Architect Walter Altman and his mother, Jackie Codding Altman, reminisce about the history of Ashley Hall.

Valdosta State University recently restored one of its oldest buildings to its original grandeur and historical charm. First built in 1921, Ashley Hall has been a dormitory for women, student apartments, and administrative and faculty offices.

Named for former Valdosta Mayor C.R. Ashley, who served from 1900 to 1904, the 26,000-square-foot building had undergone several renovations in the past, but the recent improvements represent a complete restoration of the building.

Architect Walter Altman explains that the restoration process involved more than general improvements, replacement of faulty materials, or cosmetic upgrades to the building.

“The architect must understand not only the physical characteristics of the building but the historical significance and timeline of the original construction as well,” Altman said. “The underlying principle is to repair materials and features instead of replacing them. When the features have deteriorated beyond repair, then the replacement must have the same historical characteristics and finish.”

Altman, who is a partner with Altman + Barrett Architects of Valdosta, first spent time researching the structure historically by reading old articles, examining original drawings, and conducting actual on-site observations, which included material testing and other investigative techniques.

“We really had to find out what was old and what was new. Developing the construction timeline is critical in determining the correct historic materials and features that need to be restored from the original building,” Altman said. “Ashley Hall has undergone several renovations over time that have either covered up or removed some of these features. We had to figure out what these features were or where these features are in order to develop the proper architectural plan and construction means and methods to produce an accurate and period correct restoration.”

For Altman, Ashley Hall had a personal connection. His mother, Jackie Codding Altman, lived in the building while she was a student at Valdosta State College in 1965.

“I was so pleased when I heard Walter had been selected,” said Jackie Altman. “I remember the rotunda area where we had socials. It was such a formal place.”

The rotunda, with its historical significance, was restored to its original appearance in 1921, including a skylight in the center.

“At some time the skylight was covered up during a previous renovation, and there was a chandelier added. While the chandelier did not have any significance historically, the original skylight was not only a major architectural feature, but it allowed the majority of light into the rotunda area during the daytime,” Altman said. “I found and examined the details of the original drawings and had the skylight replicated. The truncated light well and the general framing was still in place; it was simply buried under layers of more recent construction.”

Restored Ashley Hall Rotunda

According to Robert Tucker, project manager for Allstate Construction, the rotunda area was the most labor intensive and took six weeks to complete.

“We worked with toothbrushes and small picks to get into all the crevasses and cracks. There were several layers of paint, and we carefully stripped it down to the original wood,” Tucker said. “We brought the wood back to its original look.”

As the project progressed, Altman said they had some significant discoveries that helped identify historic architectural elements of the building. During the research and discovery process, a wall behind the staircase was removed, which revealed a closed-in space. The entombed space preserved pertinent details from the time of the original construction, including wood base molding, wood doors and window trim, flooring, and plaster all showing the actual surface texture and color.

With this discovery, Altman and the construction team were able replicate the trim and molding throughout the building.

“If we had not found the original material samples, we would have had to rely on original drawings and period photography,” Altman said. “It’s a shame, but in many instances, significant details can be lost over time without proper documentation. The first thing we did at Ashley Hall was document with drawings, photographs, video, and written description the condition of Ashley Hall. These items were submitted to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for archiving.”

Other finds included a fireplace in a first floor office that was covered up.

“We were able to rebuild the mantel based on the dust in the wall that left an outline of the exact profile of the fireplace. We could not find any details of the mantle on the original drawing or period photograph,” Altman said. “There was just a silhouette where it had been painted, so we were able to recreate it with the correct proportions and profile.”

In the summer of 1967, Dorothy Pittman stood in line with other new transfer students at then Valdosta State College’s registrar’s office, waiting to declare her major before being sent to the corresponding table.

“When the person in front of me told the registrar he was undecided about his major, she had him go to three separate long lines,” Pittman said. “I was not about to spend my morning standing in line, so when I was asked my major, the immediate answer was history. Needless to say, the lines at the history table were short, and I had completed registration for my summer classes in less than one hour.”

Pittman graduated in May 1969 and went on to attend the School of Library Science at Florida State University. Afterward, Pittman worked in several different library positions, including the assistant special collections librarian at the University of Georgia, and eventually she traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, to pursue a Master of Letters in medieval history.

