Alumni

Clay Hallmark ('89)

Clay Hallmark graduated in December 1989 from Union University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion and church ministry, winning the academic award for both majors. He was actively involved with the Baptist Student Union and was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. While at Union he met and married his wife, Leslie Reeves Hallmark.

Hallmark completed his Master of Divinity degree from Beeson Divinity School in 1992 and his Doctor of Ministry degree in leadership from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1993.

Hallmark has served churches in Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee. While serving 15 years in Arkansas as senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Marion, he served the Arkansas Baptist State Convention for two terms as president of the Executive Board, two terms as first vice president of the convention two terms as president of the convention. While in Arkansas, he also served on the Southern Baptist Convention's Committee on Nominations and the SBC Executive Committee.

He moved back to Tennessee in February 2016 to be senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Lexington. He has served the Tennessee Baptist Convention for seven years on the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, including as chairman in 2019-2020. Additionally, he is serving his second term as president of the Tennessee Baptist Convention.

Hallmark has led mission trips throughout South America, Central America and Africa. He also leads regular pilgrimages to the Holy Land. Most recently, he has written a book that was published in May 2023, From Death to Life: The Heart of Church Revitalization.

His love for his alma mater has resulted in him sending almost 50 students from his churches to attend Union University. Seven students from First Baptist Church in Lexington are currently enrolled full-time. He served on the Union Board of Regents from 2006-2012 and for the past two years has been on the Union Board of Trustees as TBC president.

The Hallmarks have two grown daughters, Cassie Hallmark Zawacki (husband, Chad) and Kayla Hallmark Wood (husband, Josh). They also have two granddaughters, Elizabeth Claire Zawacki and Natalie Ann Zawacki.

Peggy Graves

Peggy Graves is a seasoned real estate broker at Coldwell Banker Barnes in Jackson, Tennessee. Holding prestigious real estate designations, including Certified Residential Specialist, Military Relocation Professional and Certified Relocation Specialist, Graves excels in the dynamic realm of the real estate market. She takes great pleasure in introducing people to Jackson and assisting her clients in not only finding a house but also in making Jackson their home.

Outside of her professional commitments, Graves is deeply involved in her local community. She actively attends and serves at Englewood Baptist Church and is dedicated to supporting charitable causes. Her contributions include supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through Homes for St Jude, participating in the Coldwell Banker Home for Dogs project and aiding local pet rescue organizations. Additionally, she has served in various capacities with Regional Inter-Faith Association, Area Relief Ministries, Birth Choice and the Dream Center.

She is a former board member of Regions Bank and a director on the Central West Tennessee Association Board of Realtors. Graves has also served on the board of the Union University Foundation and on Union's Board of Trustees.

Graves lives in Jackson with her husband, Bill. They have one daughter, Michele Miller, a 1992 Union graduate whose husband Tom is a 1991 Union graduate, and two grandchildren, Will and Annah Miller.

Hal Poe

Hal Poe serves as the Charles Colson Professor of Faith and Culture in the School of Theology and Missions at Union University, a position he has held since 2002. Before his role at Union, he served as vice president at Union and held previous teaching and administrative positions at Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and on two occasions at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Prior to his teaching career, Poe served in the Department of Evangelism of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, served as the pastor of the Simpsonville Baptist Church in Kentucky and worked as a prison chaplain at the Kentucky State Reformatory.

Poe teaches, lectures and writes about how the gospel answers the deep questions of every culture. He has published over 300 articles and reviews, 20 books and 25 chapters in edited volumes. His books include such titles as The Gospel and Its Meaning, What God Knows and See No Evil: The Existence of Sin in an Age of Relativism, among others. He has written four books on science and religion with Union colleague Jimmy Davis, including Designer Universe, which won a Christianity Today Book of the Year Merit Award.

He also wrote a three-volume biography of C.S. Lewis published by Crossway. The first two volumes were named finalists for the Christian Book Award by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.

