As part of Homecoming 2018, twelve alumni are being honored during this year’s Emeritus Club Induction and Alumni Awards Luncheon. The event will be held on Friday, October 19 at 11 a.m.

 

Sponsored by Thrasher Group Inc., the event will be held in Falcon Center Gym 1. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at www.fairmontstate.edu/homecoming.

 

“Each year the Fairmont State Alumni Association receives countless nominations for their Homecoming awards. This year we are proud to present awards to 12 remarkable alumni,” said Ashley Knight, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations Coordinator. “We are also excited to induct the class of 1968 into the Emeritus Club.”  

 

In addition to the event on Friday, the award winners will be highlighted at the community bonfire on Thursday evening and the Homecoming parade on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. 

 

This year’s alumni award winners are:

 

 

Outstanding Alumna – Carol Ballah Amos, Class of 1968

 

Carol received her B.A. degree in Education from Fairmont State College in 1968 majoring in English, speech, and drama and earned a Master of Arts degree in Speech Communication from WVU. Born and raised in Rivesville, Carol began her educational journey in a one-room school and continued her education in Marion County. She has lived in Fairmont all of her adult life, mostly on Locust Avenue in the shadow of her alma mater. She has dedicated her career to providing educational opportunities to her students teaching a variety of subjects. Additionally, learning beyond the confines of the classroom provided countless opportunities from field trips to Pittsburgh, NY, DC and many venues in Europe. 

 

Honored as 2002 Marion County Teacher of the Year, Carol believes that when a teacher is honored--all teachers are honored reflecting the bond of fellowship among educators. Such is the camaraderie among teachers that the “Golden” Polar Bear retirees continue to meet on a regular basis. 

 

Throughout her career, Carol held memberships in the Marion County Education Association and the National Education Association, attended national conferences, and served on the State Writing Assessment Standards Committee for the State Board of Education. Carol served on a committee to plan and implement a gifted curriculum in Marion County and as a teacher of the subject organized and implemented Super Saturday, an all-day seminar on the Fairmont State campus for gifted students. She retired in 2006 from Marion Country Schools but continues to be an active advocate for educational opportunities and remains a life-long learner. From involvement as the Executive Secretary of the FSHS Foundation, Carol cochaired the $500,000 auditorium restoration and a gala rededication, created and administers the webpage for FSHS graduates, sends a monthly newsletter to over 5,000 interested alumni, and established and administers Facebook pages. After writing and defending the application to have FSHS listed on the National Register of Historic Places with designation on March 22, 2002, she provides tours for reunion groups to share the unique features of the school. She continues to support through fundraising and other mechanisms the mission of the FSHS Foundation which provides scholarships, teacher grants, and improvements to the school. 

 

Carol is currently co-authoring a book with Linda Orr Morgan, 1966 Fairmont State graduate, about the 150-year history of Fairmont Senior High School which will go on sale in the spring. 

 

Carol and Rick, both Fairmont State graduates of 1968, married during the winter break so Gamma and Phi Mu sisters and TBI brothers could celebrate their wedding. They were married for almost 50 years. Their son, Reid, graduated from Fairmont State and serves as Commissioner of the Mountain East Conference. Reid and his wife, Jennie Cunningham Amos, have two daughters. Carol’s daughter, Rikki, graduated from Emory University and is Vice President of the IFA Foundation at International Franchise Association. She and Doug Eckstein have two children.

 

Outstanding Alumna – Tina Mascaro, Class of 1987

 

Tina Mascaro, a lifelong Fairmont resident, graduated from Fairmont State College in 1987. Tina received a B.S. in Physical Education with a minor in Health Science. During her college years, Tina was a cheerleader for two years and earned All-Conference honors as a freshman; was on the Swimming/Diving team for one year; was a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority where she held several chairmanships over the years – including Parliamentarian and Intramural Chairman. A few years later she returned to Fairmont State College to complete her B.S. in Physical and Health Education and proceed to WVU to receive her M.S. in Exercise Physiology in 1993. Tina Mascaro, formally Cinalli, is the oldest child to Jim and Paula Cinalli. 

