Ben Hogan ’69 of Birmingham has retired from his practice of law after 45 years. Hogan specialized in product liability, and is one of the few lawyers in the United States who won million dollar verdicts in each of five decades. He is past president of the Alabama chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates and received the Warhorse Award from Southern Trial Lawyers.

Carmen Renee ’94 joined Church Hill Theatre in Church Hill, Maryland, as the theatre’s executive manager. Renee studied music at BSC and Baltimore’s Peabody Conservatory. Most recently, she served as director of music for Wye Conservatory and Parish and as a music teacher with Queen Anne’s County schools. She is also a professional musician and has performed in operas across the eastern United States.

Terry Smiley ’94 (MPPM ’07) was the keynote speaker at Talladega’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration at Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church. The event brought in a record-breaking crowd to honor King and his legacy. Smiley is the vice president of the Anniston-based Eastern Division of Alabama Power and has more than 25 years of experience in the utility industry. He is a former BSC trustee.

Dane Peterson ’97 is directing the Virginia Samford Theatre’s production of “Cabaret,” which runs through Feb. 9. Currently, Peterson serves as the founding artistic director for The DANE, formerly the Dane Peterson Theatre Series, the founding vice president of the Birmingham Area Theatre Alliance, and the director of theatre arts at Indian Springs School. He has also served as the theatre director for John Carroll Catholic High School and as the director of production and education at Birmingham Children’s Theatre. BSC alumni Kristi Tingle Higginbotham ’87, Jada Cato ’17, Darby Burgess ’17, and Van Looney ’19 join Peterson as cast members in “Cabaret.” Cathy Rye Gilmore ’68, president of the Virginia Samford Theatre, is also a graduate.

Jennifer McQueen Memolo ’00 published “Procedures and Patient Care for the Physical Therapist Assistant,” a textbook for Physical Therapist Assistant students, last year with SLACK, Inc. Memolo is an assistant professor in the Physical Therapist Assistant program at Clarkston College in Omaha. Her clinical background includes inpatient rehabilitation, skilled nursing, and home health care.

Scarlett Singleton Nokes ’01 was promoted to partner with five other Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP attorneys in the firm’s Nashville office. Nokes is a member of the Government Enforcement and Investigations Practice Group and represents clients in a range of matters related to government investigations, white-collar criminal defense, regulatory and compliance issues, civil litigation, and enforcement actions. She received her law degree from Harvard Law School.

Colton Hinderliter ’18 and Ryan Key ’18 have launched their first podcast, “Wrapped,” with guest appearances from Adam Stansell ’17. The podcast features discussions about new song and album releases, upcoming artist tours, deep analysis on individual artists, bands, and albums, and the top music of the year. “Wrapped” is available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and YouTube, and episodes can also be found on their website. Both Hinderliter and Key studied theatre at BSC.

Willie Williams, Jr. ’18 is one of 16 artists with a sculpture on display in Chicago’s West Pullman Park. Chicago Sculpture International selected his carbon steel sculpture, “Trinity,” as part of Sculpture in the Parks, its exhibit in collaboration with the Chicago Park District. William owns Studio 2500 in North Birmingham, a diverse gallery for young artists in the city.

Brooke Coleman, director of gift planning at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham and wife of BSC President Daniel Coleman, received The Women’s Fund of Greater Birmingham’s inaugural Cameron Vowell Changemaker Award, which recognizes supporters who challenge the status quo and honor their commitment to gender parity. Coleman serves as a volunteer leader with the Creative Montessori School, the Alabama Symphony, Holy Family Cristo Rey Catholic High School, and The Women’s Fund.

Joe Judge, former BSC linebackers coach, was named head coach of the New York Giants. After his time with the BSC football team, Judge joined the University of Alabama’s football staff and then the New England Patriots as the special-teams coordinator and wide-receivers coach

Jane Newton McConnell ’41 of Ponce Inlet, Fla., on May 3, 2019. McConnell served as an air traffic controller with the Civil Aeronautics Administration at the Jacksonville Municipal Airport, during which she met her husband, a U.S. Navy veteran. Her artistic talents were evident throughout her time as an expert flower arranger and artist. When her husband died in 1975, McConnell moved back to the South after 29 years in New York. She was active in the Palmetto Club, Museum Guild, Garden Club of Ponce Inlet, Ponce Inlet Women's Club, and the Ponce Inlet Art Guild. She was a member of Westminster by the Sea Presbyterian Church for 34 years.

Nell Scogin Thomas ’42 of Northbrook, Ill., on Jan. 29, 2020. After first settling in Birmingham, Thomas and her husband, the late John X. Thomas, Sr. ’49, moved to Illinois in 1966. She had a love for family, a sharp wit, and a keen sense of humor. Thomas’s sisters, the late Cherry Scogin Woodruff ’39 and Claradel Scogin Holcombe ’48, and her son, Dr. John “Jay” S. Thomas, Jr. ’72, also attended BSC.

Marian P. Tortomase ’45 of Birmingham on Dec. 29, 2019. Tortomase was a scholarship student at the Birmingham Conservatory of Music, where she studied piano pedagogy and music composition. She later received a scholarship at the Manhattan Pius X School of Liturgical Music in New York, which specializes in Gregorian chant and polyphonic music. After World War II, Tortomase provided music therapy for soldiers and began her teaching career, including 15 years with BSC’s music department. She went on to teach music for Birmingham City Schools.

Jean Sellers Stammer ’48 of Birmingham on Jan. 29, 2020. Stammer spent several years as a social worker before her children were born. She a member of Independent Presbyterian Church for more than 40 years. She participated in a variety of missions with IPC, including a medical mission trip to Honduras. Stammer volunteered with a number of nonprofit organizations, played bridge with loyal friends, and enjoyed traveling with her husband, the late Joseph Meyer Stammer ’48.