Additionally, Poe has served on several boards, including the Edgar Allan Poe Foundation and Museum of Richmond, Virginia, where he served as president for 10 years. He has also been actively involved with the American Scientific Affiliation, serving as its president, and the Christian Scholar's Review. He is the founder of the Inklings Fellowship and directs its annual Christianity in the Academy Conference, Inklings Weekend in Montreat, North Carolina, and triennial Inklings Week in Oxford, United Kingdom.

Poe is married to Mary Anne, who serves as an associate professor in the School of Social Work and chairs the Center for Just and Caring Communities at Union University. They have two daughters: Rebecca (husband, Joshua Hays) and Mary Ellen (husband, Taylor Austin).

Jim & Janet Ayers

Jim Ayers' upbringing in rural West Tennessee, in the town of Parsons, laid the foundation for his unwavering commitment to hard work and education. His parents, Paul and Wilma Ayers, instilled in him the values of integrity, honest labor and the importance of education. A graduate of Parsons High School in 1961, Ayers pursued higher education, earning a bachelor's degree in business administration with a major in accounting from the University of Memphis.

From a young age, Ayers embraced the importance of an honest day's work, taking on various jobs that included shining shoes on the streets of Parsons at the age of 8. As he grew older, he worked on his family's farm, operating a tractor at age 10, and ran a peanut shelling machine at age 13. This peanut-shelling venture marked his first business endeavor, requiring a capital investment of $110.

In the mid-1990s, Ayers acquired First Farmer's State Bank, which later became FirstBank. Under his leadership, FirstBank transformed into Tennessee's largest independently owned and operated bank until its public listing on the New York Stock Exchange in September 2016, boasting the largest initial public offering in Tennessee banking history.

In 1999, Jim and his wife, Janet, established The Ayers Foundation, a philanthropic initiative dedicated to supporting various programs and institutions with a strong emphasis on education and rural counties. To date, The Ayers Foundation has awarded over $20 million in scholarships to graduating high school seniors in rural counties, benefiting nearly 30,000 students. These efforts have significantly contributed to raising postsecondary attendance rates in these counties beyond state and national averages.

Ayers' commitment to philanthropy and service to his community extends far and wide. In 2019, he received the prestigious Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Award, a testament to his remarkable contributions. He has also been honored with awards such as the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America, the Joe Krati Humanitarian Award from the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and the Leader in Banking Excellence by the Tennessee Bankers Association. He has received honorary doctorates from institutions including Freed-Hardeman University, Union University, Bethel University and the University of Memphis. In 2023, Ayers was named Nashvillian of the Year.

Jim and Janet Ayers are acknowledged tonight for their enduring support of Union University through their contributions to student scholarships, capital projects and the expansion of the campus.

Ryan Griffin ('11)

Ryan Griffin graduated from Union University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in digital media studies with an emphasis in communications. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Bethel University. During his time at Union, he served as staff assistant to the provost and systems coordinator in the registrar's office from 2011-2015.

Griffin was elected as the mayor of McKenzie, Tennessee in 2022. He also serves as a data specialist for the executive vice president at Bethel University. He and his wife, Lisa, lead a weekly college ministry, Cultivate, where they create relationships and develop students to grow deeper in their walk with Christ.

Ryan and Lisa have been married for over a decade and reside in McKenzie. They have three children: Lute, Lila Ruth (deceased) and Isaac.

Ericka King ('11)

A native of McNairy County, Tennessee, Ericka King came to Union as a freshman in the fall of 2007. During her time at Union, she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha, president of the Pre-Law Society, chair of College Republicans, a member of Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society, a YoungLife leader and a student worker. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science.

Not long after graduating, King returned to Union to serve as an enrollment counselor. During that time, she served as a small group leader for Englewood Baptist Church's college ministry, as president of the local alumnae chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha and in various offices for the Madison County Young Republicans.

She entered law school at the Mississippi College School of Law in 2013, graduating in 2017 with her Juris Doctor degree. During her law school years, King served on the Moot Court Board where she earned multiple awards, including two-time regional champion and national finalist in the American Bar Association's Arbitration Competition. Additionally, she served as advocacy chair for the Moot Court Board and represented her classmates throughout law school as a senator in the Law Student Bar Association. Before graduation, King was a summer clerk at the Office of the Mississippi Attorney General and a legal intern for U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper and the Committee on House Administration.

