Class Notes
Class Notes
Queens joins our alumni in celebrating their latest accomplishments and life changes while remembering those we have lost. We love seeing your Queens reunions, adventures around the world, and new experiences. Class notes for undergraduate alumni are organized by decade, while graduate alumni notes are sorted by school. New notes will be added throughout the year, with a fresh start in 2026.
1960s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | Graduate
1960s
Harriette McMichael Majoros ’63
Last year, for their week-apart birthdays, Harriette McMichael Majoros ’63 and daughter Rebecca Majoros-Gomez ’02 went to Puerto Rico, and this year’s birthday trip will be in early August. The first stop is Disney World, and then it’s on to a Disney cruise.
Dana Clay ’68
Nancy McLeod Sabia ’66 and her husband Lou entertained Dana Clay ’68 at Riveria Country Club, Coral Gables, Florida, in January for Sunday brunch. Their mothers were friends since college as well from Florida State College for Women.
Kitty Tilghman McEaddy ’65
Kitty Tilghman McEaddy ’65 shared, “Unbelievable, yesterday our youngest daughter delivered twin girls. We now have thirteen grandchildren. Blessings still come when we are aging a bit.”
Myrtle Heery ’68
Myrtle Heery ’68 has published her memoir, “Tracking Kindness: A Memoir of Life’s Teachings in Kindness,” which includes memories of her time in Queens. It’s available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Katherine Barker Sims ’69
Sue Barker McCarter ’66 passed away on March 11, 2024, from an aggressive form of dementia. She lived most of her life in Charlotte.
From Katherine Barker Sims ’69: Sue grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, but with close ties to Queens College, as our grandmother, Elsie Stokes Moseley, was a professor emeritus of music, and our mother, Maujer Moseley Barker ’41, and two aunts, were also graduates of Queens. Sue was a member of Chi Omega Sorority and a literature major.
Sue worked with autistic children and adults and was often sent by TEEACH to set up working classrooms and teacher programs for schools all over NC and neighboring states. Sue was an avid quilter and an expert in the field of antique quilts, often contributing to magazines or books on the subject.
She leaves a husband, three children, and six grandchildren.
1980s
Debbie Springfield ’81
Debbie Springfield ’81 and Andrea King Dobbs ’81 were both at the beach on vacation in June 2025 and prepared dinner for Debbie’s family. They decided to dress up for the dinner that they cooked!
Jane Hughes Redding ’84
Jane Redding ’84 recently retired from elected public service. She was presented the Key to the City by the Mayor of Asheboro for her 18 years of service: 8 years on the Asheboro City Council and 10 years prior on the Asheboro City Board of Education. She and her husband, Scott, practice law together and have been married for 35 years. Their daughter, Cynthia, resides in Greenville, SC.
Sara Lee Hinnant ’88
Sara Lee Hinnant ’88 is still occasionally preaching at her church, though retired. She’s loving her time with her 11 grandchildren and recently won first place for a poem in the local Senior Games.
Glenda Horton Manning ’89
Glenda Horton Manning ’89 is a frequent guest on the podcast for seniors, “You Still Matter,” found on YouTube. Recent discussions focused on preparing for loss and how grandparenting has changed across generations. She would like to invite others to join her in future conversations. Enjoy!
Linda Warren Gerdes ’89
Kaylan Gerdes Carter ’18, daughter of Linda Warren Gerdes ’89, was married in April 2025 to Lucas Carter in Low Gap, NC.
Photo: The bride is surrounded by Lisette Hasbun ’88, Maggie Grissom Denton, her freshman year roommate, K. Jane Price Morgan ’89 and Maggie’s mom, LeAnn Warren Otterbein ’89 and Kaylan’s aunt, Jennifer Russell Higgins ’89, as well as Chessa Beebe ’18, Connor Gagnon, freshman year roommate, and Linda Warren Gerdes ’89.
1990s
Sandra Bittle-Oliver ’94
In January 2024, Sandra Bittle-Oliver joined Wake County Government in Raleigh, NC, as Deputy Chief Information Officer. Sandra, who also has her MBA, developed an early interest in technology and obtained her bachelor’s degree in computer information systems at Queens. She has held leadership positions in Charlotte in both the private and public sectors. Sandra focuses on driving vision and customer experience through strategic and thought leadership. Wake County is excited to welcome her to #TeamWake!