“At that time, librarians were in short supply, so I had a choice of what jobs I wanted,” she said.

After returning, Pittman continued to work in libraries up until 1997 when she became the owner of Horton’s Book in Carrollton, Ga., the oldest bookstore in the state, quite by mistake.

“Even while working as a librarian, I had always thought it would be fun to open a used bookstore,” she said. “When I came home to Carrollton, I dropped in to see the owner of Horton’s to ask his advice on some books I found. We started talking, and soon I was working for him, and within several months, I was the owner.”

Horton’s was always rumored to be one of the oldest bookstores in Georgia, but its age was secured when the American Booksellers Association (ABA) celebrated its 100th birthday and asked to hear from bookstores 100 years old and older.

“A couple months later, we received the official publication from ABA listing us as the ninth oldest in the nation,” Pittman said. “And the only one in Georgia.”

Looking back at her time in Valdosta, Pittman is happy she chose to attend Valdosta State College.

“Valdosta was the right school for me,” she said. “I loved the dorm life, the library where I worked as a page, my sorority, and the professors. The atmosphere was one where even someone like me, who was an introvert, could excel.”

During her enrollment, Pittman was a member of Alpha Xi Delta, treasurer of the Student Government Association, and a page in the library. She also competed in the Miss Valdosta Pageant, which she called “an experience.”

“Although I did not consider myself a beauty, I decided to give it a try,” she said. “After two days of walking around in a bathing suit, heels, and a gown, we spent just one evening onstage before a packed audience at the civic auditorium.”

Being so involved on campus, Pittman kept a strict schedule in order to never fall behind in her classes.

“The only exception was my last quarter when I stayed up all night to finish a term paper due the next day,” she said. “I swore after that to never do it again as the final product was not up to my usual standards.”

Being the owner of Horton’s has not stopped Pittman from visiting her old stomping grounds.

“Before my daughter decided to attend VSU, my family and I had visited a couple of times,” she said. “While she was there, I would drive her down at the beginning and end of each semester,

so I got a chance to see the changes that had taken place.” As Pittman’s graduation neared, she remembers being enthusiastic about the future, despite less-than-promising circumstances. “During my time at VSC, there were the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy,” Pittman said. “It was also during that time that 19-year-olds were being drafted for service in Vietnam. Even so, everyone was confident in the future and ready to begin their adult lives.

“I’m not certain that anything prepares you for the ‘real world,’ but VSC did give me the tools to understand and deal with the things that life threw me.”

W. Tyson McLane, from left, with Shondra Holmes, VSU President William J. McKinney, Whitney Howell and J. Britt McLane at the reception recognizing Holmes and Howell receiving the Carson and Philena T. McLane Caregivers Scholarship.

According to J. Britt McLane, who graduated from Valdosta State in 1992, the scholarships promote caregiving and education. Established in 2011, as part McLane Funeral Services’ 75th anniversary celebration, two $2,500 scholarships are awarded annually – one in the Division of Social Work for those students pursuing a master’s degree and one in the College of Nursing for those interested in the Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program for Second Degree Students.

“We established a scholarship where we can help people, typically those looking for a second career choice, who want to get a degree in nursing or social work,” said McLane. “This makes it possible to get more qualified caregivers into a position with an education from VSU, where we can serve our community better.”

As part of the focus on community service, recipients of the scholarship are required to volunteer at least 10 hours each semester the scholarship is received.

“My family has been associated with Valdosta State for many years,” said McLane, who noted that his grandmother, Philena, graduated with a teaching degree in 1936 from Georgia State Womans College, which later became known as Valdosta State College and then Valdosta State University. His father, W. Tyson McLane, also attended Valdosta State College and has served in various capacities, including on the board of trustees for the VSU Foundation Inc. “This scholarship allows us to extend our service to the community.”

Caring for Others

After graduating from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and pre-med, Whitney R. Howell decided to follow her childhood dream and become a nurse.

“I wanted to become a nurse to help and advocate for people in need,” said Howell, who is enrolled in VSU’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program for Second Degree Students. “As a nurse, I feel I could help people in their time of need and care for them.”

