Class Notes

Gail Denise Whisnant and Gordon Langley were united in marriage on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at Crowne Plaza Hotel in Hickory, North Carolina. Gail is a teacher for Catawba County Schools and Gordon is employed by Smith Turf and Irrigation in Charlotte. After a trip to Hawaii and Savannah, the couple reside in Polkville, North Carolina.

Kathy Johnson is Pastor of Greater Shekinah Glory Church in Hickory, North Carolina and will launch the Greater Dimensions College of Theology with classes beginning in early September. Greater Dimensions is a fully accredited college and will serve as a satellite school of the North Carolina College of Theology. E-mail Kathy at pastorkathy@gsglory.org.

Ryan Patrick McGirr was recently promoted to Assistant Vice President for BB&T. McGirr, who joined the bank in 2005, is a Financial Center Leader at BB&T in Kernersville, North Carolina. McGirr lives in Kernersville with his wife, Julie, and son, Preston.

Susan Carol Dale and James Wallace Phillips Jr. were married January 18, 2009. Susan is a Habitation Specialist and Case Management Trainer for New River Behavioral Healthcare and James is the Director of Cardio-Pulmonary and Neonatal Transport Services at Catawba Valley Medical Center. The couple honeymooned in the Tennessee mountains and now reside in Moravian Falls, North Carolina.

Aubrey Letitia Moore and Curtis Jay Pearson were married on January 24, 2009 at Green Street Baptist Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Rev. Thomas Moore, a 1969 and 1971 Gardner-Webb alumnus, officiated the ceremony. Aubrey is a Social Worker for Children’s Homes of Cleveland County and Curtis works for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The couple took a honeymoon trip to Walt Disney World in Florida and a cruise to the Bahamas and now live in Shelby. E-mail Aubrey at amchcc@bellsouth.net.

Dian Moore Cooley died February 4, 2009 after an extensive battle with cancer. She worked in the education field for 34 years, having taught in Alexander, Surry, and Wilkes County Schools as well as Mount Airy and Elkin City Schools. For the last ten years she served as a Consultant for Family and Consumer Sciences Education at the Department of Public Instruction in Raleigh. She is survived by her husband of 33 years, two daughters, mother, grandson, brothers, and several nieces and nephews.

Jennifer Titus was recently accepted to the University of Maryland Dental School, DDS class of 2012. She was also recently engaged to Charles Wiley. The happy couple is planning a May 2010 wedding.

Joshua V. Houser graduated from Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. The candidate was tested on leadership skills and team work abilities required of a commissioned officer. Students learned to utilize acquired skills to function in "leader and follower" positions in squad and platoon sized elements, and evaluated in various leadership garrison positions while in a stressful and demanding field environment.

Deborah Dawn Gaddis and Stephen Kelly Reeves were married on October 18, 2008 at Boiling Springs Baptist Church. Deborah is a certified Chaplain under the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and an ordained minister. She is employed by St. David’s South Austin Hospital in Austin, Texas. Stephen is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is the Public Policy Legislative Counsel for The Christian Life Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas in Austin. The couple spent three nights in the Great Smokey Mountains and then traveled to Belize. They live in Austin, Texas.

Kristie Marie Brinkley will be inducted into the Kings Mountain Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at Central United Methodist Church. She holds the Gardner-Webb record for career high kills in a game (29) and ranks fourth in kills per game in a single season, fifth in kills for a season, a seventh in kills in all-time career records. She had 1,025 kills and 98 serving aces during her volleyball career at Gardner-Webb.