Jane Hutchins Israel ’49 of Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Dec. 27, 2019. Israel and her husband, Willis, established a rural medical practice in Wedowee, Alabama, shortly after Willis completed medical school. She loved written word and music, and she served as a choir director for many years. Israel was well known for writing encouraging letters.

Jane Page Miller ’57 of McCalla, Ala., on Jan. 31, 2020. Miller worked at the Social Security Administration in Birmingham for many years. She was a member of Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church.

Col. Olen Gene Fraser ’59 of Birmingham on Dec. 21, 2019. Fraser served in the U.S. Army and worked at Federated Rural Electric Insurance.

James Ross McCain ’59 of Epworth, Ga., on Nov. 30, 2019. McCain completed graduate work at Auburn University and Emory University. His passion was Formula One racing. While in medical school at Emory, he had a serious accident racing in the Formula One Race in Daytona Beach when his car flipped. The accident ended his career in racing and medical school, but he finished his degree at Emory in biochemistry. McCain worked at Emory for 40 years in digestive disease research, and, during those years, he received his pilot's license and purchased several planes. After retiring, he earned his real estate and home builder's licenses.

Penelope “Penny” Moore ’59 of Sylacauga, Ala., on Jan. 18, 2020. Moore dedicated her career to education, spending many years in Sylacauga City Schools and the State of Alabama Department of Education. She received master's degrees from the University of Mississippi and the University of Alabama after graduating from BSC. Among numerous other awards, she was honored as Sylacauga Exchange Club’s 1982 Woman of the Year and as Alabama’s 1991 Teacher of the Year. She was a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church, Sylacauga.

Martha Johnson Kyhn ’65 of Arvada, Colo., on Oct. 19, 2019. Kyhn received her master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado. She taught elementary school in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Colorado. She loved to be with friends and family and to travel. In 1976, Kyhn and her daughter moved to Greece for a year and would return to Greece many times after that, making new friends each trip.

Bob Lee Williams ’72 of Birmingham on Nov. 28, 2019. Williams worked as the chief assistant DA in the Shelby County District Attorney's Office for 10 years. In 1991, he helped start the Shelby County Public Defender's Office, where he worked as the public defender until his death. He served on the Alabama Sentencing Commission and the Shelby County Community Corrections Board. Williams served Asbury United Methodist Church as a lay leader, Bible study teacher, and friend to many. His mother, the late Julia Walker Williams ’49, his daughter, Sarah Keathley Hutchings ’05, and his son-in-law, Joseph Anthony Hutchings ’05, also graduated from BSC.

Terrell Finney, Jr. ’75 of Wyoming, Ohio, on Jan. 23, 2020. After studying theatre and speech at BSC, Finney earned his Master of Fine Arts in directing from Boston University and studied at the Royal National Theatre Studio in London, where his instructors included Dame Judi Dench and Sir Ian McKellen. He joined BSC as a faculty member from 1978 to 1984. Finney then began teaching at Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts and at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. During his time at the conservatory, he was named head of the opera, musical theatre, drama, and arts administration division as well as associate dean for academic affairs and director of graduate studies. Finney directed numerous shows within the conservatory and around Cincinnati and consulted theatre productions and programs across the country. His wife, Dr. Susan Newsom Finney ’75, sister-in-law, Dr. Carol Newsom ’72, and brother-in-law, Dr. Rex Matthews ’71, also attended BSC. Read more about Finney’s legacy here.

Jeffery Glen Looney ’85 of Vestavia Hills, Ala., on Jan. 13, 2020. Looney worked as a financial advisor for more than 30 years and helped countless people plan for their futures. He coached numerous youth soccer and basketball teams, assisted with the summer swim league, and served as a board member for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, all in Vestavia Hills, where he grew up himself. Looney was also a co-founder of the Rebel Football Foundation. He was a member of Shades Mountain Baptist Church and volunteered in many capacities. His wife, Bellamy South Looney ’85, and his son, Jeffery Van Looney ’19, also attended BSC.

Damian Quentin Laster ’86 of Montgomery, Ala., on Jan. 17, 2020. Laster was a social justice advocate and educational therapist. He studied psychology at BSC before receiving his M.Ed. in behavior disorders from Georgia State University and a Ph.D. in metaphysical science from the University of Metaphysics at Sedona.

Wilmer Smith Poynor III of Birmingham on Jan. 2, 2020. Poyner graduated from the University of Alabama and served in the U.S. Army Reserve Quartermaster Corps. He joined New York Life Insurance Company in 1961 and served clients for 52 years. He was president of the Birmingham Life Underwriting Association, Birmingham Estate Planning Council, and, in 1986, the Million Dollar Round Table. He also served as the treasurer of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club for 30 years. Poyner loved the Birmingham community and held active roles in Leadership Birmingham, St. Vincent's Hospital, BSC, United Way of Central Alabama, and Alabama Symphony, to name a few. He was a member of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. Among many members of his family who are friends of the College, his daughter, Helen Poynor Crabtree ’84, is a BSC graduate.

Dr. Kenneth L. Whipkey of Naples, Fla., on Jan. 18, 2020. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Whipkey began teaching high school mathematics. He soon went on to earn his master’s degree and join the mathematics faculty of Youngstown University, where he met office mate and future wife, Nell Glaser Whipkey. The two wrote many math texts as a team, including five editions of their best-selling text “The Power of Calculus.” Whipkey earned his Ph.D. at Case Western Reserve University and joined the mathematical sciences faculty of Westminster College. He went on to serve as the Stephens Professor of Computer Science at BSC and as a professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.