Howell, who is scheduled to graduate July 2013, said that she would like to pursue a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner degree and is also interested in being a nurse anesthetist.

“Originally, I had planned to become a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist due to my interest in mental health,” said Howell. “However, after volunteering, I realized that even in mental health facilities, nurses spend more quality time interacting with patients. I decided that nursing was the field for me when I dis- covered that I could become a psychiatric mental health nurse.”

Finding a Career

When Shondra Holmes found herself out of a job in 2008, she decided it was time to return to school. In May 2011 she graduated from VSU with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology.

“After earning my bachelor’s degree, my plan was to return to work,” said the Valdosta native. “Unable to find a job and getting a little discouraged, my husband encouraged me not to focus so much on finding a job but a career.”

A longtime community volunteer, Holmes has worked with various non-profit organizations, including with her youth group at Southside Church of Christ.

“I have always been involved in ‘social work’ but just didn’t know that there was actually a master’s program for it,” said Holmes, who is currently working towards a master’s degree in social work at VSU. “After graduation, I would like to continue working in the Valdosta community in some aspect, whether it is hospice, mental health, or working with children and/or adolescents.”

Holmes, who is completing her practicum with Hospice of South Georgia, said that her goal is to own a private practice or non-profit organization for children.

It all started in 2007 when a few area therapists came together when they recognized the need in the community for quality pediatric therapy services. They put their creative juices together and formed The Therapy SPOT, which is an acronym for speech, physical, and occupational therapy.

“Our vision for many years was to provide speech therapy services to children and adults in our community, as well as the surrounding counties, but we soon realized that physical and occupational services were a missing link for many of the children we served,” said Bowman. “That is when we knew that we had to expand our business to include these services.”

Since that time, their clinic has since doubled in size, complete with a sensory gym, office staff, and six therapists. Two additional VSU graduates have joined the team as speech-language pathologists, Brooke Chance, ’09, and Jamie Linder, ’11.

“I think it says a lot for VSU’s program that the first speech pathologists that we hired to work for us were also VSU graduates,” said Bowman.

Bowman and Lanier are both grateful that their days at VSU led them to co-owning a successful, well-respected private practice. The Therapy SPOT has become a trusted referral source for area physicians and parents alike.

“We know that parents want to see their children become the best that they can be, and with that in mind, we aim for big results,” said Lanier. “We have a love for children and a love for what we do. Our clinic is filled with cheerful chatter, and our halls and therapy rooms and waiting rooms are adorned with some of our favorite inspirational and encouraging art and quotes.”

Therapists frequently attend training to educate themselves on the latest and most effective treatments available to make therapy as fun and effective as possible.

“We love to get involved in our community and have a special love for children with special needs,” said Lanier. “We frequently help sponsor and volunteer to help with community events, particularly those that help children with special needs.”

Above all else, their passion is helping others. They recently helped with a mother-son luau to benefit the autism program in the local school system and helped sponsor a 5K run to help a local child with special needs receive needed medical care. They have also volunteered their time to help with a local support group for parents of children with special needs.

Bowman and Lanier are both VSU graduates with a common love of children and giving back to their community. Bowman received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at VSU, and Lanier received her master’s degree at VSU after graduating from the University of Georgia.

While at VSU, they both said their professors were wonderful and welcoming. Even now, they keep in touch with a professor for helpful suggestions when they have questions about a patient or specific treatment.

“I remember very early on in life my vision for the future was to have a job where I helped people,” said Bowman. “Being an undergraduate and graduate student at VSU helped me realize that dream. I had so many wonderful professors and supervisors. There are many pearls of wisdom that I still remember hearing from my professors, but I have to credit Dr. Ruth Stonestreet for being the most influential professor, supervisor, and mentor during my four years in the communication disorders program.”

“I have fond memories of living in Valdosta,” said Lanier. “I remember eating at Mom and Dad’s Italian Restaurant and loving Mossimo’s cheesecake!”

Bowman and her husband, Kevin, have been married for 15 years and have two children, Carter, 6, and Madeline, 2. Her hobbies include gardening, cooking, scrap-booking  and volunteering at the local pregnancy center.

