CLASSNOTES

single “Southen Belle” is available years, Personally Yours has been a on iTunes and Amazon.com. His mainstay in downtown Fairhope. website is www.burlyclyde.com. Bell actively supports authors, AlumNews ’06 literacy, and reading events and is a ’89 contributor to the Alabama Writers’ Rev. Wade Langer, a newly ordained Michael “Mike” L. Jones was Forum and the Eastern Shore elder in the United Methodist Church, elected to the Alabama House of Literacy Council. recently launched a new church in Representatives, District 92, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. He preached his first sermon at The Capstone United November 2010, where he serves David M. Benck of Birmingham, Methodist Church on April 29, the first on the Transportation and Utilities, vice president and general counsel Sunday after the anniversary of 2011’s Judiciary, and Rules committees. for Hibbett Sporting Goods Inc. devastating tornadoes. Jones is a 1992 graduate of the and a member of the BSC Norton After being appointed by the United University of Alabama School of Board of Advisors, has joined the Methodist Church in June 2011 to start Law. He is a partner with South board of directors for the American a new church in the Tuscaloosa area, he Alabama Law and also serves Arbitration Association in New gathered a number of people to help him as city judge for the town of York for an initial term of May 2012 launch the congregation. Among them is Andalusia. through May 2016. Faith Renneker Masterson ’09, who is serving as worship director. Manus Rungtusanatham joined ’91 Tuscaloosa already has a number of churches, but Langer insists the Fisher College of Business Vikki Millender-Morrow (MPPM that The Capstone UMC is focusing on the unchurched population of the city and its university. at The Ohio State University last grad) is “The United Methodist Church studied the area and fall as professor of management the new determined that Tuscaloosa was ripe for a new congregation— sciences. president based on an influx of new residents and retail vendors, as well as and CEO of an increasing population of citizens without a church home,” said ’90 the Georgia Langer. “Thus, we’re wanting to start a new congregation that Collin Asmus has been promoted Campaign appeals to the nonreligious and nominally religious, particularly to full professor at Bridgewater for to those who feel that the church is sometimes adversarial to State University in Bridgewater, Adolescent academia and reason. We want to help people live meaningful Mass. Asmus is coordinator of Pregnancy lives that are informed by deep faith, thoughtful reason, and the Foundations Program in the art Prevention transformative action.” department and teaches drawing, nonprofit. Jane Fonda founded Additionally, Langer wants to strengthen the vitality of United Methodist churches surrounding Tuscaloosa and throughout North painting, and design courses. She the organization, which is Alabama, partnering with other vibrant congregations including took a sabbatical this past spring. headquartered in Atlanta. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Kansas City, Mo.—the largest UMC in the United States. In June 2011, Richard K. Behr W. Brantley Phillips Jr. and his Until a new church facility is built, services are being held became an account executive for law firm were honored with the monthly at 10:30 a.m. at the Belk Activity Center at Bowers Park. al.com in Montgomery. Al.com, Tennessee Bar Association’s 2011 Weekly services began on Aug. 12. Alabama’s largest website and Corporate Counsel Pro Bono online source for The Birmingham Initiative Award for work done as News, Mobile Press-Register, and a part of a successful clemency Huntsville Times, launched the petition to the state’s governor on Montgomery edition of al.com behalf of a Tennessee death row The BTI Consulting Group ’88 in the fall of 2010. Behr will be inmate. His efforts highlighted (Wellesley, Mass.) has named This past fall, Dr. Marietta calling on local businesses and errors made at the inmate’s trial James Pennington, the managing Cameron began her new position providing advertising and marketing in 1984 and resulted in the inmate shareholder of the Birmingham as associate professor of computer services from the comprehensive being taken off death row. Phillips office of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, science with the University of al.com digital platform. Prior to is an attorney at Bass Berry & Sims Smoak & Stewart PC, to its 2012 North Carolina at Asheville. joining al.com, he was employed PLC in Nashville. Client Service All-Star team. The by Equisouth Mortgage, and he firm said Pennington is the only Singer-songwriter Burleigh Clyde also has over 20 years of media ’92 attorney in Alabama to earn the “Buck” Johnson Jr. of Nashville, marketing experience. The Alabama Coastal Foundation designation. Tenn., is working with legendary recently named Mark Berte as producers Mark Needham (Chris Emily Bell is a business its executive director. Berte has Isaak, Fleetwood Mac, The Killers) entrepreneur in her hometown of over 25 years of experience in the and Charlie Midnight (Joe Cocker, Fairhope. She is the new owner nonprofit sector and is a passionate The Doobie Brothers) on an of Personally Yours, a gift shop/ supporter of sustaining the state’s upcoming album release. The niche bookstore. For over five environment for future generations.

40 / ’southern