Notable Alumni of Longwood University: Leaders, Achievers, and Changemakers

Longwood University, since its founding in 1839, has fostered a legacy of producing remarkable individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields. These alumni, recognized for their leadership, service, and achievements, embody the values instilled by the university and serve as an inspiration to future generations. The Longwood Alumni Awards annually honor graduates and friends for their outstanding contributions to the university, community, and society.

Alumni Awards: Recognizing Excellence

The Longwood Alumni Awards stand as a testament to the university's commitment to honoring its distinguished graduates and friends. These awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated exceptional achievements in their respective fields, while also embodying the values of honesty, equality, civility, and citizen leadership that Longwood University strives to cultivate.

The Alumni Board plays a crucial role in the selection process, carefully reviewing nominations and recommendations received throughout the year. To be considered for the current year's slate, nominations must be submitted by August 15th. The Alumni Board then convenes in October to vote on the Alumni Award Committee's nominee recommendations, with the awards presented the following summer.

Nomination materials must include the name and contact information of the nominee and the nominator, a detailed statement of accomplishments of the nominee, the reason the nominator feels the nominee should be a candidate for the award, and any supporting information that the nominator would like to submit. Alumni Awards will be presented when a nominee is approved by the Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Several prestigious awards are bestowed upon deserving alumni, each recognizing specific contributions and achievements:

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Distinguished Citizen Leader Alumni Award: The highest and most prestigious award bestowed by the Alumni Association.
Humanitarian Alumni Award: Honors alumni who, through their outstanding involvement and commitment, have enriched the lives of others and improved the welfare of their communities.
Nancy B. Shelton Spirited Contributor Award: Honors an alumnus or alumna who is a current or retired Longwood faculty or staff member, recognizing excellence in service that exemplifies the university’s values.
Rotunda Outstanding Young Alumni Award

Notable Alumni: Profiles in Excellence

The ranks of Longwood University alumni include individuals who have excelled in diverse fields, leaving an indelible mark on their communities and the world. Here are some notable examples:

Maj. Patrick Richardson: A Marine Helicopter Pilot Serving on the Highest Level

Maj. Patrick Richardson, a helicopter pilot with the Marine Corps, has provided transportation to the president of the United States and the pope, among other world leaders. A Cobra pilot’s sole mission is to protect the servicemen and servicewomen engaged in combat on the ground, said Richardson, who flew roughly 600 missions during two deployments to Afghanistan and one to Iraq. His four-year term as aircraft commander and flight leader for Marine Helicopter Squadron One no doubt runs a close second. Currently stationed in New Orleans, Richardson is the operations officer for the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773 that operates and maintains attack (Cobra) and utility (Huey) helicopters. His primary responsibility is training pilots to fly the Cobra, but he also oversees the squadron as a whole. Through it all, the advice that has resonated with Richardson came from former Longwood baseball coach Buddy Bolding. “Coach Bolding taught us that anything we wanted we had to work for ourselves. It wouldn’t be handed to us.

Hon. Karen Mitchell Schinabeck: A Legacy of Service in Financial Aid

With her childhood home on Buffalo Street just a stone’s throw from campus, she remembers summers spent with friends roller-skating up and down the Colonnades, sneaking through the tunnels trying to scare each other and riding their bikes around campus. After graduating from high school and then business college, she came back to Longwood for a 42-year career, with 38 of those years in the financial aid office. During her years as assistant, associate and finally director of financial aid, she says, “Hands down my favorite part of the job was counseling families. “I have so many special relationships with former students. One group who were at Longwood in the 1990s stands out,” she said, adding that most of them relied heavily on financial aid as students and that they all have stayed in touch with each other and with her. “Now all of those students are so successful. “It was my greatest accomplishment as well as my greatest challenge,” she said. “One reason was that I was the acting director then because the director was on medical leave. It was not a task for the faint of heart. In fact, Longwood’s registrar at the time quit her job rather than deal with the transition, Schinabeck recalled. “Many times the financial aid staff-including me-became really frustrated. I reminded them that since we had to do this, let’s just do it, and be proud of it. They hung in there. I had a staff and a half.

