Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s Elrod Center for Family and Community honored Dr. Cecil Sutley with the Community Service Excellence Award and Gracie Wright with the OBU Foster Grandparent of the Year Award at its recent University Community Service Awards banquet. Dozens of Ouachita students, faculty and staff were also recognized for their service during the past year.

Dr. Sutley has served as volunteer chaplain for Baptist Hospice of Arkadelphia for 18 years. He and his wife, Ellajane, have served as volunteer replacements for missionaries on furlough, delivered meals-on-wheels for 20 years and participated in numerous disaster relief efforts with Red River Baptist Association. Sutley served at Ouachita in such roles as university counselor, dean of students and professor of psychology and religion for a total of 33 years. An Army Air Corps veteran, he earned his bachelor’s degree at Mississippi College and his Doctor of Religious Education and Doctor of Education degrees at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Ouachita Chancellor Ben M. Elrod said Sutley “is truly a servant leader. He has tirelessly given his time and effort throughout his life to God and people in service to his community. He serves as an outstanding example of how volunteering changes and enriches our lives and the lives of others.”

Shirley McMillan, director of the Foster Grandparent program, presented Gracie Wright with the Foster Grandparent of the Year Award for her outstanding work with special needs preschoolers. Wright has served with the program for eight years and a total of 7,793 hours of service.

“She’s such a blessing to the kids and the teachers,” McMillan said. “Gracie, we feel like you exemplify what foster grandparents are.”

Jan Bass, coordinator of public school initiatives at the Elrod Center, was also recognized with a Retirement and Outstanding Service Award as she retires this month. Bass has served as founding coordinator of Ouachita’s America Reads/America Counts program since 1997.

“We appreciate Jan’s long, faithful service to the Elrod Center. She is a woman of real character and faith,” said Ian Cosh, vice president for community and international engagement. “The legacy that you have offered will last for a long time as these men and women go out to change the lives of others.”

Other Ouachita faculty, staff and students honored during the banquet include:

America Reads: Chelsea Ariola, Donnie Copeland, Brittany Green, Hayley Hill, Nikki Kambanis, Tayler Koller, Hannah Nolan and Whitley Poole.

America Counts: Sarah Liz Carter, Shannon Hunt, Kayla Kagel, Clay McKinney, Lauren Telford, Nate Wade and Seth Wilson.

America Reads Senior Awards: Ashlee DeVore, tutor/mentor 2008-2012; Katelyn Mustain, tutor/mentor 2010-2012; and Dielle Short, tutor/mentor 2010-2012.

America Counts Senior Awards: Lauren Bacon, tutor/mentor 2010-2011; Audrey Craven, tutor/mentor 2009-2011; Natalie Holmes, tutor/mentor and program assistant 2009-2011; Jenelle Kaske, volunteer 2009-2011; Dayton Lavender, tutor/mentor volunteer 2009-2011; and Josiah Wheeler, tutor/mentor 2008-2011.

Missionary-in-Residence Award:Trey and Elise Atkins.

ElderServe: Stephanie Butcher, Amy Campbell, Lauren Carpenter, Jennifer Coon, Tuyajargal Enkhbayar, Kaycee Giammarco, Emily Hastings, Bethany Peevy, Hunter Threadgill, Taylor Wentz and Kaitlin Williams.

ElderServe Senior Awards: Sarah Anderson (2009-2012), Lauren Bacon (2008-2012), Kinsey Ann Carpenter (2008-2012), Chris Chandler (2011-2012), Abby Dekle (2008-2012), Hillary Hill (2009-2012), Grady Howell (2012), Chelsie Kauffman (2009-2012), Beth Kohl (2011-2012), Michelle Lackey (2010-2012), Madison Lewis (2010-2012), Kezia Nanda (2009-2012), Matthew Pope (2009-2012), Elizabeth Quick (2011-2012), Meghan Savage (2009-2012), Mary Smethers (2008-2012), Wendy Vick (2009-2012), Nate Wade (2011-2012), Sarah Waymire (2008-2012) and Hannah West (2012).

