Brad Baggett has accepted an offer to assume the role of head of school at Westminster School at Oak Mountain in Birmingham, AL. Baggett's tenure will begin in the 2018-2019 school year. Baggett is currently the head of school at The Covenant School, a classical Christian School, in Kingwood, Texas, where he has served for the past 10 years.

During Baggett's tenure as head of school, Covenant has experienced unprecedented growth in enrollment. He has overseen the purchase of 31 acres of land for a future campus and has spearheaded the most successful capital campaign in the school's history, raising more than $6.5 million in cash and commitments since 2014.

The board at The Covenant School released a statement about Baggett: "For nearly 10 years as head of school, Brad's vision, tireless dedication and integrity has allowed Covenant to grow and develop while remaining true to our principles and mission. The school has flourished during this period, and we are grateful for his leadership. A few of the many accomplishments during Brad's tenure include unprecedented growth in enrollment, the rebranding from NCA to Covenant, and the design and operation of the most successful capital campaign in our school's history. Brad directed the campus expansion into the Upper School Campus and the acquisition of 31 acres for future growth. His fingerprint will forever be on our school's history, and as a result, Covenant is well positioned to continue to grow, flourish and achieve our strategic goals."

Prior to serving as head of school at Covenant, Baggett was the founding pastor-teacher of Grace Reformed Baptist Church in Kingwood, Texas, where he served for 10 years. Baggett also worked as a management consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, in McLean, Virginia, working onsite with Department of Defense and commercial clients throughout the United States, England, and South Korea. Read More

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Jarvis Hollingsworth to serve as chair of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas Board of Trustees (TRS). The appointment marks the second time that Hollingsworth has served as board chair, previously serving from 2005 to 2008 following his appointment by former Texas Governor Rick Perry. TRS is the largest public retirement system in Texas in both membership and assets and the sixth largest public pension trust fund in the United States, managing assets of $147 billion and health care benefits to more than 1.5 million public education employees. The TRS Board of Trustees is responsible for the administration of the system under provisions of the Texas constitution and laws.

Jarvis Hollingsworth of Missouri City is a partner and member of the Management Committee of the law firm of Bracewell LLP. He is a former regent of the University of Houston System, where he served in many capacities, including chairman of the Board of Regents. He is a former trustee of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas, where he served in many capacities, including as chairman of the Board. He is a member of the American Bar Association, Houston Bar Association, State Bar of Texas Foundation, and the State Bar of Texas and previously served on its Board of Directors. Additionally, he is former treasurer of the Houston Bar Foundation and a member of the United Way of Greater Houston’s Alexis de Tocqueville Society. Hollingsworth received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Houston.

The following classes have added updates this week to their Class Notes pages. 1959 | 1965 | 1985 | 1996 | 1999 | 2017.

Class Notes

McGuireWoods’ Board of Partners has elected Jonathan P. Harmon to succeed Richard Cullen as McGuireWoods’ chairman. "I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as chairman and uphold the standard of excellence set by Richard Cullen and his predecessors," said Harmon, who joined McGuireWoods in 1995. "We have built a strong international law and public affairs platform under Richard’s leadership and will continue his unwavering commitment to delivering the highest level of service to our clients."

Harmon led McGuireWoods’ Business & Securities Litigation Department since 2015. He is a nationally recognized trial lawyer who represents Fortune 500 companies in complex, high-exposure litigation and has won verdicts in some of the most difficult venues in the country. Harmon has twice been named to BTI Consulting Group’s Client Service All-Stars list, an elite group of lawyers singled out by corporate counsel for client service excellence.

Noah Pyle has been named the Manager of the Lincoln County Montana Asbestos Resource Program. Noah has been the Program's resource coordinator for the past two years, will take over from Nick Raines. "Nick has left big shoes for me to fill," Pyle said. "His institutional knowledge of the program's history and the project's history was an invaluable resource to the ARP."

The Asbestos Resource Program, or ARP, operates out of the Lincoln County Environmental Health Department. Established in 2012 to provide education and outreach about asbestos exposure because of the Libby Asbestos Superfund site, the program is funded by a cooperative agreement and grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. Read More

Among the 22 Soldier-athletes representing the U.S. Army and their respective units at the All-Army Ice Hockey Team are eight U.S. Military Academy graduates and former Black Knights hockey players. Fearing, currently serving as a company tactical officer for the Corps of Cadets, is also head coach of the team. Read More

Photo:
1LT. Jonathan Hearn '16, from Vicenza, Italy; CPT Kyle Maggard '12, from Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; CPT Cody Ikkala '13, from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska; CPT Mark Dube '12, from Fort Rucker, Alabama; CPT Andrew Starczewski '13, from Fort Sill, Louisiana; CPT Cody Omilusik '11, from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; CPT Jeffery Fearing '08, from USMA; MAJ Timothy Murphy '02, Massachusetts National Guard

Just one year ago, CPT Teri Onoda, former commander of Charlie Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, oversaw the aerial security for the Army Ten-Miler (ATM) in the Nation's Capital. At this year's ATM, Onoda placed first in the recumbent division, finishing the race with a time of 36:41.

