Lifelong Learning Faculty
Robert Bramlett, J.D. (’99)
Bramlett Law Offices
Robert is known as a gentleman of faith, loyalty and character. A devoted family man and proud Nashvillian, Robert is a long-time member of the Church of Christ. He is president-elect of the Green Hills Civitan Club and works closely with various missions and charitable groups both near and far.
Robert is a "Lipscomb Lifer," attaining a B.S. in Business Management in 1999, and obtaining a J.D. from Nashville School of Law in 2006. He focuses the majority of his civil practice in the matters of authoring wills, powers of attorney, living wills and trusts, handling all estate and probate issues and procedures.
Happiest alongside his family, Robert enjoys gardening and raising chickens, cheering for the Tennessee Titans and traveling. He is quick with sports trivia, a connoisseur of catfish and a BBQ aficionado… and he is always first to find the joy in every experience.
Mary Nelle Chumley (’53)
Lipscomb University Special Event Hostess
Chumley’s unbroken legacy of volunteerism at Lipscomb began when she and her husband returned to the university in 1958 after a period during which he taught in Indiana. In those days at small colleges, faculty had wide-ranging responsibilities beyond the classroom. As art department chair, her husband was responsible for decorating everything from Board meetings to dorm lobbies to Homecoming, and she was in the middle of—or out in front of—these extracurricular assignments. A gifted floral arranger, Chumley quickly became recognized as the campus event decorator. But she contributed far more: for many years, she was the de facto showrunner for Homecoming, coaching participants on their roles and managing this and other events.
It was Chumley’s idea to use Avalon, university founder David Lipscomb’s historic, on-campus home, as a bed and breakfast or meeting space for campus visitors. Her vision was to use the proceeds to endow the Associated Women for Lipscomb (AWL)-Centennial Scholarship. The administration granted that request and invested in restoring Avalon to its original configuration and modest, country splendor. Chumley began serving as scheduler, host and caterer—roles in which she continues to serve more than 45 years later. She and others volunteered their time in every role — including cooking meals for the visitors — so all of the proceeds would go to the scholarship. A campus publication from 2001 stated more than $23,000 was raised that year alone from activities at Avalon. Today, nearly $414,000 has been generated for the Centennial Scholarship endowment principal. In the past 20 years, more than 600 scholarships have been awarded from the AWL-Centennial Scholarship fund.
The success of the AWL-Centennial Scholarship led them to endow additional scholarships, and satellite AWL chapters also adopted scholarships as their primary focus. In the same 20-year period, a total of 1,627 AWL scholarships have been awarded. Because of their appreciation for her vision and service, AWL established the Associated Women for Lipscomb–Mary Nelle Hutcheson Chumley Endowed Scholarship in 2015.
In 2006, Chumley was named the university’s “Alumnus of the Year,” an honor she shared with her husband Charles Chumley (’39), a 1991 “Alumnus of the Year” honoree.
In recent years, Chumley has immersed herself in serving the university’s alumni relations office, particularly with the Lifelong Learning and senior alumni programs. She is described as “a third staff member” and “a life saver” by the professionals in those programs. She is happy to do the “small things” that have a big impact in constituent services, such as meticulously reproducing yearbook photos of 50-year class reunion attendees, setting up registration areas, greeting guests, coordinating events, and general office work.
J.P. Conway, D.Min.
Interim Undergraduate Chair, Lipscomb University College of Bible & Ministry
J.P. grew up in Nashville. After high school at Ezell Harding Christian School, he studied at Abilene Christian University (BA in Youth and Family Ministry) and interned two summers at the Southwest Church of Christ in Amarillo. After four years in Texas, J.P. spent six and a half years as the youth minister at the Manchester Church of Christ in Connecticut. While in New England, he studied at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary (MDiv).
Upon moving back to Tennessee, he served four years as the youth minister at the Smyrna Church of Christ. Currently, he preaches at the Acklen Avenue Church of Christ, where he has ministered since 2011. In 2014, he graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary (DMin). He's taught in the College of Bible since 2008. He and his wife Beth have three daughters.
David French, J.D. (’91)
Distinguished Visiting Professor of Public Policy, Lipscomb University College of Leadership & Public Service
David French is a columnist for The New York Times. A graduate of Harvard Law School, David was previously a senior editor at The Dispatch and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He is a former constitutional litigator and a past president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. David is a New York Times bestselling author, and his most recent book is “Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.” David is a former major in the United States Army Reserve and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.
Jason Gichner, J.D.
Deputy Director & Senior Legal Counsel, Tennessee Innocence Project
Jason Gichner is the deputy Director and senior legal counsel at The Tennessee Innocence Project. He litigates cases throughout Tennessee on behalf of wrongfully convicted Tennesseans fighting to prove their innocence. Jason received his undergraduate degree with honors from Colgate University before graduating from Vanderbilt University Law School. Upon graduation from law school, Jason joined the Office of the Metropolitan Nashville Public Defender.