Beginning her Washington, D.C., career in 2017 as a policy staffer for U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, King rose to the position of legislative counsel. In this role, she served as the senator's chief adviser for agriculture, energy, environment and education policy. After nearly five years in the Senate, King left to join Ervin Graves Strategy Group as a vice president in their government relations practice. In 2023, she followed her passion for advocacy and left Washington to become director of national affairs and government relations for Kentucky Farm Bureau, one of the nation's premier state farm bureaus. There she uses the skills, knowledge and connections she gained during her Washington tenure to advocate on behalf of Kentucky farmers on national issues ranging from the Farm Bill and farm labor to international agricultural trade, lobbying in both the Kentucky state capital and Washington, D.C.

Ericka now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, along with her rambunctious golden retriever, Georgina Reagan.

Mark Trammell ('08)

Mark Trammell serves as executive director and general counsel to the Center for American Liberty.

An ardent defender of First Amendment freedoms, Trammell regularly appears on Fox News, Newsmax and nationally syndicated radio programs. Under Trammell's leadership, the Center for American Liberty won three cases at the U.S. Supreme Court restoring religious liberty rights for millions of Americans. Today, much of Trammell's practice is spent representing young women in landmark lawsuits against doctors and hospital groups who perform "gender affirming care" resulting in irreversible damage to minors.

Prior to joining the Center for American Liberty, Trammell served as in-house counsel to Young America's Foundation, where he advocated for and defended students' free speech rights on college campuses. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Liberty University, where he taught nonprofit law.

Trammell is a member of the Maryland bar and the District of Columbia bar. He is a graduate of Liberty University School of Law, Union University and served on the board of trustees for Gateway Seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Sherry Tignor ('72)

Sherry Tignor boasts a career spanning over 51 years, dedicated to teaching and educational leadership. Her journey began at University School of Jackson, where she served as a teacher, guidance counselor and administrator. In 1996, Tignor joined Union University, initially as the director of adult and evening studies. She played a role in recruiting and enrolling the first class of RN to BSN students on the Germantown campus.

During her time at Union, Tignor took on the role of co-director of the Center for New Students, working alongside Susan Hopper. Together, they revamped the College Life at Union program, creating three student workbooks: Wisdom for the Journey, Christian Learning and the University Experience and Discovering Your Design. These programs emphasized the integration of God's calling and an individual's natural giftedness.

Tignor further developed and implemented the Keystone program, providing accountability for underprepared students during the transition from high school to college. This program has received national recognition since 2005 and is now available to all first-time freshmen. In 2015, Tignor's efforts reshaped academic advisement for undecided freshmen, and in 2016 she introduced the Resiliency program for freshman students placed on academic probation.

All three programs continue to be a hallmark of the Center for Academic Success, which officially started in 2017. Tignor served as executive director of the CAS, renovating facilities and introducing supplemental instruction and discipline-specific study labs to Union's peer tutoring program.

A member at Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson, Tignor has served as a member of the Board of Regents at Union and has led several women's Bible studies at churches across Tennessee. She is a member of the 2018 Sterling Awards class, recognizing the most influential women in West Tennessee.

Tignor holds a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Union, a Master of Education degree from Memphis State University and completed additional graduate studies from the University of Memphis. She retired from Union in January and lives in Jackson with her husband, Barry. They have one daughter, Holly (a Union graduate and teacher at USJ), whose husband Gary is a Union professor, and one grandson, Miles.

The Marty Clements Family

Marty Clements' connection to Union University stretches back to 1926 when his grandparents, C.L. and Dorothy Dodds, graduated from the institution. C.L. Dodds was a member of Union's football team, competing against teams such as Ole Miss, Alabama and Georgetown.

The tradition continued with Clements' parents, Grady and Carolyn ('48) Clements, both of whom attended Union. Marty earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Union in 1975 and a master's degree in administration and supervision from the University of Tennessee at Martin. The Union family legacy extends to Clements' son Derek ('16), who earned his Master of Business Administration here.

