Association news & class notes
Krysta Stacy Huxford has returned to her roots. Having grown up in western Maryland, Krysta and her husband Dane always knew one day they would come back. On July 1, 2021, their family moved into Krysta’s childhood home. Fellow Phi Alpha Mu sisters Faith Walker ’97, Kristin Harkins Kober, Michelle Charron Mele ’01, and Tara Webb Lovett ’03 have made their way out for some fun in the country and on the farm. Regular visits from her brother Chester Stacy ’97 are extra special as they both reflect on childhood memories and creating new ones with their own kiddos. Along with continuing her pilates business, Krysta is working alongside her parents to learn how to manage their Christmas tree farm, Pinetum. The farm celebrated a milestone of 50 years of harvesting Christmas trees in 2019, and maintaining this legacy is a source of inspiration for Krysta and her family. Krysta and Dane look forward to sharing this special place they are grateful to call home.
Heather Pinto Viscito checks in from Grand Forks, North Dakota. She recently stepped down as director of the daycare center that she had opened so that she can keep up with her kids — Matty, 15; Emily, 12; and Livy, 10 — and their activities. Heather and her husband celebrated 17 years of marriage with a cruise to Italy.
Emily Murphy Hollins, M.S. ’09 is enjoying her work as the registrar at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia. She loves attending their theatre and music productions, which bring back great memories of “Starmites” and other WMC productions! Emily has been able to travel to 43 countries (same as her age!) and hopes to continue that in the coming years. Now that some restrictions have lifted, she has been happy to see Jennifer McCabe ’99, Brian Hornbecker ’99, Nic Johnson, and Kate Hampson for visits.
After serving 15 years in the Army Special Forces, Jarrod J. H. Gillam changed branches and became a nuclear weapons and countering weapons of mass destruction officer in 2018. Following seven years at the Department of State in multiple military roles, he was selected for and attended the National War College (NWC) at Fort McNair (Washington, D.C.) from 2021 to 2022. In May of 2022, Jarrod was promoted to the rank of colonel and graduated in June 2022 from NWC with a master’s in National Security Strategy. He followed this up with his current assignment at the Pentagon as the senior military assistant to the assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs. Jarrod married Laura Haynes of Knoxville, Tennessee, in 2015, and together they have two wonderful children, Madison, 6, and Hunter, 3. They currently reside in Bethesda, Maryland.
Jodi Reese Vallaster lives in Frederick, Maryland, with her husband and daughter. In 2018, she completed her doctorate from The George Washington University. In January 2022, Jodi started a new job with the National Center for Education Statistics at the U.S. Department of Education. When she is not running around to kids’ sports and other activities, she enjoys meeting up with her college roommate Veronica “Ronnie” Esteves Dietz and Erin Garoutte Thomas, M.S. ’09.
Tim P. Walker is excited to share that his short story “C.C. + Joy” appeared in a fiction anthology titled “Under the Thumb: Stories of Police Oppression,” which was guest edited by S. A. Cosby and published by Rock and a Hard Place Press late last year. This year, the anthology was nominated for an Anthony Award, which is a literary award for mystery and suspense fiction presented at the yearly Bouchercon World Mystery Convention.
Faye Ingram Hillman and her husband, Aaron Hillman, celebrated their 15-year wedding anniversary with friends and family at Present Company Public House in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022. Her twin sister, Roxann Ingram Todt, and Roxy’s husband Don Todt ’21 were among the many close friends from WMC who helped them celebrate, including Elton Keith Knupp (the third twin!), Hendrik Lammers ’03 and Cassie Domser Lammers ’01, Sara Gruber Long ’99, Kelly Dunnavant, and Dan Franko ’97.
Alex McLean was recently promoted to senior business partner for the Office of Energy Statistics, Energy Information Administration, which is the statistical agency for the Department of Energy. Alex and his wife live in Hydes, Maryland, with their daughter, Anna, who started kindergarten this fall, as well as two dogs and two cats. They have been busy with house renovations and getting Anna prepared for school but look forward to traveling again now that they are not sheltering from COVID-19.
As for your class reporter, Elton Keith Knupp, she and her family have lived in Wakefield, Massachusetts, for two years now. Her husband, Brian, is enjoying his time with Boston Beer Company, and Haley, 13, and Allie, 11, have begun to feel a part of their new community through ice hockey and dance respectively. Elton has founded Children’s Playhouse of Wakefield, where she teaches theatre and produces shows with elementary-age students and is the director of the local middle school theatre program. Being away from family and friends is hard, so she finds any reason she can to visit with her WMC family, Don Todt ’01 and Roxann Ingram Todt, Faye Ingram Hillman, Hendrik Lammers ’03 and Cassie Domser Lammers ’01, Sara Gruber Long ’99, and Kelly Dunnavant.
Elton Knupp2000 Class Reporter86 Outlook RoadWakefield, MA 01880elton.eek@gmail.com