Lanier has been married to her husband, Jason, for 10 years, and they have two “sweet and spunky” boys, Hudson, 7, and Henry, 4. In her free time, she enjoys running, being outdoors, gardening, reading, and shopping.

The Therapy SPOT is currently hiring full-time or part-time speech-language pathologists and physical therapists.

To find out more about The Therapy SPOT, visit www.therapyspotstatesboro.com.

Purvis earned a bachelor’s degree in science from VSC in 1955 and a master’s in secondary education in 1971.

Purvis was a high school teacher and taught biology, anatomy, chemistry, advanced chemistry, and physical science at Irwin County High School for 15 years before accepting a faculty position at Valdosta State.

Karen Luke Jackson, VSC alumna, along with other students inspired by Purvis, has established a scholarship in memory of Purvis.

“When he died, I just felt the need to mobilize a bunch of his former students,” said Jackson. “Many of us would have never gone to school or gotten scholarships without him. He was the inspiration for a whole generation at Irwin County High School.”

The scholarship, established through the VSU Foundation Inc., will be awarded each year to an Irwin County High School student attending Valdosta State University.

“The link is between his alma mater, the high school where he taught, and then he finished his career teaching at VSU,” Jackson said. “It just made sense to do a scholarship at Valdosta State for an Irwin County High School student.”

During his time at Irwin County High School, he received several recognitions, including being named STAR Teacher by seven of his students. These students were the starting point for Jackson to obtain donations for the scholarship.

“He had such a wide influence on students, so I wanted to make sure the scholarship wasn’t just from me,” Jackson said. “I started with all of his STAR students and then students who worked with Purvis on their science projects for the state fair.”

According to Jackson, Irwin County High School students excelled at state science fairs, something she attributes to Purvis’ determination to see his students succeed.

“He never gave up on any student,” Jackson said. “He believed in us more than we believed in ourselves and would not accept less than the very best from us.”

In a letter to the VSU Foundation, Kathy Sumner Yarborough, who named Purvis her 1970 STAR Teacher, wrote, “I was privileged to have had Barney for four years at Irwin County High School and again for freshman biology his first year at Valdosta State. I must tell you, he was harder and more demanding in high school!”

Jackson also remembers Purvis being an influence outside of the classroom as well, contributing his time to community activities.

“At Christmas, he made decorations for his house,” Jackson said. “He put all the names of the children on his street on snowmen in front of his house.”

Jackson credits Purvis not only with helping her to succeed in high school but also with the decision to achieve her degree at VSU.

“My parents always said going to college was okay, but Purvis said it was essential,” said Jackson, who works for the Center for Courage & Renewal in Seattle, Wash. “He highly recommended VSU because he had graduated from there. I am so thankful that he pointed me in the direction of Valdosta State. It was truly the place that I found my voice and hit my stride. I credit Mr. Purvis for continuing to encourage me and a whole generation of students to take that step to enlarge our world.”

Al Dorminy, a former student at Irwin County High School, remembers his biology and chemistry teacher as a great educator.

“Ours was a small rural school, but fortunately we had some excellent teachers in key disciplines. Mr. Purvis was one of them,” said Dorminy, who is co-owner of a commercial real estate investment company in Atlanta, Ga.

“As time passes, my valuation of his gift of knowledge and my admiration for his character sincerity continues to grow. His skill, character, and breadth of knowledge are rare and priceless.”

To make a gift to the Barney Purvis Scholarship, please send check or money order to the VSU Foundation, 1500 N. Patterson Street, Valdosta, GA 31698. Please indicate on the memo line that the donation is designated to the Purvis Scholarship.

“My call to the priesthood began with testing the will of God in my life against what I wanted for my life and discovering that God always wins,” he said.

Adams grew up in Cordele, Ga., as a fifth-generation Catholic, but he did not initially consider going into the priesthood. Although he knew he wanted to help people in some way, his early career goals included becoming a lawyer and possibly one day holding elected office. He graduated VSU in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a minor in religious studies.