Clements retired in 2020 from his role as director of the Jackson-Madison County Emergency Management Agency, a position he held since 2005 after starting there as deputy director on 2003. He is a Certified Emergency Management Professional and was one of 25 recipients of the Governor's First Responder Award for 2011, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

He oversaw six presidential declarations, including the 2008 tornado and the 2010 major flooding event for the entire state of Tennessee. Clements was also a member of the Law Enforcement Strike Team that responded to Lake Charles, Louisiana, after the destruction caused by Hurricane Rita.

In addition to his extensive emergency management background, Clements is active in law enforcement as a constable and an instructor for law enforcement and civilians in various areas, including weapons of mass destruction, incident response to terrorism and suicide bombing and others. He previously served as a first aid, CPR and automated external defibrillator instructor for the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross. He is also a hazardous materials technician and a school safety specialist for the Tennessee Board of Education.

Clements' dedication to veterans and the community is evident through his establishment of the West Tennessee Veterans Committee in 2013, which annually honors veterans with a program, parade and special patches. To date, over 35,000 patches have been distributed to deserving veterans. In 2016, he received the Military Order of the Purple Heart Special Recognition Award and served as the grand marshal for the 2019 Veterans Parade. Through the Tennessee Sports Foundation, Clements created the Clements Youth Recreational Area, providing local youths with opportunities to camp, fish and enjoy the outdoors.

Clements and his wife Wendy have two sons, Derek and Drew.

Health Care: Clay Smith ('95)

Dr. Clay Smith earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology at Union in 1995. He then pursued his medical education at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, where he completed his first residency in pediatric internal medicine at Vanderbilt University, followed by his second residency in emergency medicine at the same institution. He holds board certifications in pediatrics, internal medicine, and emergency medicine.

Currently, Smith serves as the co-medical director of Convenient Care Services — Walk-In Clinics and Vanderbilt Health Clinic at Walgreens. In this role, he oversees approximately 200 clinicians, managers and staff, with over 350,000 annual patient visits.

Beyond his primary role, Smith has actively contributed to the medical community. He has served as a member of the Faculty Advisory Council to the dean of the School of Medicine at Vanderbilt, and he has been a valuable member of various committees, including the Vanderbilt Health Clinic at Walgreens Quality Council, VUMC Antimicrobial Subcommittee of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, Vanderbilt Health Systems Quality Committee, Vanderbilt Health Systems Compliance Committee and the Adult Clinical Performance Committee.

Smith's leadership during the global COVID-19 pandemic is noteworthy. He established safety best practices in Vanderbilt Health Clinic at Walgreens locations, which became the national corporate Walgreens strategy for all U.S. health system partners and were adopted by Dr. Kevin Ban, Walgreens' chief medical officer.

Beyond his clinical work, Smith is committed to medical education and has created various tools and programs to benefit fellow physicians. Notable contributions include Keeping Up, an online learning tool, podcast and Continuing Medical Education program for keeping emergency physicians current with medical literature; LLSA Quick Study Guides, an e-book and website to assist emergency physicians in passing annual exams; and JournalFeed, a website offering daily synopses of the best current emergency medicine literature and landmark articles.

Smith's impact in medicine has earned him several recognitions, including the Ian D. Jones Chief Resident's Award, the John and Judy Jean Chapman Award and the Corey M. Slovis Award. These honors highlight his commitment to service and excellence in the field of healthcare.

His heart for service extends to mission work in Haiti and Honduras, reflecting his dedication to using his medical expertise to make a difference.

Business: Tony Kirk ('84)

Tony Kirk graduated from Union University in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in economics and finance with a minor in accounting. While at Union, he was a member of the 1983 and 1984 baseball team. The team finished third in the 1983 NAIA College World Series, where he was the starting right fielder. He is also a member of the Union University Sports Hall of Fame with his 1983 team.

After graduation, Kirk was employed by the Bolivar Energy Authority and has held various positions over his 39-year career with BEA, serving as president and CEO since 2020. In that role, he was instrumental in partnering with Silicon Ranch to bring clean energy to over 300 homes through a new solar farm in Hardeman County, Tennessee. He also led the effort to gain funding for a Gigabit fiber optic network to have fiber available to homes of all customers served by BEA.

