WKU Alumni Association Welcomes Nine New Board of Directors Members

Key Appointments to the Board

Bowling Green, Kentucky: The Western Kentucky University (WKU) Alumni Association has bolstered its Board of Directors with the induction of nine new members, announced on Friday. Each one is an alumnus of the university hailing from a range of graduation classes and will serve a term of three years, wrapping up in June 2027.

An official statement by the Alumni Association underlined that the Board of Directors “plays a crucial role to inspire alumni to connect, engage and pay it forward to the Western Kentucky University community.” Each appointee will bring their unique experience and perspectives to the board, further enhancing its multifaceted representation.

The Nine New Board Members

The newly appointed Board of Directors members are (in alphabetical order):

• Carlos D’Angelo Bailey, Bowling Green, Kentucky, a class of 2000 graduate of the Potter College of Arts & Letters and a Lifetime Member of the WKU Alumni Association.
• Phillip W. Barnhouse Jr., Mount Washington, Kentucky, a 1992 graduate of the Gordon Ford College of Business, and a Lifetime Member of the WKU Alumni Association.
• Dr. David Alan Ciochetty, Bowling Green, Kentucky, a 2010 graduate of the Gordon Ford College of Business, and a Lifetime Member of the WKU Alumni Association.
• Shelly Glasscock Compton, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 1996 graduate from the Gordon Ford College of Business, and an Annual Member of the WKU Alumni Association.
• Matthew T. Garrett, Glasgow, Kentucky, a 2008 graduate of the Gordon Ford College of Business, and a Lifetime Member of the WKU Alumni Association.
• Kelley Boothe Griggs, Gallatin, Tennessee, a 2012 graduate of the Potter College of Arts & Letters and an Annual Member of the WKU Alumni Association.
• Dr. Corie Morell Martin, Bowling Green, Kentucky, a graduate who acquired two degrees at WKU, first in 1996 and then in 2015 in the fields of Arts & Letters and Education and Behavioral Sciences. She is an Annual Member of the WKU Alumni Association.
• Lori Mitchell, Nashville, Tennessee, a 2004 graduate of the Potter College of Arts & Letters and a Lifetime Member of the WKU Alumni Association.
• Jean-Marie Lawson Spann, Union, Kentucky, a 1999 graduate from the Potter College of Arts & Letters, and an Annual Member of the WKU Alumni Association.

Ex-officio Roles

Additionally, the announcements confirmed that three individuals have been appointed to join the board in ex-officio roles. These members are:

• Alexis Gonzalez-Lopez of Ashland, Kentucky, a 2011 graduate of the Potter College of Arts & Letters. She will be serving as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council Representative.
• Douglas Stratton of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, a two-time graduate of the Gordon Ford College of Business. He is set to serve as the Young Alumni Council Representative.
• Current student, Rory Kiser of Bardstown, Kentucky, who is due to graduate from Potter College of Arts & Letters in May 2025, will represent the Student Alumni Ambassador President for the next academic year.

The newly appointed members will serve alongside the existing 21 members, bringing the total Board of Directors membership to 30. Their terms will officially commence with the July meeting.