On April 17, 2017, Onoda's life was forever changed. While engaged in an Air Assault training exercise, he and two other Soldiers with C Co. were involved in a fatal Black Hawk helicopter accident in Leonardtown, Maryland. SPC Jeremy Tomlin, a UH-60 crew chief, was killed in the accident. Onoda and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Christopher Nicholas survived the crash, however, both were critically injured.

Due to the accident, Onoda suffered several injuries including a broken back, ribs, wrist, ankle, torn elbow, a traumatic brain injury and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While in the hospital recovering, the gravity of the effects of the accident began to overwhelm the husband and father of three. Onoda began to express his concerns to his nurse.

"One day while I was feeling pretty down about the potential of never flying again," Onoda said, "I started to share everything I was thinking to my nurse. That's when he was like ‘why don't you cycle the ten-miler this year?' As a pilot, I had never thought about being on the ground during the ten-miler." Full Story»

Photo: By Sgt. Nicholas Holmes

For those that purchased tickets through Army West Point Athletics, login to your ticket account and purchase the tailgate passes for a reduced rate of $15.

If you did not purchase your bowl tickets through Army West Point Athletics, you can purchase a tailgate pass for $40. Register for the Tailgate.

Love and Sacrifice is the epic story of an American family as they travel the country and globe in military service through the first half of the 20th century. Follow Ollie Reed and Mildred Boddy from their Kansas home around the world, to the battlefields of WWII Europe and unimaginable tragedy. Advancing in army leadership from private to colonel, Ollie Reed set a course for his son to follow on a career in the service. His eldest son, Buddy, gained admission to West Point and graduated in the first class to gain their commissions in World War II. Based upon letters among family members and the personal memoirs written by Mildred Reed for her grandchildren, Love and Sacrifice provides an intimate window into the lives of this American family. Growing together, being torn apart, falling in love, and suffering unimaginable tragedy - these are the narratives of Love and Sacrifice, all told within the historical context of their time and place.

Dr. Wanda Costen ’86 has been named the new dean of the School of Business at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Dr. Costen is currently professor and executive director of the School of Hotel and Restaurant Management, in the W.A. Franke College of Business at Northern Arizona University.

Her teaching expertise extends to areas including strategy, human resources, organizational behavior, law and diversity. Her research interests encompass racial and gender inequality in organizations, women and leadership, strategic human resources, managing diversity, and ethnic minority student experiences. Dr. Costen earned her PhD from Washington State University and an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University. During the 2013/14 academic year she served as a Fulbright Scholar with the University of the West Indies – Mona, in Kingston, Jamaica.

COL(R) Gregory Gadson, actor, artist, motivational speaker, can add the 2017 Viscardi Achievement Award to the list of his honors. Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr. for who the award is named, was one of the world's leading advocates for people with disabilities, having served as a disability advisor to eight U.S. Presidents, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Jimmy Carter. The award is given annually to "recognize exemplary leaders within the disability community and their extraordinary societal contributions.

"I was honestly stunned when I actually received the award recognizing my work in the disabilities community. I've never thought of my contribution as work. More appropriately, I feel like a Soldier trying to be the best he can be because that's all I've done. The award is still sinking in, but everyday I'm humbled by those who give me credit for inspiring them; on that scale it has to be the greatest award I've ever received," Gadson said

Gadson served in the Army for 25 years after graduating from USMA. His service culminated as the Garrison Commander of Fort Belvoir, Va. where he oversaw more than 50,000 military personnel. He served in every major conflict over the past two decades, including Operation Desert Shield/Storm in Kuwait; Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia-Herzegovina; Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan; and Operation Iraqi Freedom. His greatest challenge came in Iraq in 2007, when he lost both his legs and severely injured his right arm after being hit by a roadside bomb.

"I have never thought of myself as disabled. The way I see it, I get up every day and do exactly what everyone else does. Perhaps I do it differently and I may need assistance, but that doesn't mean I'm disabled. I think we all have challenges. Some of us may have a few more than others that might be obvious, but that's okay," Gadson said. Read More

The following classes have added updates this/last week to their Class Notes pages. 1942 | 1949 | 1959 | 1960 | 1965 | 1968 | 1971 | 1973 | 1974 | 1986 | 1989 | 2005. Class Notes

Wes Weigle has been named the new General Manager of the Corpus Christi Hooks a Double-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball team. The Astros Senior Director of Business Operations Dan O'Neill made the announcement. Weigle worked previously as an operations associate focused on strategic and financial projects for the Astros minor league properties.

"Wes brings a passion for excellence and unmatched leadership abilities that will serve the organization well," O'Neill said. "He is determined to connect with our fans and to create unique and memorable experiences for them at Whataburger Field." Story

The National Football League announced its rosters for the 2018 Pro Bowl in Orlando and former Army football player Alejandro Villanueva '10 was picked to represent the American Football Conference. Villanueva was one of a league best eight Pittsburgh Steelers players to be voted onto the roster.

The Killer B's -- Antonio Brown, Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Chris Boswell -- along with linebacker Ryan Shazier (who suffered a season-ending spinal injury earlier this month) headlined the group, which will play in the annual all-star game Jan. 28 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Villanueva, guard David DeCastro and center Maurkice Pouncey rounded out the Steelers' selections.