Brandy Rowell ’94
SocialMediaRepost from Brandy Rowell ’94: Happiness is……taking your wife to meet your college BFF with her already a Junior in college, daughter & friends for brunch while she & her husband are visiting for Parents Weekend at Hampshire College ❤️ Thanks for always being you, Sally Stewart Miller Class of ’93. I can’t believe WE are the grown-ups now. 🤦🏻♀️ #circleoflife #firewater #mixedtape2024
2000s
Rebecca West ’01
Rebecca West ’01 recently traveled to NYC to see fellow Psychology classmate Conrad Ricamora ’01 star as Abe Lincoln in the Tony Award-winning Broadway play, “Oh, Mary!”! Rebecca was accompanied by Mrs. Erin Boyt of Lawrenceville, GA. The two became friends in their Congressional volunteer work for the National MS Society in Washington, DC.
Graham Iain Jones ’01
Graham Iain Jones ’01 has been at his alma mater, Stratford Academy, since 2019. He oversees the boy’s soccer program from elementary to varsity. More recently, Graham served as the interim Athletic Director and then transitioned into a new role as Director of Student Life. He shared, “Simply put, my role is to promote positivity and inclusiveness in our middle and upper school divisions.”
On the family front, Graham has 5 grandkids and enjoys every minute he gets with them.
Rene Ballowe Smith ’08
Rene Smith ’08 was recently promoted to Senior Software Account Manager for Motorola Solutions, Inc. serving the Carolinas. In her new role, she focuses on solver for safer for public safety entities by providing robust ecosystem solutions. She is ecstatic to be working in the Queens area again and hopes to connect with students and other alumni!
Colleen McCarey Albert ’03
Colleen Albert ’03 released her twelfth contemporary romance novel in 2023, written under the pen name C.M. Albert, a USA Today bestselling author. Additionally, she received her Biofield Tuning practitioner certification under sound-healing pioneer Eileen Day McKusick.
Paula Ronkko Naeff ’00
Paula Ronkko Naeff ’00 and her company, TIM This Is Me Paula Naeff Coaching, is becoming a trusted name in the world of Sports Mental Performance, training athletes from age 10 upwards in all stages and through all transitions. Her holistic approach, integrating mental, physical, and spiritual elements, is unique and creates both joy and the desired results. She travels to see her clients play worldwide and organizes workshops and trainings along the way. The Queens motto, ‘not to be served, but to serve,’ is Paula’s daily companion while working and with her family.
2010s
Megan Johnson Thibodeaux ’11
Megan Johnson Thibodeaux ’11 and her husband Jesse welcomed their first baby on August 8, 2024. Welcome to the world, Lyra Claire!
Claire Lechtenberg ’17
On May 31, 2025, Claire Lechtenberg ’17 got engaged to Matthew Johnson, a UNC Charlotte alumnus and NC State grad student. The two were surrounded by family and fellow Royals Naomi Fraher ’17 and Alana Snow ’18.
Annaliese Lemieux-Kaplan Mead ’16
Annaliese Lemieux-Kaplan ’16 married Ryan Mead in Virginia Beach, VA, on November 16, 2024. Fellow Queens classmate and Annaliese’s Alpha Delta Pi sorority sister Perrin Thompson Jones ’16 was a bridesmaid. The Meads live in Virginia Beach with their cat, Delilah.
Perrin Thompson Jones ’16
Perrin Jones ’16 has joined the University of Texas at Austin as a Counselor in the Counselors in Academic Residence (CARE) Program, which embeds mental health services within academic spaces to support students in achieving their academic and personal goals. Perrin provides clinical services specifically to students in the Moody College of Communication and is also available to consult with staff and offer prevention-focused services. In addition, Perrin maintains her private counseling practice, Mockingbird Carolinas, having recently relocated to Austin with her husband Taylor (MBA ’16) and daughter Leighton.
Blair Ingold Bains ’19
I am now living near London, England, with my husband, Tom Bains MBA ’18, and our cat, Sunny. I work for a private hospital in Central London in Health Governance and love it. I am enjoying living abroad and taking each day as it comes. None of this would have been possible without Queens, as Tom and I first met each other in the student gym back in 2017.
I have very special memories of my time as a student and wish I could travel back in time to have another nap in my Eno on the quad or attend another Boar’s Head meal. I will always cherish the time I had as a student at Queens.
Lauren Cassidy ’19
Lauren Cassidy ’19 MT-BC is an interdisciplinary artist whose solo exhibition, “Transfigurations,” debuted at Da Vinci Art Alliance in Philadelphia. Since graduation, her work has been included in numerous museums, galleries, and publications, including two shows affiliated with the Smithsonian. She played SXSW for the second year in a row with the band Astro Alloy. Lauren recently illustrated the cover of fellow alumnus Meg Rosenthal’s novel, “The Wingman.” She currently works as a Music Education Administrator.