As a senior trial attorney and Team Leader, he represented thousands of clients and tried numerous jury cases to verdict. Jason subsequently worked in private practice for a decade at Nashville law firms handling complex civil litigation. He is a Fellow of the Nashville Bar Association, graduate of the Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law Program and a member of the Harry Phillips American Inn of Court. He served as Counsel to the State Task Force on Indigent Representation and is a former member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Middle District of Tennessee. Jason currently serves as an adjunct professor of law at Vanderbilt University Law School.
Julie Harston
Director of Library Services at Beaman Library
Julie Harston is the director of library services at Beaman Library at Lipscomb University. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Lipscomb and a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. She has worked in Lipscomb’s library for 17 years. Her favorite genre is historical fiction, and she also loves to read books based in the South. Julie finds joy in traveling with her husband Buddy, spending time with her five young grandchildren, and, of course, reading her favorite authors.
Kem Hinton
Architect, Urban Designer, Historian, LEED Professional and Visual Artist
Kem Hinton received his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Tennessee (Torchbearer Award) and his Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
Kem was co-founder of Tuck-Hinton Architects in 1984, and during his 35-year career was responsible for the design of churches, private homes, educational facilities, theaters, museums, parks and memorials. Kem’s most known accomplishments are the Tennessee Bicentennial Mall, “Civil Rights Room” and “Votes for Women Room” (both in the Nashville Public Library), Tennessee World War II Memorial and Tennessee State Library & Archives.
In 2019, Kem established a sole-practitioner studio. He is a frequent lecturer and author, and his recent book is Tennessee’s Bicentennial Mall, a 180-page hardback publication.
Kem is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. He received the AIA Tennessee 2019 “William Strickland Lifetime Achievement Award,” and in 2021 was appointed to the Tennessee Historical Commission. He lives with wife Marilyn in their LEED Platinum Home, the first in Williamson County. They have one grown son, T.J., Ph.D.
Jim Humphrey
U.S. Air Force (Retired), Executive Director of God’s Word for Warriors
Jim served in the U.S. Army from 1986-1989 as an enlisted Long-Range Surveillance Scout. He returned to college to complete his bachelor's degree and received a commission in the U.S. Air Force in 1992 where he served as a mission support officer until his retirement in 2011. Jim holds master's degrees in aeronautical science and military Science. He has served in higher education as assistant dean and veterans program director for Lipscomb University, assistant director of admissions and director of veteran services at Maryville College, and senior vice president of operations and sales in a global manufacturing. He is an author, speaker and university adjunct instructor. Jim and his wife Desiree' live in Nashville.
Mark Janzen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Archaeology & Ancient History at Lipscomb University
Dr. Mark Janzen is associate professor of archaeology and ancient history at Lipscomb University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Memphis in ancient history. His primary research interests are Egyptian epigraphy and archaeology, New Kingdom military history and the Israelite exodus. He is the editor of Five Views on the Exodus: Historicity, Chronology, and Theological Implications and has written articles and essays on a wide range of topics relating to the intersection of ancient history, archaeology, and biblical studies.
Dr. Janzen has been working in Egypt for over 15 years. In addition to his teaching duties, he is the deputy director of the Karnak Great Hypostyle Hall project, an epigraphic mission at Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt and a co-host for a podcast titled “OnScript - The Biblical World.” Mark enjoys various sports, especially football, hiking with his family of five and reading.
Janet McMahan (’75)
Lipscomb Alumna, Performing Artist, Writer and Producer
Janet McMahan has worked as a professional pianist since she was 16 years old. She’s also worked as a writer, performing artist and producer of music, audiobooks and dramatic works.
Her first love has always been volunteering as a musician and singer for retirement centers, skilled nursing facilities, homeless shelters and similar venues. She began volunteering at age 12 when the school librarian invited her to sing at Lakeshore/Wedgewood. It has been a passion of hers since.
As a musician and singer, Janet has performed on the Grand Ole Opry, toured the United States and abroad as Roy Orbison's keyboard player and played for hundreds of society gigs, weddings, parties and every kind of function imaginable. She’s worked in the studio as a keyboard player, vocalist and vocal contractor on recordings for numerous artists including Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, Steve Winwood, Shirley Jones, John Denver, Sandi Patti, Kathie Lee Gifford, Michael Crawford and many others.
She’s performed on jingles for McDonald's, Target, General Tire and many other regional and local commercials and also has written and produced for Simon and Schuster, LifeWay, McGraw-Hill, Word, Gibson Publishing, Thomas Nelson, Sparrow, Brentwood/Benson and Sesame Street Records.
She has written and produced Grammy and Dove Award winning projects. Janet has had more than 1,500 songs published and in print and over 75 published children's musicals which she has written and/or collaborated. Several of her dramatic musical works (words, music and book) have been recognized by the Dramatists Guild "Off Off Broadway."
With her collaborator, Janet wrote the musical adaptation of "Much Ado About Nothing" for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival in Summer 2012, and it’s being licensed for worldwide distribution.