Noah Wood III: Advocate for Change

Noah Wood III is one of those people who backs up his words with action. He is currently training for AIDS/LifeCycle, a weeklong bike ride in June from San Francisco to Los Angeles. An event volunteer for seven years, this year he’ll be pedaling the 545 miles for the second time. “The feeling of giving completely for its own sake, without any possibility of reward or return, is such an incredible, powerful feeling. Much of what drives Wood are memories of his own struggles as a young person. “Growing up as a gay teen in central Virginia in the early ’80s was not easy. When I arrived at Longwood, I was lost. It became the perfect place for me to find my voice and learn how to use it to make a difference.

Dr. Theresa Clark: Professor of Social Work

After receiving her undergraduate degree in sociology from Virginia State University, Clark worked in the human services field before obtaining her Master of Education degree from Longwood. Originally hired as the university’s first full-time director of minority affairs, Clark quickly transitioned to the faculty side, working her way from instructor to her current role as associate professor of social work. “I have either been a student, employed or teaching all of my life,” said Clark, thinking ahead to her retirement. A longtime resident of the Farmville area, Clark was the first woman appointed to the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors. “They have challenged me,” Clark said. They’ve given me a reason to want to get up in the morning and come to work. “You can’t imagine what I’ve learned about life itself in this environment,” she said. I learned that you don’t necessarily try to do for people, but you teach them how to do for themselves. Clark feels particularly honored to be recognized with the Nancy B. “I worked with her for so many years, and I know what qualities she exhibits. To think I would be aligned with her is very positive for me,” said Clark. “I knew I wasn’t ready to leave home,” said Clark, whose childhood home backed up to the Longwood campus. “Longwood was absolutely the right place for me to be.

Cainan Townsend: A Champion for Prince Edward County's History

Cainan Townsend ’15, M.S. ’20, is a teacher-just as he decided he would be when he was a sophomore in high school. His classroom is the Moton Museum, housed in the former Moton High School building in Farmville and the only museum in Virginia dedicated to the fight for civil rights. His subject area is Prince Edward County’s critical role in that chapter of American history. He is in his second term as an elected member of the Prince Edward County School Board and counts as one of the board’s biggest achievements the hiring earlier this year of fellow Longwood alumnus Chip Jones ’07, M.S. ’04, as superintendent. As a native and lifelong resident of Farmville-and a product of the Prince Edward County public schools-Townsend is passionate about his community, including its past, present and future. His father was among the students locked out of the Prince Edward County Schools when they closed from 1959-64 to avoid integration. He was only 6 years old at the time, and the closings delayed his high-school graduation until he was 21. In addition, Townsend’s great-grandfather and two of his great-aunts were plaintiffs in the Prince Edward lawsuit that was rolled into the landmark civil rights case Brown v. But there is also the time the Farmville community rallied around Townsend’s family when their home was destroyed by fire. Townsend was only in the first grade when that happened, but it is a vivid and powerful memory, as are the many educational opportunities he took advantage of in his K-12 years in the Prince Edward County schools. “I developed a sense of pride for this community partially because of those things but also partially because I didn’t appreciate the way Prince Edward was talked about. It’s natural to wonder why someone with Townsend’s ambition and abilities has not been led to opportunities on a larger stage. “There was a spell when my dream was to be Virginia’s secretary of education, and everything I was trying to do professionally was moving toward Richmond. But the more I was telling the Prince Edward story and being genuine and authentic, the more the opportunities came my way. Every time I reached a crossroads or had a doubt, all roads led me back to Farmville. I was appointed to boards. I got introduced to governors. During the Vice Presidential Debate, I had the opportunity to take Sen. Tim Kaine and then-Secretary of Education Anne Holton on a tour of campus. If I can be a conduit to people hearing about our history and if my enthusiasm is infectious, opportunities will come. “We are currently nominated for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List, which is the highest historical designation you can achieve internationally. We should be in place to be considered when UNESCO convenes in 2027,” said Townsend. The list currently includes 1,248 cultural and natural heritage properties around the world that the World Heritage Committee considers as having outstanding universal value. “I call it the Hidden Figures treatment,” he said, referring to the feature film about the Black women who made history working at NASA during the space race of the 1960s. “I want 20,000-30,000 people to be visiting here each year instead of 10,000-13,000. I want the Moton Museum to be a place where, if you are a scholar and you want to tell about the civil rights movement, at some point you need to come to Farmville. “I was national chapter president of the year for Phi Mu Delta fraternity. I was one of the first Elwood mascots. “Longwood taught me people skills. It taught me to advocate for something I’m passionate about. It taught me conflict resolution and to learn from others and to challenge myself. Longwood was a big part of the laboratory that taught me to leave my comfort zone.

