Class Notes
Mary Elmore Kellogg Cowart ’66, recently retired and moved to Holdenville, Oklahoma. She spent 26 years working at Dallas Public Library, cataloging music and other monographs.
David W. Earle ’68, recently published a book, Outrun the Wolf: Selfcare in Times of Trouble, which is now available on Amazon.
Shirley Dill Brothers ’71, retired in 2012 after 40 years with Alvin ISD. She served 15 years as a teacher and 25 years as director of communications. The district honored her with the naming of the Shirley Dill Brothers Elementary School located in Shadow Creek Ranch. The school, which opened its doors in 2017, has a Bearkat mascot and shares SHSU’s school colors.
Jim Robinson ’71,’74, was recently re-elected first vice chair of the board of directors of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. He represents Harris County Commissioners’ Court on the board and chairs the Public Safety, Operations and Customer Service Committee. He is a Life Member of the SHSU Alumni Association.
Keith Price ’73, ’78, ’83, has retired for a second time. In 2003, he retired from the Texas prison system after 30 years of service as an officer and warden. In May 2022, he retired from West Texas A&M University after serving as a professor of sociology and criminal justice for 19 years.
Joseph Indelicato Jr. ’81, has become chair of the family law section of the State Bar of Texas for the 2022-2023 term. He practices family law in Richmond, Texas and is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
William F. (Bill) Ward ’81, was promoted to president of Superior Pipeline Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Prior to joining the company in 2008, he completed a 10 year career with Devon Gas Services. Ward returned to SHSU this past April to serve as a guest speaker in the College of Business Administration. He is a Life Member of the SHSU Alumni Association.
Mattie C. Provost ’84, ’95, Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy was named the 2022 ‘Melvin Drum Chief Deputy of the Year’ by the Texas Chief Deputies Association. She is the first woman and first African American to serve the county in this capacity.
Rusty Burson ’90, is director of membership and communications at Miramont Country Club in Bryan, Texas. His new book, Bearkat Business Leaders: Tales of Success from Sam Houston State University Alumni features 13 Bearkats who chased their entrepreneurial or business dreams. All proceeds benefit the Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship program.
A’Londa Barber ’93, received an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Business Administration and a Entrepreneurship Coach certification from TIUA School of Business.
LaToya Collins ’17, was appointed to director of human resources for Interfaith of The Woodlands. Collins has over 10 years of nonprofit experience and 20 years of management and employee relations.
Chad Wallace ’16, has joined Mastercard’s Global Product and Engineering Organization as executive vice president of B2B solutions and is a member of the company’s management committee.
Laura Horner Stevens ’11, was honored as ‘Teacher of the Year’ by Lufkin ISD for her exemplary performance and commitment to excellence. In her three years with the district, she has taught world geography and served as a lead teacher.
Andrew Hicks ’10, of Burnet CISD was named the new director of bands at Magnolia West High School. He previously served at Burnet CISD and Willis High. He also taught in Indianapolis and was a Marine and trumpeter in the U.S. Marine Corps.
Laura Masor ’09, of Grover Beach, California, was a contestant on the television game show “Wheel of Fortune” in April and went home with $6,000.
Amanda Davis ’07, Sugar Land public safety dispatcher, was recently named ‘Training Professional of the Year’ by the Texas National Emergency Number Association. Davis has served in her role for over 13 years.
Trina Silva ’06, recently took on a new role at the University of Houston as director of advancement of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. She is a Life Member of the SHSU Alumni Association.
Kathryn Mahoney ’05, is the new president of Wayside Waifs, Kansas City’s largest no-kill pet adoption organization. In 2021 she was awarded the CFO of the Year by the Kansas City Business Journal.
Kandice Harris ’04, was named executive director of the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce. She has more than 10 years of experience in leadership, event planning and program implantation. Harris currently serves on the Brown County Child Welfare Board and the Brownwood Lyric Theatre Board.
Walter W. Hambrick ’01, has been named deputy chief of staff for the City of Houston. Hambrick has 16 years of experience in the public sector. He is also chairman of the Houston Clean City Commission and vice chairman of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Parade Committee. He is a Life Member of the SHSU Alumni Association.
Tim Williams ’01, has been selected as principal of Lake Creek High School in Montgomery ISD. He has served in the district since 2013 and was recognized as ‘Assistant Principal of the Year’ in 2014 by both the district and Region 6.
Preston Fassel ’11, published two books through Encyclopocalypse Publications: a horror comedy novella, The Despicable Fantasies of Quentin Sergenov and Landis: The Story of a Real Man on 42nd Street, the first biography of magazine founder Bill Landis. In 2023, he will release his third fiction book, Beasts of 42nd Street.
Veronica Ziderich ’21, a 7th grade mathematics teacher at Mance Park Middle School, was named ‘New Secondary Teacher of the Year’ by Huntsville ISD.