Fall 2002

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‘Hogtown’ leaders: Alumni of College play key roles in Gainesville

by Dean Emeritus Ralph Lowenstein

Students at the University of Florida frequently kid about Gainesville’s size and surrounding rural atmosphere. Some of their pet names for the city are “Hogtown” and “Gainesburgh.” But when the time comes to graduate, many wish they could remain in a city that they have come to discover as a pretty nice place to work, raise children and enjoy a quality of life available in few other places in the state.

A journey through the business and educational infrastructure of Gainesville reveals that a significant number of College of Journalism and Communications graduates not only found jobs, but are today’s movers and shakers in community life.

In the media, Carolyn Catlin Barrett, ADV 1973, is station manager of WCJB-TV, Gainesville’s ABC affiliate. She is also president of the Broadcast Division of Diversified Communications Inc., the owner of WCJB-TV and other media properties. At The Gainesville Sun, Jacki Levine, MA 1983, is managing editor; Ron Cunningham, JM 1975, editorial page editor; and Dede Smith, JM 1992, photo editor. Two retired publishers of the Sun, still living in Gainesville, are Bill Ebersole, JM 1949, MA 1957, and Ed Johnson, JM 1957, MA 1972.

Rick Mulligan, JM 1994, is director of public affairs for Cox Communications, Gainesville’s only cable operator. Brent Williams, TEL 1973, MA 1985, is director of development and community relations for WUFT-TV.

College graduates hold executive positions in Gainesville’s three major health enterprises. Marilyn Little Tubb, MA 1972, is vice president, community affairs, for Shands HealthCare; Will Earnest, ADV 1985, is vice president for physician services and development, North Florida Regional Medical Center; and Peggy Gruseck Prichard, JM 1982, MA 1988, is director of communications of AvMed Health Plan.

Communigators are also on the right side of the law in the university city. Peter K. Sieg, JM 1965 and Rick Smith, PR 1970, are Alachua County Court Judges. Long-time chief of the University Police Depart-ment is Everett Stevens, PR 1975. Public information and communication directors in all three law enforcement jurisdictions within Alachua County are headed by College graduates: Keith Kameg, PR 1986, Gainesville Police Department; Linda Gibson White, ADV 1974, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office; and Joe Sharkey, TEL 1992, University Police Department.

The various disciplines in the College also prepared some of the city’s outstanding business leaders, including C. B. Daniel Jr., JM 1966, chair of the Southern Division of CNB National Bank and former member of the Board of Regents; Dana Proctor Clayton, JM 1982, general manager of Burdines, one of Gainesville’s largest department stores; Tom Spain, PR 1970, owner of one of Gainesville’s largest home building organizations, Spain Construction Co. Inc.; Terry Biehl Van Nortwick, PR 1970, MA 1977, president of PRO iNK, a major graphic design and production company; and Rob Rothschild, MA 1993, director of marketing for Sabine Inc., an audio manufacturing company with one of Alachua County’s bigger payrolls.

On the UF campus, Steve Pritz, ADV 1970, is interim registrar; at Santa Fe Community College Larry Keen, MA 1983, is an associate vice president in charge of news and public information; and in the Alachua County Public Schools Mary Lutgen Chance, MA 1983, is executive director of the schools’ foundation.

The UF Athletic Association’s director of development for Gator Boosters Inc. is Phil Pharr, JM 1981. David Flagg, ADV 1959, is a former State Representative, and is still active as a political consultant. Chuck Clemons, ADV 1979, is state director of USDA-Rural Development for Florida/Virgin Islands.

Even Gainesville’s religious community has a leader who came out of the College. Richard Parker, PR 1972, is senior pastor of Creekside Community Church.