 

Tina attended Fairmont Catholic Grade school until 8th grade. She was active in basketball, cheerleading, track, and national honor society. Growing up, Tina attended Immaculate Conception Church where she received her sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation, and Marriage. Tina was enrolled at East Fairmont High School where she played basketball, ran track, was a cheerleader, in Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, Spanish Honorary, Thespians, Christian Youth Organization and Student Government. As a freshman, Tina was on the Miss East Court and as a junior, Prom Court. 

 

Upon graduation from WVU, Tina was offered a position at the Department of Health and Human Performance by her former advisor, Fran Maloney. In 1993, Tina was accepted as an adjunct instructor for Fairmont State College and a substitute teacher in Marion County. Tina has worked as a fitness instructor at the Natutilus Connection in Fairmont as well as a lifeguard and head guard at Wave-Tek. She also worked for American Red Cross as CPR and Basic First Aid Instructor trainer and was formerly a Water Safety and Lifeguard Instructor. Tina has completed the Wellness Council of WV Curriculum Based Employee Wellness Program and was a True Colors Certification Site Licensing Trainer. In 1996 Tina became the advisor of her former sorority, Sigma Sigma Sigma, and served many years. Since February of 2002, Tina has held the position of Director of Intramurals and Recreation at Fairmont State. 

 

Tina married her college sweetheart and fellow alumni Pat in 1988. They reside in Fairmont due to his business, rental properties, and being close to their family and loved ones. Tina and Pat have three children, James, Alexandria, and Gabriella. With their kids in various sports, Tina became an Age Group Coordinator for Marion County Youth Soccer and eventually transitioned into a Youth Administrator for the Olympic Development Program for both West Virginia Youth Soccer Association and the Region I Youth Girls Program. She also became the president of the Fairmont Catholic P.T.O. as all three kids went to school there. Pat became a football and basketball coach. Tina and Pat always considered their home to have an open door policy. Tina has created that same policy here at Fairmont State for her students, coworkers, and athletes.

 

Outstanding Alumnus – Rev. D.D. Meighen, Class of 1967

 

Raised in Fairmont, DD Meighen attended Fairmont Senior High School and Fairmont State College. He received his Master's of Divinity at Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Returning to the area, he has received five appointments while serving 12 churches over a 48-year span of four denominations.

 

He has worked in many fields: Education, Media, Sports, and Ministry. In Education he started the first after school program in WV in 1971 at Meadowdale’s East Dale School, served on the Harrison County Board of Education from 1999-2001, and was chairperson of a successful Bond Call to build a new West Fairmont Middle School. Because of community involvement, his church in Harrison County and Marion County were awarded State Church of the Year by the WV Commission for National and Community Service and the Governor’s Office of Cecil Underwood and Bob Wise. 

 

In Media, he was a writer for the Fairmont Times West Virginian, had seven weekly shows on Fairmont Radio during the early 1970’s, developed cable programs, and in 2007 developed TV19 as a Peg Access Channel on the Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum) that still operates 24 hours a day. DD has filmed, edited, produced and shown over 3,000 programs. He has developed a Sunday Night “Fairmont Live” TV Show and has developed over a dozen primary and General Election “Meet Your Candidate” forums. 

 

In sports, he was a play by play announcer for high school and college sports and assisted three AAU teams to national tournaments. He started Church League Basketball in Morgantown and Clarksburg while supporting the Fairmont Council of Churches Basketball League. 

 

In ministry, he is a member of the Greater Fairmont Council of Churches and coordinates all prayers at City Council and County Commission meetings and in Saturday’s Faith Journey Column in the Fairmont-Times. At CUMC, he developed and commemorated the first Miners Day Worship Service in America following the Legislature Proclamation of February 2006 that set aside Dec. 6th as the yearly event to honor all miners of West Virginia.