The 2018 PRO BOWL will return to Camping World Stadium on Sunday, January 28 at 3:00 PM ET. The game will be televised on ESPN and ESPN Deportes, and simulcast on ABC. Live audio coverage will also be available on Westwood One, SiriusXM NFL Radio, and on the TuneIn app.

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Edward L. Rowny, a hard-line arms control adviser to five presidents who resigned from the military in 1979 to campaign successfully against the strategic arms limitation treaty with the Soviets, passed December 17, 2017. He was 100. The Fund for American Studies, where Gen. Rowny had established a scholarship fund for students from Poland to learn about American democracy and free-market economics, announced the death but did not provide additional information. Gen. Rowny built his reputation as a seasoned combat officer. He commanded battalions in Italy during World War II, helped Gen. Douglas MacArthur plan the 1950 landing on the Inchon beachhead during the Korean War and led a regiment in brutal winter combat. He later championed arming helicopters for battle, creating a sky cavalry that he helped implement in Vietnam for counterinsurgency operations. And he rose to quasi-diplomatic positions with NATO during the Cold War.

Dubbed a "scholar-general" by the New York Times, he began studying the Russian language and Soviet negotiating technique at Yale University in the late 1940s - experience that positioned him to play a meaningful role in U.S. nuclear policymaking.Gen. Rowny, who worked in arms control under every president from Richard M. Nixon to George H.W. Bush, became one of the most outspoken and controversial members of the U.S. team sent to Geneva to work on agreements over strategic, or nuclear, arms. He spent much of the 1970s as the Joint Chiefs of Staff's representative to the second round of strategic arms limitation talks, known as SALT II. In the ideological battle over negotiating positions and tactics, he worked with proponents of increased military spending - including future President Ronald Reagan, defense official Paul H. Nitze and Sen. Henry "Scoop" Jackson, D-Wash. - to defeat the SALT II treaty. The agreement imposed restrictions on the construction and deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles and slowed proliferation of multiple nuclear warheads on those missiles. Read More

COL Nicole Lucas ’93, Garrison Commander at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), one of the first responders and in command of the incident for the initial crucial hours immediately following the train derailment in Washington state on December 18, 2017. The senior public official responding from DuPont was the mayor of DuPont, Mayor Mike Courts ’81.

The leadership and experience of these two West Pointers was significant for the immediate action, for what was needed. The JBLM golf course was used as an emergency vehicle staging area from which resources could be brought forward in a timely manner. About 20 patients were seen at Madigan Army Medical Center, MPs responded to the incident and the transportation assets were mobilized to help move survivors to a reunification area (to say the least).

The city hall of DuPont was used as the reunification area and under the mayor’s guidance was well prepared for media, support to first responders and an outpouring of community support.

COL Lucas has deployed to Kosovo, Iraq and Kuwait. In one of the many interviews with Mayor COL(R) Courts, the reporter asked, "Mayor, you are very calm, doesn’t this upset you?" He replied "I was at the Pentagon on 9-11, I spent 2 tours in Bosnia and 2 tours in Iraq. I am saddened over this tragedy, but no, this will not upset or frighten me." As you can see, both had plenty of experience in responding to situations like this.

Kate Kohler has been elected to Student Veterans of America (SVA) Board of Directors. SVA helps veterans who have returned home to pursue a postsecondary degree or certificate using The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits. The nation's renewed focus on veteran welfare has ignited change on campuses and in congress. SVA is committed to capitalizing on this momentum to ensure today's and tomorrow's veterans are supported in their transition to education and employment.

The following classes have added updates this week to their Class Notes pages. 1956 | 1959 | 1981 | 1993 | 1996 | 2007 | 2010. Class Notes

Prior to the Redskins-Chargers game on December 17th, Bob Eisiminger '88 CEO of Knight Point Systems, worldwide cyber security and cloud service provider, donated $50 thousand to the Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund. The Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund is committed to providing support to the children of our soldiers who didn't make it home. The Johnny Mac Soldiers Fund provides college scholarships; grants; and financial aid for professional certification and non-degree programs to the sons and daughters of our fallen.

Photo L-R: SVP Justin Kuzemka, Kurt Gutierrez '86 (JMSF), CEO Bob Eisiminger '88 and CTO Dan Duenkel. Of special note is the inclusion of a BEAT NAVY scarf which was live on the video board and received quite the applause from the crowd on hand before the game.

Gregg Softy was awarded the Top Military Veteran Rookie Driver, the "Transition Trucking: Driving for Excellence" honor at a ceremony held at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in Washington, D.C.

Kenworth presented Stevens Transport driver Gregg Softy with a Kenworth T680 Advantage equipped with a fuel-efficient 455-hp PACCAR MX-13 engine, and a comfortable 76-inch sleeper with the Kenworth Driver Studio package of premium features that combine to create a luxurious, relaxing and comfortable living environment.

Softy received the Kenworth T680 as part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes Program, which was conducted in partnership with the FASTPORT Trucking Track Mentoring Program. Story