“Without a doubt, VSU helped give me the tools needed to stay grounded in Rome,” he said. “From my political science and religious studies courses, I learned how to talk and interact with others who come from different cultures than me and appreciate where they came from. Being involved in the Emerging Leader program helped me form good leadership characteristics and develop the virtues needed now to be a good priest. I learned how being yourself and sincerely serving others transcends all language and cultural barriers.”

It was while living at the VSU Catholic Newman Center that Adams started to have thoughts of a different career path. Through the influence of others at VSU and time spent at a discernment retreat in Augusta, Adams decided to attend seminary at Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Md., to discern whether or not God was calling him to be a priest.

After two years at seminary, Adams was confident in his decision to follow the calling into priesthood and began theology studies in Rome, Italy. Before his formal classes started, he, along with many other seminarians, spent four weeks in Assisi learning the food and culture. During this transition period, he also spent 30 minutes to an hour each day in prayer.

“Looking back over the last six years since I graduated from VSU, I am thankful for the experience and the education I received,” said Adams. “Having studied theology in Rome, Italy, for four years, I was able to travel to many different places and observe and interact with others of faith.”

While in Rome, Adams attended the English speaking school known as The Angelicum, where the teachers are mainly Dominicans. Adams was able to meet many interesting people during this extraordinary experience. Pope John Paul II was an alumnus of the school, and the Pope’s personal theologian taught Adams moral theology and Christian virtues. Mother Teresa’s spiritual directors also taught him spiritual theology.

“Having now been ordained a Catholic priest as of June 30, 2012, I now look to live out my dream of being a holy priest in the Diocese of Savannah, Ga., thanks to the education I received at Valdosta State and the life experiences shared while in Rome, Italy,” said Adams. For more information about Rev. Jason Adams, visit www.diosav.org.

Lee Mobley, ’98 and ’01, is not your average elementary school principal. He is also an up-and-coming chalk artist.

About 10 years ago, while on a family vacation, the Broxton-Mary Hayes Elementary School principal passed through a small Florida town a few days after a street painting chalk art festival. The images from the sidewalks and streets stuck in his mind.

Then, last year, he became curious about the street art again and began to search the Internet for information. He found a site that connected street artists and informed them of upcoming events. He found an event in North Florida that would accept “newbies” to participate.

“I was very nervous going into the event because I was completely unaware of any specifics of the process of street painting,” said Mobley, who earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from VSU. “What I soon found out was that the family of ‘street artists’ were very welcoming and supportive of a newcomer. We had a wonderful time at this event and were blessed to win Best in Show with my ‘Pinocchio’ painting. Since this event I have been hooked on the artform and have continued to participate in events in Florida.”

In 1998, Mobley began his teaching career at Lowndes High School, teaching drafting and design. He transferred to Coffee County in 2001 accepting a position as an assistant principal at West Coffee Middle School. Then, in 2008, he accepted the position of principal of Broxton-Mary Hayes Elementary School.

“I love being able to make an impact in the lives of the young people of our county,” said Mobley. “Being able to work in an elementary school allows me to be a major influence in their lives as they are beginning to build their character as students and citizens. Not many people can say that they truly love their job, but being able to serve as an educator in Coffee County has been an extremely rewarding experience that I love.”

Next to his love for children is his love for art, which has been a passion of his for as long as he can remember.

“I have always loved art and creating things,” said Mobley. “Beginning at a young age, I always drew and sketched things that I saw or imagined. Through high school I focused on drawing as my primary creative outlet. In my mid-twenties I began to spend some time experimenting with painting and more recently have focused on large-scale murals. My newfound love is street painting, and I hope to continue to hone my skill as I participate in more events.”

In November 2012, Mobley participated in the Sarasota Chalk Festival, which is considered to be one of the most important contemporary street painting venues in the world. The event hosts over 200 of the most renowned street artists in one location with 200,000 visitors attending.

Mobley’s favorite chalk art piece of all time is “Lego Army” by Leon Keer, which was created during the 2011 Sarasota Chalk Festival. Of his own works, his favorites include “Pinocchio” and “Volkswagen Bus.”

When Mobley isn’t surrounded by elementary school students or letting his creative juices flow, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Holly, two daughters, Sands Lee and Nallee, and son, Ridlee. Mobley also actively serves in ministries through his church. 