 

D.D. has served as Chairman of Family Resource Networks, Mission WV, United Way Fund Drives, and various levy drives. He has been/is a member of the Center for Professional Development, the Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Commission, Marion County Senior Citizens, and friends of the Fairmont Human Rights Group. He is married to the former Mary Gwinn, retired Associate Professor of Nursing at Fairmont State University. They have three children and nine grandchildren. Children are Chris, Andrew, and Julia Perry. Chris and his wife Laurie have three children, Andrew and his wife Bethany have three children, and Julia and her husband Moses Perry have three children.

 

Outstanding Alumnus – Gary LeDonne, Class of 1984

 

Gary LeDonne earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Fairmont State College in 1984. He then earned a Master Professional Accountancy degree from West Virginia University in 1985. Gary is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of West Virginia. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the West Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a member of the American Accounting Association.

 

Gary has served on the Board of Directors of the Fairmont State University Foundation since July 2010 and he was elected Chairman of the Foundation Board effective in July 2018. From 2010 through 2015 Gary was a member of the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Central Ohio where he served as Chair of the audit committee. 

 

Currently, Gary is an Executive in Residence at the West Virginia University (WVU) College of Business and Economics. Gary teaches Income Tax Accounting and counsels students on career development. Gary also serves as Program Coordinator for the WVU Master of Accountancy Program. Prior to joining WVU, Gary was a Regional Tax Managing partner with the international accounting firm, Ernst & Young (EY). He retired from EY December 2014. During his three decades of experience in public accounting he worked with hundreds of companies including the world’s largest global companies and many privately-owned businesses. He has extensive experience working in turnaround situations, strategy development, talent management and succession planning. 

 

Since September 2016, Gary has served on the Board of Directors for MVB Financial, a regional bank holding company serving the mid-Atlantic region. Gary chairs the MVB Financial Compensation committee and is a member of the

Audit, Finance and ALCO committees. Gary is the Chairman of the Board for MVB Community Development Corporation (“CDC”). CDC is a corporation formed to engage in activities to promote public welfare and to support the communities served by MVB Bank. 

 

Gary and his wife Renee, a Fairmont State Alumnus, reside in Morgantown. They have two adult children Garrett residing in Columbus, OH and Haley residing in New York City.

 

Alumna of Achievement – Dr. Roxann Robinson, Class of 1979

 

Roxann was born and raised in Colliers, a small town of 500 people in Brooke County. She attended Brooke High School, graduating in 1974. Her first job was in Reitter’s Store where she cleaned shelves, pumped gas and sold everything from popsicles to nails. 

 

From 1974 to 1978, she attended Fairmont State College. Roxann earned her B.S. in Biology with a Chemistry minor. During her four years at Fairmont State, Roxann was a cheerleader. Her first year, she rushed with the Phi Mu Sorority and was a member of Beta Beta Beta. After graduation, Roxann worked as a chemist at the Rivesville power plant. This was a project through the Department of Energy to burn high sulfur coal at low sulfur emissions. 

 

In the fall of 1979, she moved to Chicago to attend the Illinois College of Optometry. She worked in multiple labs and offices on campus, as well as bar tending on weekends. She was elected as a class representative and gave a farewell message during graduation in 1983. She earned her Doctor of Optometry degree and a BS in Visual Science. 

 

After graduation, Roxann moved to Richmond, Virginia, to begin her career as an optometrist. She purchased her practice in June of 1984 and had two employees. Over the years, her private practice grew to nine with multiple doctors. Roxann served her profession throughout her career. In 1998, she was elected the first woman President of the Virginia Optometric Association since the 1950’s. Roxann was selected by her peers in 2000 to be Virginia Optometrist of the Year. Her other accomplishments include being elected President of the Virginia Academy of Optometry and serving four years on the Virginia Board of Optometry, an appointment by Governor Gilmore. In 2007, she was recognized as Alumni of the Year by the Alumni Council of the Illinois College of Optometry. 

 

Beginning in the late 1980’s and for the next 20 years, Roxann did grass roots lobbying to advance optometry’s scope of practice in Virginia. This allowed her to know her local and state representatives. In 2010, Roxann was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in a special election. 