Kirk is involved in several associations relating to the electric industry. He is a member of the Western District Managers Association where he served as secretary in 2022 and is currently serving as vice president and president-elect. He is a board member for the Central Service Association in Tupelo, Mississippi, where he serves on the executive and strategic planning committees.

A deacon for more than 30 years at First Baptist Church in Bolivar, Kirk has served on multiple church committees and as a Sunday school teacher in both the children's and youth departments. He has served as chairman for the personnel committee and chairman of the deacons.

Kirk has been married to his wife, Teresa, for 40 years. They have three daughters and five grandchildren: Kristen Kirk Richerson (husband, Michael) and their sons Houston and Henry; Keaton Kirk Overton (husband, Jason) and their children Abel, Bella and Bryleigh; and Kesley Kirk Sweat (husband, Blake).

Education: Kevin Trowbridge ('96)

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in communication arts with a public relations emphasis, Kevin Trowbridge began his career as a strategic communication professional. Following stints in financial and health care organizations, Trowbridge's passion for Christian higher education was ignited while serving as Union's marketing director.

In 2000, Trowbridge joined the leadership team at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, an international higher education association based in Washington, D.C. He observed how God was using Christ-centered faculty and staff at universities worldwide to help the next generation discover who they were created to be and become equipped to do what they were called to do. As vice president of communications, he had the privilege of advocating for the cause of Christ-centered higher education.

Trowbridge then became a full-time doctoral student to prepare to embody his calling as an educator. After completing his coursework, he joined the faculty of Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, where he taught journalism and public relations courses and directed the student media operation.

In 2011, Trowbridge joined the faculty at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. He has developed and taught various courses over the past 12 years, including developing and directing the university's undergraduate social media management program. Trowbridge now serves as the chair of the Department of Public Relations and director of the Strategic Communication and Leadership Graduate Program. For 10 years, Trowbridge advised Belmont's student agency, Tower Creative Communications, where students provide creative and strategic solutions for nonprofit and small businesses.

Trowbridge holds a Doctor of Philosophy in communication with emphases in public relations and social media from Regent University. He earned a Master of Arts in communication with concentrations in interpersonal and organizational communication from the University of Memphis. He is Accredited in Public Relations and remains active in strategic communication practice through consulting and pro bono services to local organizations, including the Center for Nonprofit Management.

He and his wife, Robyn Clifford Trowbridge ('98 and '01), have been married for 22 years. They live in Smyrna, Tennessee.

Church Ministry: Corey Cain ('99)

Growing up in Smyrna, Tennessee, Corey Cain was called to ministry during his high school years attending First Baptist Church in Smyrna (now LifePoint at FBC Smyrna). The Lord directed his path to Union University where he graduated in 1999 with a major in business. He met and married his wife, Melody Foropoulos Cain ('00) during his years at Union.

He received his Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, taking many of his classes through extension on Union's campus. His Doctor of Ministry degree is from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Throughout his education, he served full-time at several churches in Tennessee: Salem Baptist in Trenton, Dyer First Baptist, Centerville First Baptist, Bemis First Baptist and Maplewood Baptist in Paris. Cain is currently pastor of Seymour First Baptist Church in Seymour, Tennessee.

Cain has served in various leadership positions in local associations as well as state and national denominational life. Some of those roles have included leadership in local pastors' conferences, as a member of the Tennessee Baptist Convention Executive Board, as TBC vice president and as president of the TBC Pastor's Conference. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention and is on the SBC Executive Director Search Committee. Cain has led many mission teams locally, in Colorado through SEND Network partnerships and internationally in Honduras and Guatemala.

Corey and Melody have four children: Caleb, 19; Bennett, 17; Emmy, 11, adopted from Honduras in 2015; and their bonus daughter Ellie, 21, who joined their family in 2021.