To see more of Mobley’s work, visit www.337designs.com

While at VSC, Uliano was the general manager of WVVS, played guitar in the Jazz Ensemble, and participated on the Debate Team one year. His major was theater arts, which was called radio tv film at the time. During Uliano’s college years, he wrote music for a few of the theater productions and played in various bands at Hoagies, Long Branch Saloon, the Knights of Georgia, the American Legion, and other local spots.

Uliano did not start out a film genius. The first time he shot film in Dr. Anthony Oseguera’s class it all came back black with no picture. He had to show it in class the next day, and Dr. Oseguera asked him what it was. He thought on his feet and said it was a day in the life of a blind man, which awarded him a C for creativity and the chance to do the assignment over.

He has come a long way since that class by producing some of the most watched music television in the world, from live concert events to documentaries to music videos.

“Being a musician and a filmmaker, it was a pretty natural thing to marry the two,” said Uliano, who launched a lifestyle brand, Gorgeously Green, with his wife, Sophie. “I’ve always been fascinated with the relationship between music and moving pictures.”

The Dublin, Ga., native moved to Los Angeles to attend the American Film Institute for his master’s degree and started making music videos for up-and-coming artists in between class projects.

“It was the next best thing to being in a band, and I got to hang out with other musicians,” he said. “I met REM, MC Hammer, NWA, Tom Petty and started making videos, and from there I ended up starting a company in my living room, which then grew to be a business that worked with all of the major record labels.”

When asked if he has a favorite music video out of all that he has produced, he compares it to asking who is your favorite child.

“I have several favorites for different reasons, and I am blessed that it is a long list,” said Uliano, who considers his greatest body of work to be his daughter, Lola. “Some are for the video itself, and some are for the experience that I had making them.”

His most recent list includes The Black Keys’ “Lonely Boy,” The Foo Fighters, Faith Hill, Bruce Springsteen’s “Lonesome Day,” Lil Wayne and Bruno Mars’ “Mirror,” Bob Dylan, Dave Mathews, U2, Metallica, and Lady Antebellum.

Uliano says that every situation is different when working with artists. There is generally a bond when coming together for a short time and working intensely with very creative and focused artists.

“Some are easy; some are not,” he said. “But we all share a common value of a love of music.”

In his limited spare time, Uliano guest teaches a class or two at the University of California – Los Angeles, the University of Southern California, or at film festivals around the country to discuss “exit strategy” with film and media students to get them thinking about leaving the academic environment and entering the professional world. He is a firm believer that it is a very important thought process that schools do not always teach.

Uliano also co-owns the Hollywood hotspot and eatery IL SOLE on Sunset Boulevard, which was picked as the “Oscars Hot Spot” by Good Morning America.

For more information about Joseph Uliano, visit his website at www.josephuliano.com

John H. McRae and his wife, Marcia, pictured at the 2012 VSU Gala.

John H. McRae’s, ’71, ’75 and ’83, list of accomplishments in education are many. He was the first Valdosta State University graduate to be selected as Georgia Teacher of the Year (TOTY); he earned the honor in 1978, after only six years of experience. Also in 1978, McRae was named Valdosta State College’s Outstanding Alumni. He served as president of the VSU Alumni Association for two separate terms. He has also served many times as state TOTY judge for the Georgia Department of Education.

In recent years, McRae has become the first educator invited to join the Board of Directors of the Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. A public interest law center, Georgia Appleseed seeks to increase justice in the state and promote systemic change through law and policy reform. It uses the skills of hundreds of volunteer lawyers, educators, and other professionals on projects addressing difficult social justice problems in Georgia, focused on access to justice, public education, and economic security and public safety. McRae brings a long record of educational leadership and innovation to the board, as well as valuable knowledge of southern Georgia communities and needs.

McRae’s well-recognized dedication to public education spans many roles and agencies. He was honored as one of 147 Georgia High Performing Principals in 2006 in recognition of three years of high student achievement. He was an assistant professor in the College of Education at Georgia Southern University from 1990 to 1992 and the director of the Georgia Department of Human Resources’ Student Assistance Program from 1992 to 1994.

McRae credits his time at VSC in helping him to become an exceptional educator.