2020s
Meredith Little Choate ’20
On May 31, 2025, Meredith Little Choate ’20 married her now-husband in the Belk Chapel, surrounded by beloved family and friends. She shared, “Ever since I moved into my Hayes dorm room my freshman year, I knew that I wanted to get married inside the Chapel. My freshman-year roommate and best friend, Megan Wheeler ’20, was one of my bridesmaids. It was incredible to come full circle at the place where I started such an important chapter of my life as a freshman and now, as I enter this next chapter with my husband.”
Elisabeth King Ipox ’20
Elisabeth King Ipox ’20 married United States Marine Veteran Jarrett Ipox on May 9, 2025, after 7 years of long distance. Fellow Queens alumna Natalie Van Noy Cook-Weeks ’22 photographed the big day!
Graduate
Memuna Kanu Williams, D.B.A.
MBA ’07
Dr. Memuna Williams’ ’07 doctoral thesis on the development of social responsibility programs in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) has been accepted by the University of Liverpool library. Her study, titled “Forms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in SMEs,” explores CSR programs in Africa and North America, identifying key phases and categories of CSR development. Dr. Williams’ work highlights innovative approaches and emphasizes the importance of CSR integration within SMEs. Her thesis is now publicly available.
Dr. Williams then had the privilege of presenting her thesis to a group of entrepreneurship researchers affiliated with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). She shared her research findings, which provide a unified theory of CSR development across various phases. The storyline captures how SMEs engage with their communities, highlighting the journey from initial engagement to becoming fully mission-driven entities.
Linda Nelson MBA ’99
Linda Nelson ’99 found a new career post-corporate retirement. She earned a degree in Horticulture Technology with honors at Central Piedmont Community College in 2022 and is now teaching Landscape Design at Cato Campus.
Taylor Jones MBA ’16
Taylor Jones ’16 recently joined imagine.io, a top 3D product visualization platform, as Head of Marketing. He relocated to Austin, Texas, with his wife Perrin (BM ’16) and daughter Leighton. In addition to leading marketing efforts at imagine.io, Taylor is active in the local business community through the Austin American Marketing Association and the Austin Chamber of Commerce, where he engages with fellow professionals to support innovation and growth in the region.
Ahaviyah Levi-Clemons MBA ’22
After graduating from Queens with an MBA, Ahaviyah Levi-Clemons ’22 embarked on a new professional journey. She received a leadership role at her then-employer, Tricon American Homes, and opened her business, Resolute Project Administrative Services, LLC. Her company has a unique business strategy that offers professional services to mid-large companies. She is certain that her studies and work at Queens equipped her with the tools and knowledge to successfully operate in the competive business environment and career. She is extremely grateful for the relationships through Queens’ mentorship program that helped her along the way.
Krystal Owens MBA ’20
Krystal Owens ’20 has been promoted to Head of Strategy & Governance at TD Bank. She will continue supporting inclusivity as the national Culture lead for TD’s Black Employee Network. Krystal also recently earned the Leadership & Change Certificate from Queens.
Tanya Pell Jones MBA ’11
Tanya Pell ’11, author of the horror novella Cicada, signed a two-book deal with Gallery/Simon & Schuster. The first novel, HER WICKED ROOTS, a queer, Gothic reimagining of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter,” releases in October 2025. A second novel, another horror standalone, is set to release in October 2026.
Michael K. Brantley MFA ’14
Michael K. Brantley ’14 has been named the Elizabeth H. Jordan Chair of Southern Literature at Barton College in Wilson, NC. Recently awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of English, Brantley will continue to direct the two visiting writers series and the Homegrown series he created last year, as well as help manage and promote the College’s Rare Book Room. Brantley’s fifth book of nonfiction is expected out in late 2025.
Erika Dreifus MFA ’03
Erika Dreifus ’03 has recently joined the boards of two not-for-profit organizations: the newly-created The Artists Against Antisemitism and the Leo Baeck Institute, which celebrates its seventieth anniversary in 2025. Both focus on subjects that classmates and faculty may recall have infused Erika’s writing for a long time. She invites (and encourages) everyone to learn more about the compelling work of each.
Susan Guthrie MSN ’06
Susan Guthrie ’06 has joined Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center as a manager of Clinical Care Management.
Tom Conlan MFA ’14
Tom Conlan ’14 recently published a visual art and poetry collection, “Secret Conversations, Reflections in Nature.”