl (’02) married Benjamin Duggar on Saturday, May 23, 2009, in the first-ever wedding ceremony to be held on the Dalton State campus.

They exchanged vows underneath the new bell tower with family and friends seated in the quadrangle.

The couple met in 2007 while working at Middle Georgia College. The newlyweds live in Marietta, GA.

Dudd DempseyCapping an 18-year career on the staff at Dalton State, Dudd Dempsey (’90, ’93) won the DSC Foundation’s 2009 Beth Burdick Service Excellence Award last spring for her outstanding commitment to customer service.

Her nominator for the award wrote that she was “always professional, courteous, and pleasant,” and “a creative problem-solver.”

Dudd retired as secretary to the president of the college, where she had served since 2005. Prior to that post, she had been secretary to the then-Division of Social Sciences, now a part of the School of Liberal Arts.

“As a child of immigrants, I appreciate the courage my parents had when they left behind everything familiar and came to the United States,” Dudd says. “Growing up, I watched them take pride in their work and continually do the right thing. I hope I honor their memories by always putting forth my best effort.”

It’s worth noting that Dudd’s commitment to Dalton State is shared by her entire family. Not only did she graduate from the college before joining its staff, but her three children attended here, as did her husband. Even the family dog completed obedience training classes through the college’s Continuing Education program.

In her retirement, Dudd plans to catch up on reading, sewing, making clay sculptures, and refinishing furniture. And stay in touch with her alma mater, of course.

Congratulations, Dudd, on winning the Foundation’s 2009 Beth Burdick Service Excellence Award!

Photograph courtesy of CLC Photography


ALUMNI PROFILES

carmen cavanaugh, Josh killion, Lee Ann cline, and Rita Burrows Recognized for volunteer workFour Dalton State alumni were recognized recently for outstanding service to their communities by the United Way of Northwest Georgia.

Carmen Cavanaugh (’07) was awarded the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for her volunteer service with Junior Achievement, Big Brothers / Big Sisters, and United Way. In addition to her service with JA and BB/BS, Carmen volunteers with Adopt-a-Reader, is a member of the Steering Committee for the United Way’s Young Leaders Society, and sits on the Program Committee for the Boys & Girls Club of Gordon and Murray County.

Josh Killion (’04) also received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for volunteering more than 100 hours of service to United Way, Junior Achievement, and the Family Crisis Center.

Lee Ann Cline (’83) received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award. She received the awards for the more than 500 hours of volunteer service to local organizations during 2008 and for volunteering over 4,000 hours of her time throughout the years.

Rita Burrows (‘95) was nominated for the Connie Woodward Award for Outstanding Volunteerism in Whitfield County. In addition to running her own small business, Rita performs kennel duty on 19 shifts per month and serves as the kennel manager, primary adoption coordinator, and member of the Strut Your Mutt Committee for the Humane Society of Northwest Georgia.

Congratulations to Carmen, Josh, Lee Ann, and Rita on this well-deserved recognition!

Rita Burrows (top left), Lee Ann Cline (top right), Josh Killion and Carmen Cavanaugh. Photographs top left and bottom courtesy of United Way of Northwest Georgia.

ways to keep in TouchKeeping in touch with Dalton State and with your classmates is a great way to maintain and build your personal and professional relationships.

Send us your Alumni Profile or Alumni notes one of four ways:

Fastest and best way: Web – www.daltonstate.edu/alumni

Really good way: Email – [email protected]

Old-fashioned but still acceptable way: Fax – 706-272-2472

Been-around-for-more-than-a-hundred-years way: Mail – Dalton State Alumni Relations office | 650 College Drive | Dalton, GA 30720


Randy vick (’99) lives in Ellijay, GA. He is a Computer Operator for Jasper Banking Company.

Stephanie Paige Fouts (’97) enjoys camping and riding her motorcycle. She works in the front office of Allatoona Family Dental. Paige and her husband live in Fairmount, GA.

Roger George (’96) is the owner of Dark Knight Racing, LLC. In his free time, the Cary, NC, resident likes to ride mountain bikes.

Donna Babb Sosebee (’96) and her family live in Dacula, GA. Her hobbies and interests include health and nutrition, fitness, and sports.

Raymond k. Holt, II, (’95) was recently promoted to Environmental Systems Coordinator at Shaw Industries. The Chatsworth, GA, resident enjoys woodworking, computer repair, and digital photography. He and his wife are expecting a baby girl this fall.

Donna Hall Ogle (’95) works for Cumberland Medical Center as an Endoscopy Staff Nurse. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and playing with her grandchildren. Donna and her husband live in Crossville, TN.

Jamie Harris Tidwell (’94) of Chickamauga, GA, is a Quality Research Analyst for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee.

Mark welch (’93) is completing work on his Ph.D. in International Economics from Northwestern University. The Chatsworth, GA, resident is also working on a fiction novel and enjoys attending Scottish festivals, hiking, reading, and restoring vintage Ford trucks in his spare time.

Melinda white Dill (’91) is a substitute teacher. She enjoys going to yard sales and flea markets looking for “treasure.” Melinda and her family live in Meigs, GA.

2000s

1990s

Tim cochran (’09) of Calhoun, GA, is a Network Specialist for Gordon County. His hobbies include computers, basketball, and mountain biking.

