UGA Alumni Association: Executive Director's Blog

About Alumni

Get Involved

FIND US ON:

UGA Alumni Association:

Executive Director's Blog

UGA College of Education professor emerita receives DAR award

Claire Clements, associate professor emerita of the University of Georgia College of Education, recently received the Women in the Arts Recognition Award from the Elijah Clarke Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Clements, of Athens, was recognized for her work in “…bringing the joy of creativity to individuals from infancy through old age in schools and communities.” A faculty member at UGA for almost 20 years, Clements coordinated creative arts experiences and outreach training for the college’s Institute on Human Development and Disability.

Clements won several federal and state grants during her career at UGA, including the Art/Fitness Quality of Life Program: Art, Dance, Drama, Physical Fitness and Creativity for Seniors with and without Developmental Disabilities, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She went on to develop and direct the $250,000 project, which employed 15 graduate students and served 200 senior citizens in Northeast Georgia senior citizen centers. The project led to her publishing a manual on how to conduct arts activities for seniors.

“When I was director of the Athens Area Community Council on Aging in the 1990s, I saw first-hand how the arts enriched the lives of our senior citizens,” said Kathryn Fowler, director of the Georgia Department of Aging. “So I was pleased when Claire brought her U.S. Health and Human Services Quality of Life Program into our Senior Center. She and I and key community people, such as David Levine and Dev Weeks, planned how to execute and carry out the $250,000 training, research and service grant that she received. Her grant brought crafts, dancing, drama, wreath-making, weaving, painting, quilting, physical fitness and creativity to our members. The joy that these arts activities gave to the seniors was heart-warming.”

In retirement, Clements organizes and participates in the Plein Aire Painters group, which meets monthly at various local scenic locations to create art. Clements, who earned her doctoral degree in education from Pennsylvania State University, has resided in Athens since 1969.

Clements was presented the award by UGA Alumna Susan C. Power (B.F.A.’74, M.A.Ed. ’75, Ed.D. ’82) at the recent DAR meeting held in Athens.

Recent Entries

05.17.2013

Betsy Crossley (BS ’77, MS ’80) elected mayor of Nashville suburb

Congratulations to newly elected Brentwood, Tenn., Mayor Betsy Crossley (BS ’77, MS ’80)!

Elected as a Brentwood City Commissioner in 2007, Crossley previously served as mayor from 2009 until 2011. She has been a member of the city's Historic Commission, Planning Commission, Tree Board and Library Board. For the past five years, she has served as a member of the Tennessee Municipal League's Board advocating on behalf of municipalities. On the state level, Crossley was appointed to a three-year term on the Tennessee Water and Wastewater Financing Board by the governor in 2011. In 2012, the Speaker of the House appointed her to a two-year term as a member of the Tennessee Local Development Authority. Crossley was the first woman ever appointed to serve in that position.

The alumna moved to Brentwood in 1999. Prior to her public service there, she was a medical researcher and teacher. Her community involvement includes Christ United Methodist Church, the Williamson County Education Foundation Board, Leadership and Youth Leadership Brentwood, Williamson County Chamber of Commerce, Brentwood Rotary Club, and the American Heart Association.

She has been married for more than 30 years to her husband, George. They have two sons who graduated from the University of Tennessee (we’ll let that slide).

We are so impressed with Crossley’s commitment to her community and are impressed by her continued leadership in the Nashville area. Best of luck in this term, Betsy!

05.16.2013

Spotlight on the Jane and Harry Willson Center for Humanities & Arts

The UGA Willson Center for Humanities & Arts is a showcase for faculty innovation and achievement. It facilitates intellectual exchange with the University and the public by the encouragement of interdisciplinary activity, which extends to the sciences and other orders of knowledge.

The Center is named for Jane Willson, the owner of Sunnyland Farms, Inc., the largest mail-order pecan business in the country, and her late husband Harry Willson, who was the chairman and CEO of Sunnyland Farms before his death in 2004.

The Willson Center for Humanities and Arts was founded as the Humanities Center in 1987 and named thereafter the Center for Humanities and Arts (1997) and the Jane and Harry Willson Center for Humanities and Arts (2005).

The Center coordinates a number of wonderful programs, including today’s special event with Ambassador James A. Joseph titled “Leadership as a Way of Being: Reflections on Nelson Mandela, Servant Leadership and Personal Renewal.” Joseph was the U.S. ambassador to South Africa from 1995 to 1999, the only person in that office to present his credentials to President Nelson Mandela. He served in the administrations of four presidents of the United States.

If you aren’t acquainted with the Willson Center, I encourage you to visit its website at www.willson.uga.edu to learn more about upcoming events. Our University is blessed to have such an incredible resource on campus – another reason it’s great to be a Georgia Bulldog!

05.15.2013

Alumnus leads Columbus, Ohio, arts council

Early last month, Tom Katzenmeyer (AB ’76) took over as president and CEO of the Greater Columbus (Ohio) Arts Council. The organization distributes funds for the arts, and advocates and markets the Central Ohio arts community. In this role, Katzenmeyer will oversee a staff of 11 and a budget of more than $6 million. His fellow Columbus cultural leaders say he is a strong choice for the position because of his expertise in navigating politics and business.

Just prior to joining the Arts Council, the alumnus served as senior vice president for university communications for The Ohio State University. At Ohio State, Tom oversaw university-wide communications and reputation management.

Before joining Ohio State, he was senior vice president of investor, media, and community relations for Limited Brands, Inc. He was responsible for the company’s relationships with investors and analysts, local media, national business and trade press, and the nonprofit and philanthropic community.

Prior to joining Limited in 1990, Katzenmeyer served as executive assistant for legislative affairs to the Governor of Ohio for four years. His public service career spans nearly 15 years, including time on the staff of Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Department of Development.

Congratulations to Tom as he takes on this new role – I have no doubt he will help the Greater Columbus Arts Council continue to thrive!

Information for this post was sourced from the Greater Columbus Arts Council website and The Columbus Dispatch.

Thank you to our Affinity Partners

UGA Alumni Association: Site Index

Text Only Version

The UGA Alumni Association
Wray-Nicholson House
298 S. Hull Street Athens, GA 30602
(706) 542-2251 | (800) 606-8786
©2011 UGA Alumni Association