Research/Sciences: Roxanne McMurray ('13)

Roxanne McMurray graduated from Union University in 2013 with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree focusing on anesthesia. She earned a Master of Science degree in nurse anesthesia from St. Mary's University, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1993, and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Bethel University, in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1986.

Since receiving her DNP, McMurray has been the co-founder of McMurray Medical Group, inventor of the McMurray Enhanced Airway, practicing certified registered nurse anesthetist, and retired clinical assistant professor and assistant program director at the University of Minnesota.

With more than three decades of anesthesia experience, McMurray has witnessed firsthand the limitations of outdated basic airway equipment in providing optimal patient comfort and safety. This need for safer, more efficient airway management inspired her to create the revolutionary MEA, the first-ever distal pharyngeal airway. The groundbreaking MEA has been recognized with multiple accolades, including the 2023 American Nurses Association Innovation of the Year Award, the 2021 World EMS Innovation of the Year Award and the World Airway Management Meeting Innovation Finalist in airway management award in 2019. The MEA is sold throughout the U.S. She has published research and articles in numerous anesthesia and healthcare journals.

McMurray was inducted as a member of Fellows of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology in 2023. This is a recognized hallmark of leadership, excellence and professionalism, recognizing dedication to shaping the future of anesthesia care. In 2019, she received the Outstanding Professor Award recognizing excellence in clinical instruction at the University of Minnesota.

McMurray and her husband Brian have been married for 35 years and have three children and two grandchildren. She currently lives in Estero, Florida.

Humanities: Meredith Boggs ('12)

Meredith Boggs graduated from Union University in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. She was an honors student, member of the Chi Omega sorority and vice president of her nursing class. Upon graduation, Boggs moved back to her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, where she began her career in nursing in the surgical intensive care unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Soon after getting married, Boggs and her husband Justin spent a year living abroad in China. They worked for a non-profit organization, Show Hope, that provided medical and surgical care for children in the Chinese foster care system. While living abroad, Boggs began writing on the blog she started as a student at Union, intending to pursue her dream of becoming a published author.

When they returned home, she began working in the Adult Emergency Department at Vanderbilt. In 2016, she was one of the founding members of the Vanderbilt Forensic Nursing Services program — a specialized team of nurses trained to provide medical care and forensic services to victims of sexual assault. Since the program formally launched in 2018, she has helped train over 200 nurses across Tennessee to deliver these specialized services in addition to helping launch Forensic Nursing Services programs at the Vanderbilt regional hospitals in Tullahoma, Bedford and Wilson County.

In 2019, Boggs was part of a select group of critical care nurses, critical care paramedics and advanced EMTs with Vanderbilt LifeFlight who started a Critical Care Ground Transport program — the first of its kind in Tennessee. Providing specialty care to critically ill patients all over the southeast region of the county, she has completed over 300 transports for patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, intra-aortic balloon pump assistance, ventilator management and trauma resuscitation.

Growing up with a father who is a songwriter, Boggs always loved writing and continued to gain momentum toward her goal of being a published author. Her writing has been featured by Lifeway Christian Resources, YouVersion, Relevant magazine, Faith Gateway, Proverbs 31 Ministries and Grit & Virtue. Her debut book, The Journey Home, was published in 2023 by Thomas Nelson.

Boggs currently works for Vanderbilt LifeFlight and as a sexual assault nurse examiner for the forensic team. She and her husband still live in Nashville with their two little boys, Jack and Gus.

Athletics: Lauren Sumski ('16)

Lauren Sumski's athletic career began at an early age when she played for Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis. She went on to play for University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. During college, Sumski was a two-time WBCA All-American, a National Player of the Year finalist, an SAA Player of the Year, a two-time SAA Tournament MVP and an academic honor roll member. She led the nation in points per minute and finished second in the country in scoring after averaging 25.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a senior, where she led the Lynx to their second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and their first-ever Division III national ranking.

Passing on numerous professional basketball playing opportunities, Sumski decided to pursue a career in coaching. After graduating from Rhodes, she was awarded her first coaching opportunity as an assistant on Mark Campbell's staff at Union University in 2014. The Lady Bulldogs compiled a 73-20 record during her three seasons on the staff. She also completed her master's degree in education from Union with an emphasis on sport administration.