Candice “Candy” Jamison Dowdy: A Lifelong Devotion to Longwood

During her years as a student and campus leader she fell in love with Longwood and, her junior year, met the love of her life-her husband of 56 years, Charles “Chuck” H. “He was a local guy and everyone told me don’t date a local because you might end up staying here,” the Roanoke native recalled with a laugh. After graduating with a degree in home economics in 1969, Dowdy began her professional career working as a home economist at Southside Electric Cooperative in Crewe. However, her love for her alma mater pulled her back to Longwood a few years later, and she began working in the Admissions Office. Later she would also work in the university’s Advancement Office. But a large part of her career was spent at nearby Hampden-Sydney College, where she worked for over 20 years before retiring as director of constituent relations. “She quickly became a leader among her peers,” Eggleston said. She eventually was elected student government president, a position which led to a long friendship with the late Dr. Henry I. Willett Jr., Longwood’s 20th president. “He asked for my opinion on so many things,” she said of Willett, who was widely admired for his pivotal leadership during his tenure from 1967 to 1981. “We were great friends as adults. Dowdy has served on the Longwood Foundation Board of Directors and the board governing the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts (LCVA). The Dowdys have also been generous supporters of the LCVA Gala and Longwood’s basketball programs. “In truth, Candy has not just been involved, she engages. She shows up, she cares. She knows the students and they know her,” Eggleston said. “She’ll be the first to ask about your time at Longwood and where life is taking you next. “I feel like I owe Longwood so very much,” she said. “The people I met along the way at Longwood prepared me for so many next steps. I was grateful for all of those opportunities. Dowdy said one thing that makes the university so special is the people, especially those that she got to work and interact with during her years on campus. “She leaves a mark on everything she touches, whether it’s a program, a person or a place,” said Men’s Basketball Head …

