2000s
Aaron P. Graft, BA ’00, JD ’03, and Kimberly Graft, BBA ’00, of Dallas, established the Kimberly and Aaron P. Graft Professorship in Christian Leadership in Business. This professorship supports a distinguished faculty member in the Hankamer School of Business who teaches and researches business leadership principles consistent with a Christian worldview.
April McAdams, BSEd ’00, was named the Scripps National Spelling Bee Teacher of the Year. She currently teaches 3rd grade at South Bosque Elementary in Midway ISD. Previously, she was an instructional specialist at Waco ISD. Currently, McAdams is in her 23rd year in education.
James Michael Stanton, JD ’02, of Dallas, established the Gerald Reading Powell Chair in Advocacy in honor of Professor Gerald Powell. The award supports a distinguished faculty member in Baylor Law School in the field of advocacy.
Anne Claire Andaya-Nauts, BA ’03, is currently the Consular Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Rangoon, supporting all U.S. citizens in Myanmar. Her prior overseas assignment was as the special assistant to the executive office at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Andaya-Nauts was one of the last diplomats to leave Afghanistan in August 2021, after evacuating from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and working the Noncombatant Evacuation Operations (NEO) at the Kabul airport. After the NEO, she served as the chief of staff in the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) in Washington, D.C., continuing to move U.S. citizens and at-risk Afghans out of Afghanistan.
Becky Dean, BA ’03, authored her debut young adult contemporary novel, Love & Other Great Expectations [Delacorte Press, 2022]. Her book follows a girl competing in a literary-themed scavenger hunt that takes her to the locations of classic novels throughout England. The book was named a Junior Library Guild selection.
J Kellie Corti, BA ’04, was named dean of the School of Liberal Arts, Education and Vocational Ministry at Crown College in St. Bonifacius, MN.
Susan Kirkpatrick, BSEd ’04, was named Yates Elementary Teacher of the Year for the 2021-22 school year. She is the lead third-grade teacher at Yates Elementary in Newport News, VA, where she lives with her husband and three children.
Shelly Spaulding, BA ’04, returned to McKinney High School as new principal of the district’s longest-tenured high school.
Mackenzie Causey, BA ’05, was named in the Dallas Business Journal’s 2022 class of 40 Under 40 Award winners.
Aaron McMillan, MBA ’05, was announced as Texas regional manager for Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. McMillan joined Bowman from 1519 Surveying where he was president and co-owner for 10 years. Bowman acquired 1519 in December 2021. McMillan now leads Bowman’s more than 120 professionals who work from the company’s seven Texas offices for clients focused on renewable energy, public works, oil and gas, and land development.
Mildred F. “Mimi” Perreault, BA ’05, an assistant professor in the ETSU Department of Media and Communication, had her work featured on The JWord: A Podcast by Journalism Practice. Her work was honored at the Social Justice & Media Symposium earlier this year as an honorable mention. Perreault discussed the methodological and philosophical means by which to hold journalists to their own words through their metajournalistic discourse. Perreault teaches journalism and public relations courses in the department. She also is the advisor for Overlooked in Appalachia, a student-led regional publication that focuses on the region.
Hannah C. Shoss, BA ’05, joined Bell Nunnally as an associate. Shoss is a transactional attorney, focusing on corporate and securities, mergers and acquisitions and real estate. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law (JD, magna cum laude, 2017) and Baylor University. Prior to joining Bell Nunnally, Shoss represented clients across a wide range of industries, including real estate, health care, insurance, retail, agriculture and education.
Keri Jackman, BA ‘06, owner of Connie’s Frozen Custard, located in Houston, was named No. 1 ice cream shop in Texas by Yelp.
Matt Benton, BFA, ’07, was named senior associate director of foundation relations at Baylor College of Medicine. Working in the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs, Mr. Benton is directly responsible for supporting the development, evaluation and implementation of a portfolio consisting of regional, national and international foundations in support of BCM’s groundbreaking scientific research initiatives. He directly oversees the critical relationships between philanthropic grants and sponsored research contracts activity. Mr. Benton is pleased to help lead vital philanthropic relationships in service to Baylor College of Medicine’s visionary strategic objectives.
T. Hunter Lewis, BA ’07, JD ’10, was voted to Best Lawyers in America 2023 in the category of Family Law. Hunter@d-elaw.com
Erin Greneaux, BA ’08, authored and published The Enchanted Garden, a story that creates a fantastical world that captivates the imagination of young girls. The book is the perfect early chapter book for girls ages 4-9 with engaging storytelling and stunning full-color illustrations on every page spread. The Gold Feather Gardeners series empowers children to understand deep spiritual truths on a personal level. Parents will love using this gospel allegory to spark conversations with their kids about embarking on the greatest adventure of their lives!
Hannah Moore, BBA ’08, was named by Barron’s as one of ten people to watch in wealth management in 2022, and Investopedia named Hannah one of the top 100 financial advisors in the country in 2022.
Samuel Chen, BA ’09, MA ’11, was named to City & State Pennsylvania’s Top 50 Political Consultants Power List. Chen is the founder and director of The Liddell Group, a firm that specializes in innovative campaign, policy and communication strategies.