Mark coppola (’08) is a nurse at Cartersville Medical Center. He is living in Cartersville, GA.

Flora Smith witten (’07) lives in Cohutta, GA, with her husband. She works in Customer Service for Convergys and enjoys sewing, cooking, and fishing in her spare time.

Susan Stinson Royal (’06) likes to spend her free time reading, gardening, and traveling. She and her husband reside in Rising Fawn, GA, where she is an elementary school teacher at Chattanooga Valley Elementary.

Melissa Gordy Guinn (’05) is currently working on her master’s degree in social work. She is employed by Walker County as an Adoption Case Manager. The Ringgold, GA, resident’s hobbies include reading, gardening, and hiking.

Jeremy Dunphy (’04) is a Managed Repair Coordinator for Progressive Insurance. He and his wife live in Mableton, GA.

Michael Gregory Burns (’03) and kristen kilgore Burns (’03) live in Louisville, GA. Greg is the Band Director at Louisville Middle School and Kristen works for Queensborough National Bank & Trust.

Annette Boston (’01) of Rome, GA, enjoys spending time with family, playing with her dogs, and watching fast pitch softball. She is a Social Services Coordinator in the Forensic Division of Northwest Georgia Regional Medical Center.

Jimmy Dewayne Hughes (’00, ’98), his wife Stacie (taking the picture), and daughters Tiffani (left), Brittney (right), and Jaqualla (not pictured) welcomed Jordan Christopher Hughes on July 25, 2009. Jordan weighed 7 pounds, 8 ounces and was 20 inches long.

Tim Taylor (’00) of Dayton, TN, works for La-Z-Boy, Inc. and enjoys photography and outdoor activities such as hiking, hunting, fishing and gardening.


ALUMNI NOTES

Julia Autry (’89) lives in Plainville, GA, where she spends her free time designing and researching interpretive museum exhibits. She works as a Ranger at the Chief Vann House in Chatsworth.

Shannon Berry (’89) of Murfreesboro, TN, is a Territory Sales Manager for Shaw Industries. He is a sports fan and enjoys cars and motorcycles. Shannon and his wife, Kim, have two children.

Dixie carter (’88) is a Case Manager Supervisor for Highland Rivers Center where she works with adults and children with mental illnesses. When she’s not working, the Morganton, GA, resident is researching her family’s genealogy or reading about American history.

Steven Burchell (’87) works in sales for Houston Brothers, Inc. The Knoxville, TN, resident used to work in radio. Steve calls his current job “a deserved break from radio.”

Tina Ramey watkins (’84) enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She is a Paraprofessional at LaFayette High School. Tina and her family live in LaFayette, GA.

Nancy Harris (’83) and her husband live in Chattanooga, TN. She works for Dialysis Clinic, Inc., as a Nurse Practitioner. Recently, Nancy completed her master’s degree in nursing.

Deborah Jean McLean (’79) lives in Cumming, GA, and works for Atlanta Health Associates, Inc.

Jack Summers (’78) spends his free time golfing, gardening, and fishing. Retired from the U.S. Army, he lives in Guyton, GA, with his wife.

Emily Duncan (’77) is the Executive Director of The Lakeland Surgical & Diagnostic Center. She lives in Lakeland, FL.

Janice Ann wilson (’76, ‘71) lives in Hephzibah, GA. She is a nurse for MCG Health Systems in Augusta, GA.

Sandra whaley Derrick (’75) retired in June 2008 after 30 years with Whitfield County Schools. Sandra’s hobbies include arts and crafts. She lives in Dalton, GA, with her husband and daughter, who is currently attending Dalton State.

Roy Milton (’75) of Ellijay, GA, enjoys fishing, stock car racing, and sightseeing every chance he gets. Here Roy takes in the sights with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

Hubert A. Marsh, Sr., (’72) recently retired as director of the Whitfield County Health Department’s Teen Resource Center. He and his wife live in Dalton, GA.

Johnnie Dobson (’71) lives in Rome, GA. He works for the Harris Arts Center in Calhoun as an artist.

1980s

1970s carrie wagnon Holder (’92) and her husband, Mark,

were married on January 16, 2009. They live in Tunnel Hill, GA. When she’s not teaching kindergarten at Eastside Elementary School, Carrie is reading or traveling.

charles Robinson (’83) of Jasper, GA, was recently nominated for an Atlanta Journal-Constitution Nursing Excellence Award. Charles has worked as a Registered Nurse at Piedmont Mountainside Hospital for 15 years.

Rebecca v. Akins (’82) is a resident of Rocky Face, GA. She works as a pharmacist for Wal-Mart.

Ralph Bryan Phillips, Jr., (’81) is the Operations Manager for Nu Emage Embroidery. The Atlanta, GA, resident is a classic car enthusiast and enjoys playing with his dogs.


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Permit No. 113650 College Drive | Dalton, GA 30720

Alumni, Let’s catch Up!Tell us what you’re doing and how you’re doing. Log on to www.daltonstate.edu/alumni and fill us in on all the news: your latest promotion, a relocation, a new baby, a new spouse . . . .

What are you up to?

dalton state magazine fall 2009

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