After her time at Union, Sumski was hired as the head women's basketball coach at Rhodes College where she compiled a 35-21 overall record in her head coaching tenure. In the spring of 2019, Sumski's next career move took her to the women's basketball program at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she became one of the youngest head coaches in the country across all divisions. Last season, Sumski led the Bisons to a historic season in which they tied the program record for wins (20), doubling their total from the previous season. They also won the most regular-season games in program history (19) and compiled the most Atlantic Sun Conference wins (13) since the 2003-04 season.

Sumski is married to her husband Chris, who served as an assistant coach on her staff at Rhodes and is now the associate head coach at Lipscomb.

Not-for-Profit: Stacy Wolfe ('98)

Stacy Wolfe earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in music and psychology from Union University in 1998. After graduation, she dedicated three years to serving as an enrollment counselor at Union before moving to Memphis with her husband. They then relocated to northern Alabama, where they have lived for the past 18 years.

During her time in Alabama, Wolfe passionately engaged in volunteer work. For six years, she served as the volunteer children's choir director at Lindsay Lane Baptist Church in Athens. Her dedication and leadership within the church community continued to grow, eventually leading her to become a staff member as the children's choir coordinator for 10 years. Following her role as a communications director at Lindsay Lane Baptist Church, Wolfe retired due to health considerations.

In 2022, Wolfe embarked on a new journey by establishing the Stacy Wolfe Breast Cancer Foundation. This endeavor emerged from her desire to assist individuals navigating their own cancer journeys. Her foundation now focuses on encouraging, supporting and addressing the immediate needs of cancer patients and their families.

At her church, Wolfe leads a small group with her husband, actively participates in the choir and praise team, engages in mission trips, visits nursing homes and provides spiritual guidance to young couples. In addition to her church involvement, she dedicates her time to aiding cancer patients across the nation, extending support through financial assistance and sending chemo bags or flowers as a reminder that they are not alone in their journey.

Arts/Media: Sam Mizell ('96)

Sam Mizell completed his education at Union University in 1996, earning a Bachelor of Arts in sacred music. He went on to achieve acclaim as an award-winning film composer, writer and producer. Mizell's career has been marked by numerous collaborations with prominent artists, filmmakers, songwriters and instrumentalists on the world stage. He shares his life with his wife Becca and their two daughters, Winter and Maizie, residing in Thompson's Station, Tennessee.

Throughout his career, Mizell has garnered significant accolades, including seven #1 songs, two Grammy nominations, the distinction of Billboard Christian Songwriter of The Year in 2008, two Dove Awards, two ASCAP Songs of The Year awards, 11 ASCAP top 25 most played awards and two BMI Awards. His extensive portfolio features compositions for a wide range of platforms and artists, such as Apple TV, Tubi, Amazon, AMC, MTV, The CW, Provident Films, TGI Friday's, Sony and BET, and numerous prominent musicians. Among the artists who have benefited from his songwriting talents are Matthew West, Amy Grant, Sidewalk Prophets, Mandisa, Jana Kramer, The Band Perry, Billy Ray Cyrus, Nicole C. Mullen, Gaither Vocal Band and many more.

Some of Mizell's most recent notable songs include King of the World, recorded by Natalie Grant, The Motions and You are Everything, both recorded by Matthew West and The Words I Would Say, recorded by Sidewalk Prophets.

Government/Public Service: John David Cressman ('11)

John David Cressman, known as J.D., graduated from Union University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. He pursued further education at Washington and Lee University School of Law. Cressman currently serves as the general counsel for the Tennessee Department of Military. His career in public service also includes roles as the legislative liaison and department counsel for the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services, assistant general counsel and small business advocate for the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, legislative liaison and senior associate counsel for the Tennessee Department of General Services and deputy general counsel for the Tennessee Department of Military.

Cressman attributes much of his career's foundation to his time at Union. The professors he encountered during his studies at Union significantly affected his intellectual development, challenging his thought processes and reshaping his worldview. He remains deeply grateful for their influence.