“I had professors that did more than teach at VSC,” he said. “They motivated, guided, and modeled what is was to want to be a great educator. Dr. Willa Shovar taught me how to think outside the box, Dr. Helen Thornton how to think critically and speak on your feet, and Dr. Ernestine Clark how to be a true educational leader, not just a principal.”

John H. McRae and his wife, Marcia, ’70, attended the 2012 VSU Gala.

McRae began his career in administration in 1979 as principal at S.L. Mason School in Valdosta. He retired in 2005 from the Decatur County School System where he was principal of John Johnson School. He then became coordinator of the Two Rivers Migrant Education Agency of the Georgia Department of Education from 2005 to 2007 and then an instructor at Bainbridge College for Arts and Sciences and Technical Studies, retiring in 2011 with the rank of assistant professor. McRae is currently is teaching part time for Albany State University at their new Cairo site.

In 2009, McRae was instrumental in helping Georgia Appleseed pilot a Carnegie Communications Grant-funded immigrant community inclusion project in the Bainbridge area called “Welcoming Georgia.” He continues to advise on education projects and other efforts. McRae is married to the Rev. Marcia Owens McRae, ‘70, an Episcopal priest serving in the Diocese of Georgia.

Standing on the ground level of the Jerry and Kay Jennett Lecture Hall foyer, Dr. Ronald M. Zaccari looks up at the stainless steel and aluminum piece of art hanging on the wall to the right of the entryway. He smiles a smile that reaches all of the way to his eyes.

Then he begins sharing secrets about the half-ton sculpture that the Jennetts hired him to create. His enthusiasm is infectious, making everyone near him feel like anything is possible.

The sculpture, “Woman with a Multi-colored Hat,” measures 13 feet by 8 feet and is the largest undertaking of Zaccari’s career. It features high-quality automotive paint — a first for the artist — and highlights a female profile composed of three levels of mirror-finish stainless steel; the highly polished surfaces provide a dramatic contrast to the colorful components of shapes and forms, he said.

It is both reminiscent of Pablo Picasso and whimsical, almost Seussical, in nature, an ideal piece for inspiring the future educators studying in the James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education next door.

“People know I’m a big fan of Cubism, an art period dominated by the works of Picasso, Braque, and Matisse,” said the multi-media artist known primarily for his three-dimensional steel images and Valdosta State University’s seventh president, serving from 2002 to 2008. “The use of multiple profiles is a recurring Picasso theme.”

The process of installing the sculpture began early on the morning of July 16, 2012, and concluded the following afternoon. It involved nearly a dozen people, including steel and electricity experts, and required a lift system, a lot of muscle power, and an attention to detail.

When the frame was in place, Kay Jennett said, “It’s perfect. I have dreamed about this.”

The Jennetts were inspired to commission one of Zaccari’s sculptures for the facility named in honor of their longtime commitment to the university after they visited his one-person show at the Annette Howell Turner Center of the Arts in June of 2011.

Seeing a smaller sculpture that appealed to them, they approached Zaccari with an idea.

“From that point on, the creative juices began to flow in new directions — especially the combination of stainless steel, aluminum, and the application of high-quality automotive paints — to build a colorful, whimsical sculpture,” he said. “I developed three small working models, 9 inches by 6 inches, for the Jennetts, and they immediately selected the images, forms, and colors for the piece to be installed. That was the easy part. The challenges began to accumulate. How do I hang a half-ton sculpture on the foyer wall? How do I duplicate computer-generated color for such a large metal sculpture? That’s when the talented people at Voigt’s Sheet Metal Works Inc. came to the rescue. They were able to solve all issues with developing the sculpture and installing it at the selected site. I asked for assistance from Thomas Collision Center, a company well known for quality automotive painting. The 14 colors were matched with only a 15 percent differential to accuracy of the original computer model colors.”

“For me, the sculpture has pushed new explorations and will open yet other avenues of research, drawings, shapes, and forms — all leading to new outcomes in a never-ending cycle of creativity,” said Zaccari, who, because he is always searching, always trying new things, always pushing himself outside his comfort zone artistically, was led to use automotive paints in his latest design. “Isn’t that what a university is all about? That is my message to future generations who will view the sculpture.”