 

She has continued to serve the 27th House District representing Chesterfield County in the Virginia General Assembly. She is Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee. Her other committees are Education and Appropriations. Roxann has been recognized by the Virginia Manufacturers Association, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists, the Virginia Nurses Foundation, and the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners. In 2018 she received the Free Enterprise Award for advancing the priorities of Blueprint Virginia 2025. Roxann has been a board member of the Manchester Family YMCA for 18 years. For ten years, she was the Clinical Director of Opening Eyes for Virginia Special Olympics. She is a James River Rotarian. 

 

Roxann resides in North Chesterfield with her husband Michael Lind and their two cats. In her spare time, she enjoys family, traveling, quilting, yoga, hiking and kayaking.

 

Alumna of Achievement – Nancy Lawler, Class of 1971

 

Much of Nancy Burns Lawler’s life has revolved around the Fairmont State University institution and campus. Prior to attending college, Nancy’s mother and cousin were instructors at Fairmont State College. When time came to decide on what college and major, the choice was simple—Fairmont State and teaching. Nancy attended Fairmont State College as a recipient of the WV Board of Education Scholarship and graduated Cum Laude in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. While at Fairmont State College, Nancy participated in the Woman’s Panhellenic council, served as a Freshman Counselor, member of Kappa Delta Pi (National Education honorary), and a member and president of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. 

 

Nancy obtained a Master of Arts in Education Administration from West Virginia University in 1979. The first ten years of her career were spent teaching in Marion County. Her second ten-year career was as co-owner of Colony Shop, Inc., a retail clothing store. During that time, she was appointed by the Governor as a community member of the Fairmont State College Board of Advisors (forerunner to the Board of Governors). Nancy chaired the Board of Advisors throughout the presidential selection process that named the 10th president of Fairmont State, Dr. Robert Dillman. After her retail career, Nancy returned to teaching as an instructor at Fairmont State College. Her career on campus spanned the time when Fairmont State Community and Technical College was independently accredited and when Fairmont State University and the community college were separated, creating Pierpont Community and Technical College. During her tenure, Nancy served as a professor of business and office administration, the coordinator of the Office Management and Technology program, the coordinator of the Power Systems Institute program, and Assistant Dean for the School of Business, Aviation, and Technology. She also represented Pierpont for 22 years serving on the Advisory Council of Faculty, state advisory body of higher education faculty to the Higher Education Policy Commission and the Council for Community and Technical College Education. 

 

Nancy is married to Charlie Lawler, whom she met at Fairmont State. Charlie is a 1972 graduate of Fairmont State. Ironically, their first date was Homecoming, 1968—50 years ago! They are parents of two children, both Fairmont State graduates. Their daughter, Ryan lives in Fairmont. Their son, Patrick and his wife Erika, also live in Fairmont. Nancy and Charlie also have one grandson. 

 

In her retirement, Nancy is a member of P.E.O., Chapter D, and serves as the Assistant Treasurer for the WV State Chapter of P.E.O. She also serves the Woodlawn Cemetery Company board as treasurer. She enjoys continuing her education through Life Long Learners. Nancy previously was a member and president of the Junior League of Fairmont, a member of the National Business Education Association and the WV Business Education Association, a member of Leadership Marion 2, and a board member of The Op Shop, Inc.

 

Alumnus of Achievement – Miller L. Hall, Class of 1975

 

Miller Hall, the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Sammie Hall, was born and raised in Beckley where he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1971. While at WWHS, he was a three-star athlete and was awarded the Pete George Award for Athletic Excellence in his senior year. He attended Fairmont State College from 1971-75 where he earned his B.A. degree, played football, and was on the track team. While playing football at Fairmont, he was on the 1973 and 1974 WVIAC Conference championship teams. From there he earned two Master’s Degrees from the WV College of Graduate Studies (Marshall University), one in Guidance and Counseling and the other in Educational Administration. 