Transerve Awards (75 or more hours of service for the academic year): Brynn Alford, Sarah Anderson, Sarah Bishop, Lacey Brooks, Stephanie Butcher, Chris Chandler, Jennifer Coon, Michael Crowe, Abby Dekle, Kelsey Frink, Kiley Gamble, Leigha Hill, Tim Horton, Sara Huneycutt, Ryan James, Joy Kelly, Madison Lewis, Devan Malone, Devon Melear, Dani Moses, Shelby Pierceall, Whitley Poole, Buck Schroeder, Rachel Spencer, Britta Stamps, Hunter Threadgill, Carrington Tillery, Joel Ubeda, Alyson Walker, Kaitlin Williams, Kelsey Willis and Jessica Winston.

125^th Anniversary Steering Committee: Ian Cosh (chair), Cheyenne Flemister, Gary Gerber, Ray Granade, Phil Hardin, Trennis Henderson, Rex Horne, Joe Jeffers, Jacob Lively, Mallory Moddelmog, Bill Phelps, Keisha Pittman and Amy Sonheim.

International Student Service Award: Judith Brizuela.

Friends of the Grant Center for International Education Service Award: Bill Aldon Dixon, president of FGCIE from 2009-2012.

Kluck Student Enrichment Grants, Fall 2011: Taylor Bartel for Psi Chi international honor society in psychology, Glenn Bolton for Senior Seminar, Kimberly Carlton for Alpha Chi national honor society, Devan Malone for Tri Chi women’s social club, Dawson Pritchard for Tiger Serve Day, Timothy Squires for Eta Alpha Omega men’s social club and Caitlyn Wamble for Campus Ministry’s Operation Christmas Child.

Kluck Student Enrichment Grants, Spring 2012: Reuben Cash for Students in Free Enterprise, Emily Davis for Sigma Tau Delta international English honor society, Abbey Jamieson for Campus Ministry’s Art and Worship Christian Focus Week session, Sarah McKimmey for the women’s soccer team and the adaptive physical education methods class, Audrey Melson for Campus Ministry’s Camp Wamp, Brandon Sanders for sociology, David White for the program design and management class and Garrett Whitehead for Theta Alpha Phi national theatre honors fraternity.

Campus Ministries Leadership Team: Backyard Bible Clubs ­– Jordan Neal and Jessica Stanley; Big Brothers – Daniel Richardson; Big Sisters – Hannah Pilcher; Christian Focus Week – Mark Bartels, Abbey Jamieson and Stewart Kelly; Men’s Discipleship – Grady Howell, Landon Riley and Andrew Shotts; Women’s Discipleship – Hannah Hilburn; Freshman Family Groups – Kendall Calvert and Taylor Geurin; Missions – Brad Stark and Caitlyn Wamble; Missionary Kids – Kimberly Carlton; Monticello Children’s Home – Will Sparks; Noonday – Mary Castleman, Emmanuel Engulu and Allison Grigsby; Special Events – Mary Castleman and Aubree Fry; Promise House – Lauren Shawver; Publicity – Amy Vaughan; Refuge – L.J. Brooks, Cory Epps and Jesse Pruett; Off the Broadway – Steven Harvell; Tiger Tunes – Ryan James and Laura Sikes.

Campus Ministries Community Service Awards: Jessica Stanley and Jordan Neal for their continued service with Backyard Bible Clubs.

Tiger Serve Day Leadership Team: Daniel Aylett, Bridget Bloxom, Jeremy Dixon, Jake Edwards, Rachel Gilmer, Jasper Jackson, Lauren Jackson, Ryan James, Abbey Jamieson, Caleb Knight, Rebekah Poynor, Dawson Pritchard, Dawson Pritchard, Courtney Puddephatt, Kyle Rapp,Jessica Stewart, Sara Walker, Garet West and Rachel Williams.

Tiger Serve Day Senior Leadership Awards: Glenn Bolton, Reuben Cash, Leigha Hill, Emily Morgan, Katelyn Mustain, Nate Peace and Wendy Vick.

Ouachita Baptist University established the Ben M. Elrod Center for Family and Community in 1997 to encourage, coordinate and facilitate public service, volunteerism and community engagement throughout the state and region. For information about the programs of the Elrod Center, visit www.obu.edu/elrod or call 870-245-5320.

By Brooke Zimny, OBU Assistant Director of Communications