The Berea College Alumni Association enjoys hearing from Bereans from all over the world. The “Class Notes” section of Berea College magazine reports verifiable news you wish to share with your alumni friends and associates: careers, weddings, retirements, births and other items of importance to our alumni. Please include your class year and name used while attending Berea. Notes may be edited for style and length. While we will make every effort to put your information into the next issue of BCM, some delays may occur. We appreciate your understanding.
Submit class notes and photographs here or via email: alumninews@berea.edu.
Tap or click on the arrows beside each year below to display Class Notes and photos.
1970
Annette L. Hobbs is in a movie that is streaming on Amazon Prime. ‘My Boyfriend’s Wife is Dead,” was filmed in Louisville, Ky., this past winter. She is also going to be in a movie titled “Let’s Murder Like it is 1999,” which was filmed in Tampa, Fla., and a horror thriller titled “Lesions,” filmed
in Virginia.
Roger Wade and Sue Mann Wade were married in Danforth Chapel in 1970. Both are retired and live in Marysville, Ohio, and would love to hear from Berea friends.
1977
Dave Walthour is celebrating 30 years since his move to New Hampshire in 1996. This year is the beginning of his 15th year as pastor of Union Church of Enfield Center.
1979
James Stratman has joined the membership and is active in the California MAGA movement and Agenda 47, promoting President Donald Trump and JD Vance’s 2028 candidacies.
1989
Renee C. Staton is celebrating 36 years as an American Airlines flight attendant, based in Miami, Fla., and she still loves flying all over the world.
1995
Mark W. Butler has published the Directory of Faith Communities in Ohio, a statewide resource created to strengthen partnerships between behavioral health entities and faith communities. The book lists more than 6,000 verified congregations and reflects a lifelong commitment to service, inclusion and justice. Inspired by Berea’s values of learning, labor and love, the directory helps connect families and care providers with faith leaders who can offer understanding and hope.
Arlisha Williams became the first-ever female mayor of Cairo, Ga.
2000
Maritza Lea Arnett writes that through life’s many ups and downs, her journey continues. She has been able to travel and live far and is now close again. She is widowed and has a daughter. She just wanted to reach out to her fellow alumni.
2007
Blake Ryan Henry, after holding multiple positions through the past 15 years with Cabinetworks Group, was promoted to a multi-site engineering manager at the corporate office in October 2025.
2009
Christian Motley has been appointed senior vice president, chief program officer at Results for America, a national nonprofit that partners with governments to shift public dollars toward evidence-based solutions and advance economic mobility. In this role, he will lead Results for America’s government-facing work across local, state and federal levels, aligning efforts to help communities achieve improved outcomes for youth and families. He continues to be based in Lexington, Ky.
2014
Victoria A. Barbour completed her doctoral studies in October 2025 at Liberty University in community care and counseling.
2015
Patrick Elzinga is a senior program services manager at Vizient Inc. Elzinga leads cost-saving initiatives for more than 30 health systems. His strategic innovations during the COVID-19 pandemic helped hospitals overcome critical shortages while establishing financial sustainability.
2018
Nana Boateng wrote a note for Quentin Savage ’16, who passed in October 2025. He graduated with a BA in English literature. While at Berea, Savage was a pivotal force in leading student rallies for Black Lives Matter and racial justice and equality across campus and in the wider Berea community. He co-led Bereans for Michael Brown with Anna Loveless, was a recipient of the Peacemaker of the Year award and the Mario Savio Award for Young Activists presented by the University of California Berkeley, and was an incredible poet. The Mario Savio award is presented each year to a young person with a deep commitment to human rights and social justice and a proven ability to transform this commitment into effective action.