 

Miller taught social studies at Woodrow Wilson High School, served as Dean of Boys, assistant principal and later as principal of Woodrow Wilson for ten years. In 1999, he was promoted to the Raleigh County Central Office position of Director of Pupil Services, then became Director of Secondary Schools and lastly held the position of Assistant Superintendent of Support Services for Raleigh County. In 2017, Miller was appointed to the WV State Board of Education by Governor Jim Justice where he currently serves as Vice-President. He also serves as a State Board of Education representative on the WV School Building Authority (SBA). 

 

Miller was inducted into the Woodrow Wilson Football Hall of Fame. He currently serves on the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center Board of Directors and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA. During his spare time, Miller has coached youth football and basketball and at the middle and high school level along with officiating both sports and girls’ basketball. In 2014, he was selected as the Girls Basketball Official of the Year for WV. In 2011, Miller was inducted into the WV All Black Schools Academic and Sports Hall of Fame. Additionally, he is a member of B.E.A.U.T.Y and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. 

 

He is a member of the First Baptist Church of North Beckley where he is a deacon and is on the Trustee Board and has been an avid motivational speaker to church and youth groups. Now retired, he also serves as a Read Aloud volunteer and mentor to elementary school-age children. 

 

Miller resides in Beckley with his wife, Joyce, a retired educator, and is the proud father of two daughters, Marshay, who resides in Silver Spring, MD with her husband, Michael, and Sharawn, who resides in Bethlehem, PA with her husband, Brandon.

 

Outstanding Young Alumnus – Craig Baker, Class of 2002

 

Craig is a West Virginia native who graduated from Fairmont State University in 2002 with his Bachelor’s of

Science in Architecture Engineering Technology. During his time at Fairmont State University, Craig served as President for the American Institute of Architecture Students. 

 

After graduation, Craig began his career in architecture by working for the late Pete Oliverio in Bridgeport. In 2005 when The Thrasher Group added architectural services, Craig joined their team, recognizing the immense growth potential. Over time he was promoted to Architecture Division Manager, and in 2012 he was named Principal at the company. During his time at Thrasher, he has helped their Architecture Division grow into the largest in West Virginia. Craig has had the opportunity to complete several projects on the Fairmont State campus, including renovations to Joe Retton Arena, Hunt Haught Hall, and Hardway Hall. 

 

In 2012 Craig furthered his education by attending San Diego State University, where he earned an Advanced Certificate in Educational Facilities Planning. That same year he was named one of Corridor Magazine’s “20 under 40,” and in 2017 he was also honored as one of Generation Next’s “40 under 40” by the State Journal. Craig attributes each of these accolades to the amazing opportunities that have been put before him. 

 

Craig is passionate about the development of West Virginia’s youth, particularly in the areas of education and leadership development. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the WV Education Alliance as well as Fairmont State University’s Professional Advisory Committee for their School of Architecture. Craig has been married for four years to his wife Nikki, who is a graduate of Fairmont State’s School of Nursing and currently serves as an adjunct faculty member for the program. Craig and Nikki reside in their hometown of Shinnston with their two-year-old son, Connor. In their free time they enjoy traveling, mountain biking, and hiking in West Virginia’s state parks.

 

Outstanding Young Alumna – Alexis Hicks, Class of 2013

 

Alexis Hicks is a registered nurse, director of the weekend nursing program, and associate professor of nursing at Fairmont State University. She originally started as a licensed practical nurse from United Technical Center in Clarksburg. Her love for nursing grew and she decided to continue her education in the Associate of Science in Nursing program at Fairmont State in 2013. She obtained her nursing degree in 2005 but did not stop there. She then received her Bachelor of Nursing degree through Fairmont State University in 2007 and was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau honor society. Through her BSN program, her realization for the love of teaching nursing came about and she decided to obtain her Master’s in Science of Nursing with a concentration of nursing education. She graduated in 2009 and was hired at Fairmont State University as assistant professor in the school of nursing. She continues her education at Grand Canyon University where she will obtain her doctorate in education in spring of 2019. 

