Freed-Hardeman University will present awards to outstanding alumni this Friday, Nov. 9, at its fifth annual homecoming banquet. Fellow alumni have chosen the recipients of the awards based on the criteria of the award and the recipients’ professional accomplishments.
The Service to Youth Award will be presented to Alan Ragan of Dickson, Tenn. Ragan attended FHU from 1989-1993 and graduated with a B.B.A. in accounting and finance. He is married to Becky Erranton Ragan and has three children, Carrie, Erran, and Hardeman. A realtor by profession, he is also a volunteer youth minister at the Walnut Street Church of Christ in Dickson. The congregation has more than 275 children kindergarten through college age; about 140 of those are in middle school and high school. He has worked with the young people for 16 years teaching Bible classes. Ragan has influenced many students to attend FHU. Ragan has also served Dickson County as a member of the Youth Leadership Board for several years and is the county historian.
The Service to Community Award will be awarded to Eric Jones of Jackson, Tenn. Jones is the son of FHU Vice President of Spiritual Development Dr. Sam Jones and Rhonda, administrative assistant in the School of Education. Jones and his wife Megan have a son, Riley. He attended FHU from 2000-2002 for his undergraduate degree and again from 2002-2004 for his master’s and specialist degrees. Jones is currently enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Memphis. Named Jackson’s Finest Young Professional in 2012, he raises funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, volunteers for Special Olympics and mentors at-risk youth. He is the principal at Jackson Central Merry Academy of Medical Technology in Jackson. Jones will make a presentation at a national education conference in Washington, D.C. in February 2012. In addition, he has been asked to present at “High Schools That Work” national conferences. He attends Oak Grove Church of Christ in Henderson.
The Service to Profession Award will be presented to John McCall of Winter Garden, Fla. McCall is the son of Joel and Janis McCall of Henderson and is married to the former Holly Sewell, also of Henderson. They have three children: Anniston, Grady, and Wiley. He attended FHU 1989-1993, receiving a B.A. in communication. He currently works for Disney’s Yellow Shoes, an in-house advertising agency for Disney parks. McCall’s work has won local and national Addy’s, including four Best of Show. In 2012, his work was included in Graphis Magazine’s “Best Ads of the Year.” In addition, it has been mentioned in Adweek and Shoot magazines. He attends West Orange Church of Christ.
The Service to Church Award will be presented to Glen and Kathy Henton of Enville, Tenn. Glen and Kathy attended FHU from 1970-1973 and 1972-1973, respectively. They attend Estes Church of Christ in Henderson where he directs the Hispanic ministry. He teaches missions courses at FHU, guiding students to evangelize. The Hentons were missionaries in Buenos Aires, Argentina, for more than 15 years. Next year, they plan to move to Miami to begin a mission work there. Kathy Henton worked at FHU from 1994-1996 and currently teaches at Jackson Christian School. The couple has five children.
The Dodd Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Steve and Judy Miller of Hamilton, Ala. They attended FHU from 1973-1977. Steve Miller currently works as an accounting manager of Joy Global in Winfield, Ala. He is the treasurer of Maywood Christian Camp, president of Northwest Alabama’s FHU Alumni Association, and an elder of the Hamilton Church of Christ. Judy Miller has been a computer and business teacher at Hamilton High School for the past 28 years. Their two children also attended FHU, Dr. Benji Miller, class of 2003, and Marcy Mayes, class of 2010.
Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award will go to Paul Coggins from Waynesboro, Tenn. Coggins is married to Patricia Nutt Coggins and has four children, all of whom graduated from Freed-Hardeman. He attended FHU from 1965-1968. He retired from the Wayne County School System after holding many positions. In 2004 he was named the Tennessee Supervisor of the Year by the Tennessee Department of Education. At Wayne County, he implemented such educational programs as Success for All, Bridge Learning System, LightSpan Learning System, Even Start and Reading Excellence grants. He is a trainer/presenter of several programs but was best known for his work with a parent involvement program. Coggins now works for Tennessee Voices for Children, a statewide non-profit organization that advocates for the emotional and behavioral well being of children and their families. He attends Wayne Furnace Church of Christ where he is an elder and Bible class teacher for students in fifth grade to adults.
In addition to the presentation of alumni awards, the homecoming court will be presented, and the queen and king will be crowned. Tickets to the banquet are $12 and may be purchased by contacting Ann Marie Williams at 731-989-6021 or awilliams@fhu.edu. For additional information on other Homecoming activities, see
www.fhu.edu/homecoming.