• Over $600,000 to designated areas to assist with current operations.  Designated giving allows the donor to support a specific department or program.  Last year over 44 departments and special programs received support from members of the Wesleyan Society.

• Over $700,000 designated to campus facilities.  Wesleyan Society members made gifts for construction, upkeep, and remodeling of many capital projects.

• Over $1.3 million to endowment funds.  Endowed funds provide a way for donors to make a gift that will keep giving and growing far beyond their own lifetimes.  Wesleyan Society members donated to 93 endowed scholarship and academic department funds last fiscal year.

• Over $1 million to the Annual Wesleyan Fund for undesignated purposes.  Last year the Annual Wesleyan Fund provided crucial money for library resources, technology support, current scholarships, faculty and staff salaries, and daily operating expenses such as maintenance and utilities.

If you would like to participate in this shared vision of excellence through your commitment of $1,000 or more annually, you can make a gift now at www.wvwc.edu/alu2/supportwvwc.asp. Your partnership and participation will strengthen the College and continue to fulfill the noblest dreams of its future.

Class Notes: March 2006
E-mail your Class Notes to alumni@wvwc.edu

1966   LEE ANN BENNETT BLANKENSHIP, Kent, OH, had her first children’s book “Mr. Tuggle’s Troubles” published in 2005.  Lee Ann has become successful in breaking into the magazine market, publishing stories in "Highlights for Children," "Cricket," "Cobblestone and Appleseeds."

1969   BARBARA COWEN FLEMING, Bethel Park, PA, has completed two years as president of the United Methodist Women’s Club of Christ United Methodist Church in Bethel Park.

1970   SUZANNE NEWMAN SOLON, Philippines, and her husband, Rolando, are enjoying their retirement on their farm located on a remote island amid coconut trees and rice paddies.

1972   FRANCES WATLINGTON, Cambridge, MA, performance name "Bermuda Bill Byron," was one of the first prize winners in the B.B. King One Touch (Diabetes) blues lyric contest for 2004/2005.  He also placed in the finalists (Best Male Artist) for the 2005 International Acoustic Music Awards with his song “The Texas Campfire Song.”

1973   EILEEN GLIME DUMIRE, South Charleston, WV, received her doctor of ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Trotwood, OH on December 17, 2005.  Her dissertation is called “From Invisibility and Death to Visibility and New Life:  A Revitalization Process.”

1974   BENEDICT (BEN) TANTILLO III, Bernardsville, NJ has been named New Jersey Superintendent of the Year for 2005.

1975   JULIA MONTGOMERY CONLEY, Elkins, WV, achieved National Board Certification in Early Adolescent-Young Adult Art in November 2005.  She teaches art, photography and broadcasting at Buckhannon-Upshur High School.  Her husband, ELLIS E. CONLEY ’73, was elected as a Wesleyan trustee in October 2005, and pastors First United Methodist Church in Elkins.  Their son, DAVID C. CONLEY ’03, serves as a Wesleyan admission counselor, and son John, is pursuing his doctoral dissertation at the University of Minnesota.   *   MARK H. WASHBURN, Davidson, NC, won first place for television criticism at the N.C. Press Association competition.  He is employed by "The Charlotte Observer," North Carolina.

1976   KEVIN M. DOWLING, Union, NJ, was awarded the Coloney-Hudson Award given by the Center For Hope in February at the Annual Charity Ball in Mountainside, NJ.  Kevin is employed as a superintendent at Merck & Company in Rahway, NJ and he has also been honored as "Irishman of the Year" by the Union County Emerald Society, Union County Irish American Association and the Rahway Chapter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.  He is best known for his leadership of the Joseph Nugent Sr. Association, founded by his grandfather in 1933 where he has served as president for almost 20 years.

1981   JANE ELLEN NICKELL, Meadville, PA, was appointed chaplain at Allegheny College on February 1, 2006.

1986   GLENN T. DYER, Roseland, NJ, graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame School of Law and is now a partner at Connell Foley, LLP in Roseland, NJ practicing in the areas of insurance coverage and defense.

1995   AMY FEHL BURCH, White Plains, MD, and her husband, Charlie, announce the birth of their son, Colby Lee, (picture right) on July 7, 2005.   *   MEGAN WEIR-LEVEN, Murrysville, PA, is a medical sales representative for Lifescan, the diabetes division of Johnson & Johnson.

1998   KRISTI FULMER VELARDO, Hillsdale, PA, and her husband, PETER J. VELARDO, announce the birth of their son, Peter Jake, on January 9, 2006.

1999   EMILY HOPTA, Charleston, WV, is employed by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources as assistant to the Secretary.  She is a 2005 graduate of Leadership West Virginia and received both the Purple Ribbon Award from the West Virginia Coaltion against Domestic Violence and Guardian Angel award from the West Virginia Women’s Commission in 2005.   *  ANGELA HEITZENRATER BOWSER, Brookville, PA, and her husband, Robert (Rob) Bowser, announce the birth of their daughter, Mara Jade, on October 23, 2005.  Mara joins her big sister, Alissa Jonelle, at home.  Angi currently works for the Brookville Area High School as an eighth grade learning support teacher, and completed her master’s degree in school guidance counseling from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in December 2005.*    WILLIAM E. GADD, Wheeling, WV, has recently joined the Wheeling office of Thorp Reed & Armstrong, LLP as a member of the Complex Civil Litigation group.

2004   AMANDA BROWN, Naples, FL, was united in marriage to ADAM PETERSON ’03, on July 22, 2005.  (photo left) Alumni in attendance were (Row 1) MICHELLE JONES ’05, groom, ADAM PETERSON ’05, bride, AMANDA BROWN, JANICE MCCROSTIE ’06, TRACY TUTT ’04, EMILY BYER LUTERAN ‘03. (Row 2) MEGAN GEIB WALTZ ’03, STEVE FIELDING ’05.  (Row 3) MELISSA BROWN ’05, DOMINICK MACK ‘06, CARLY KILDARE ’04, ASHLEY SKAVENSKI ’05, KATRINA ASH PARKER ’03, Adam Rizzo, GREG BENNETT ’05, JARED LUTERAN ‘98.  (Row 4)  JEFFREY BROWN ’73, MATTHEW DAMMOND ’02. * TAYLOR R. WILLIS, Roanoke, VA, is currently serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Darban Village, Kyrgyzstan (Central Asia), and teaches English as foreign language grades 4 – 11.  He has also initiated a Peace Corps Partnership Program Grant to raise funds for the school.