Michele Sims-Gannon: Providing Support to Women with Cancer

“It made me wonder what a woman does when she has a long-term illness like cancer,” Sims-Gannon said. Shortly thereafter, she had a dream about the Virgin Mary that seemed connected. “She came to me as a very strong, empathetic, loving woman,” said Sims-Gannon, a strongly spiritual person who lives near the coastal town of Ocean Grove, New Jersey. Just 16 years later, Mary’s Place welcomes more than 1,000 women a year at a 10,000-square-foot custom-built facility just a block from the ocean. Mary’s Place offers three retreats each week: one Tuesday through Thursday morning, a one-day session on Thursday, and finally a weekend retreat that begins Friday morning and ends Sunday morning. Sims-Gannon knew from the outset that she wanted the services and accommodations provided by Mary’s Place to be free of charge. “In 16 years, we haven’t had to charge a woman a single dollar to come here,” Sims-Gannon said. Currently, Mary’s Place raises $1.4 million annually to support its mission. From the beginning, Mary’s Place has depended on the kindness of friends and strangers who believe in its mission. The two lots a block from the water in Ocean Grove alone cost $700,000, she said. “There is no way we could have personally financed it. They believed in us. They felt our passion.” So did her husband, a local builder who submitted the low bid for the construction, and a bevy of subcontractors, who donated time and materials. “We built our 10,000-square-foot home in 18 months,” said Sims-Gannon, adding that the expansive porches with ocean views are one of her favorite features. “I love seeing the women in the rocking chairs on the porches, some of them wrapped up in blankets even in the winter, just looking at the ocean. Mary’s Place supports women with any type of cancer at any stage. They learn about Mary’s Place from a variety of sources, including cancer support groups, and travel to the Jersey Shore from all over the United States-primarily New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, but also from California, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii and beyond-as well as Canada and Europe. The average age of guests is 47. “These are working women in childbearing years with children at home,” said Sims-Gannon. “I just didn’t feel a connection at Arizona State. I felt overwhelmed at the size of it,” she said. “I had a friend at Longwood who was also was studying German. She said it was a great department, and the teachers all know you. I was just 18 years old, but I didn’t hesitate. “Coming to Longwood was really what laid the groundwork for me to stretch myself to the unknown. You don’t have to know everything that’s going to happen. You just have to be open and adaptable,” Sims-Gannon said. And she’s not stopping with just one Mary’s Place. “We now get more than 2,000 applications a year for our retreats,” she said. “It is validation that we have created something that fills a need. The gratitude from the women who come here is what fuels every person to do what we do. When you have a woman say to you, ‘Thank you.

Bradley H. Pomp: A Citizen Leader in Business and Community

“It is a piece of my ongoing walk in life-giving back to the people I’m working with and leading and serving them,” Pomp said. Being a leader didn’t interest Pomp much during his adolescence. “Longwood was the perfect environment to step out of my comfort zone and try things that I had never done in high school,” Pomp said. “I’d never been involved. I’d never challenged myself to take on leadership roles and be in the front of the room. Longwood allowed that to happen. After graduating from Longwood in 1993 with a degree in political science with a pre-law focus, Pomp went on to earn an MBA in finance at George Washington University in 1996, while working a full-time day job. In 2002, he founded Defense Litigation Group, which served major clients such as Ford, Michelin and British Petroleum. In 2015, Pomp took on an executive leadership role at Florida-based Sentry Management, and two years later he became president. Under his leadership, the family-owned community association management company has grown from 13 to 25 states and revenues have surged. “Brad Pomp is the very definition of a citizen leader-in business, in service and in life,” said Athletics Director Tim Hall. “He cultivates a workplace culture that doesn’t just prioritize success, it prioritizes people. Brad remains grounded in what matters most. Pomp met his wife, Shannon Nunnally Pomp ’93, at Longwood, and they have remained dedicated supporters of their alma mater. “This program is designed to help new scholars build early connections, foster a sense of belonging and develop the confidence and community that lead to greater academic success and campus involvement,” said Dr. Chris Kukk, the Wilma Register Sharp and Marc Boyd Sharp Dean of the Honors College. “The honors college retreat is a great example of where students get connected to Longwood immediately,” he said. Pomp, who gives back to his home community through volunteering as a youth coach and as a leader in his church, said he was deeply honored to receive an alumni award. “Longwood did a tremendous amount for me in my life in terms of getting me the right foundation and getting me turned in the right direction,” he said. “The path that this university put me on professionally and personally was very impactful.

Pat McGee: Musician

Pat McGee is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Annandale, Virginia, and is a founding member and frontman of the Pat McGee Band.

Jerome Kersey: Basketball Player

Jerome Kersey (June 26, 1962 - February 18, 2015) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Trail Blazers selected Kersey in the second round of the 1984 NBA draft from Longwood University (then Longwood College) in Farmville, Virginia.

Michael Anthony Tucker: Baseball Player

Michael Anthony Tucker (born June 25, 1971) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman.

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