 

Alexis is a long-time member of the National League for Nurses and a member of the West Virginia League for Nurses (WVLN). She is a certified nurse educator and attends professional conferences regularly to improve her teaching and patient care measures. Alexis has been working in the field of nursing as well as teaching up until this past December. She has worked with the step-down unit, cardiac rehab, home health nursing, mental health nursing, and maternal/child nursing. Through her years at Fairmont State she has presented at a national conference on teaching active learning strategies and has been nominated for the Boram award and faculty Recognition award. She continues to be an active leader in her community and in the school of nursing. She currently resides in Fairmont with her husband and three children and they are expecting their fourth child in February.

 

Outstanding Young Alumnus – Dr. Robert Kristovich, Class of 1999

 

Dr. Robert Kristovich is a member of the Fairmont State class of 1999. He grew up in the farmlands of southern New Jersey, moving to Beckley, WV shortly before the start of high school where he graduated in 1995 from Woodrow Wilson High School. Robert attended Fairmont State from 1995-1999 and earned a BS Degree in Chemistry. He then attended the Ohio State University graduating with a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry in 2004. 

 

Immediately after graduation from Ohio State, he began his career as a Research Chemist in the Toxicology and Obscurants Division at the US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center. The US Army ECBC is a national lab focused on utilizing cutting edge science to prepare the nation for the threat from chemical and biological warfare agents. The Toxicology and Obscurants Division consists of six branches in which approximately 100 dedicated scientists function, and is the world’s leading resource for information on the toxicology of existing and emerging chemical threat materials. The information generated by the Division is critical in preparing defensive equipment, such as detectors, masks, and protective clothing that function at toxicologically relevant levels. This information is also critical in preparing effective medical countermeasures for recovering after an attack. Robert is widely considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on the toxicity of these dangerous chemicals and has been named the Chief of the Toxicology and Obscurants Division, tasked with leading a group of civil servant scientists who have dedicated their career to working with these extremely dangerous chemicals to provide the necessary information to protect the nation from the scourge of chemical warfare. 

 

In addition to leading the Toxicology and Obscurants Division, he has also been fortunate enough to chair several NATO and other international panels on behalf of the United States, negotiating international agreements and sharing the information generated with our allied partners around the world. Outside of work, Robert is married to Davi Kristovich and the pair has two awesome little boys, Brandon and Jonathan, aged 12 and 10 respectively. In addition to spending as much time as possible with his family, he loves to play golf and watch sports, being a huge fan of all things professional Philly sports. He is humbled by this award and owes Fairmont State with providing him the educational and social foundation that has allowed him to make a career out of a mission that he feels so passionately about.

 

 

Outstanding Young Alumna – Brooklyn Phares, Class of 2013

 

Brooklyn Sapp Phares graduated from Fairmont Senior High School in 2007 and enrolled in the Radiology Technology program at West Virginia University Hospital that summer. She graduated with a two-year certificate in 2009 and began her career as a certified radiologic technologist at West Virginia University Hospital.

 

She enrolled at Pierpont Community and Technical College in the fall of 2009, and graduated with an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in the winter of 2010. Phares continued her studies at Fairmont State University as a nontraditional student. In December of 2013, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Allied Health Administration. 

 

Phares currently works at Mon Health Medical Center in the electrophysiology (EP) lab. Electrophysiology is a branch of cardiology that specializes in treatment of heart rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation. She successfully passed the International Board of Heart Rhythm Examiners (IBHRE) examination this summer, and is proud to be recognized as a Certified Electrophysiology Specialist (CEPS). 

 

She married Tyler Phares on June 16, 2018. They reside in Morgantown, where Tyler is a teacher at South Middle School. The two love their English bulldog, Otto, and the WVU Mountaineers. Her parents are Dr. Budd Sapp and Mrs. Robin Sapp. Her sister and best friend, Brigitte Kettering, is also a Fairmont State Alumna.