Her songs have been featured on 20/20, 60 Minutes, Robert Schuller Hour of Power and the Billy Graham Crusade, and they have been recorded by artists including Big Bird, Sandi Patti, Sonny James and Lynn Anderson. She has received the ASCAP Award for 21 years in a row, and she was one of nine participants selected for ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop in NYC. Janet has acted in radio and television commercials as well as numerous live theatrical performances. She is a member of the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and the Dramatists Guild of America.
Janet received a Bachelor of Science degree in musical performance from Lipscomb University and is working toward earning a master’s degree in conflict management.
Justin Myrick, Ph.D.
Lipscomb University Professor and Dean of the Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering (Retired)
Justin A. Myrick Sr. has had a life-long interest in astronomy and America’s space program. He taught astronomy over an eight-year period as a faculty member with the Potter’s School and recently with Lipscomb’s Global Learning Program in Vienna. From his backyard, he has photographed numerous objects in the sky. He has visited many of the major observatories in the United States and Canada. He has also been a frequent teacher for the Astronomy Merit Badge for Boy Scouts of America. Prior to Lipscomb, Myrick worked at Sikorsky Aircraft, the University of Central Florida, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Potter’s School.
Skip Nipper
Nashville Author and Historian
Skip Nipper is the author of Baseball in Nashville (2007, Arcadia Publishing), is a member of SABR (Society of American Baseball Research) and SABR's Grantland Rice-Fred Russell (Nashville) chapter and serves as secretary of Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association.
He is a contributing author to SABR's Biography Project, an ongoing effort to research and write comprehensive biographical articles on players and managers in the major leagues, or otherwise made a significant contribution to the sport. A recurring presenter at the Southern Association Conference at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, his most recent participation was on March 3, 2018, when he featured the history of Vols, Inc., the corporation formed in 1958 to save Nashville professional baseball from extinction.
Skip was the keynote speaker at the 2014 Baseball in Literature and Culture Conference at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and presented his knowledge of Sulphur Dell at the SABR 40 convention in Atlanta, Georgia in 2010. He has participated in panel discussions about Nashville's baseball past at the Metro Nashville/Davidson County Library and Metro Archives and various civic groups and posts regularly to his website blog baseballinnashville.com.
He assisted the Nashville Sounds staff in providing historical information and images within First Tennessee Park during construction and before the opening of the ballpark in 2015. A graduate of Stratford High School and Memphis State University, Skip and his wife Sheila reside in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee.
Pamela O'Neal
Author and Historian
Pamela Dawn O’Neal is a grateful servant of the One who came to serve, and considers this to be her greatest and most impressive credential. She attended Harding University and Texas A&M University, majoring in both biology and psychology. However, for the past quarter of a century, she been captivated by a profound love for the study of ancient Egypt, searching vigorously for indications in Egyptian history to verify the Hebrew sojourn in that great country. Reading and accumulating notes to that effect has become her pastime, her pursuit, and her passion. She is completely self-taught in this subject, but her theories concerning the convergence of the Biblical Exodus and well-documented Egyptian records are unique in that there is no compromise to the integrity of either source. Her book, The God of Egypt, expounds her theories.
Pamela is a frequent ladies day speaker, presenting lessons across the country. She has authored three books in a series of Bible class teacher training programs, has written four week-long sets of nature-centered Bible camp courses, complete with lessons, related activities, and crafts for campers ages nine through eighteen. She has been asked to devise Bible class curriculums and related lessons for congregations in multiple states. She has been a speechwriter for a professional athlete and a proofreader for a university president. She also has composed over 1,000 songs.
Pamela lives in Ridgetop, Tennessee, with her husband of 41 years, T. Brian O’Neal. Brian is director of operations and engineering for Lipscomb’s Mullican Studios and is an elder and teacher at the Ivy Point Church of Christ. They have three daughters: Dr. Summer O’Neal, Auburn Spicer and Taffeta Xu.
Elizabeth Owen (’70)
Retired Government, Politics, Consumer Protection and Public Relations Professional
Elizabeth is a 1970 graduate of Lipscomb University, and proudly claims that the knowledge and skills she learned at Lipscomb enabled any success she had in her professional career. She freely admits she bounced around a lot, but wouldn’t trade her experiences for anything else.
Government and politics were her first love – working in state and local campaigns, spending two years in Washington, D.C., and serving as the state direction for consumer protection. Despite never taking a math class at Lipscomb, Elizabeth was a banker, served as campaign treasurer for Governor Ned McWherter, and helped fund-raise for non-profits. Throughout her varied career she often was the spokesperson, giving speeches and interviews across the state, which led to her time at NewsChannel5 in Nashville as its on-air consumer exert. She finally topped off her resume as a consultant for various groups and associations across the country.
Mary Anne Oglesby-Sutherly
Founder and Executive Director of Veranda Ministries; Teepa Snow “Positive Approach® to Care” Trainer, Coach and Consultant; “Aging, Angst and Alleluias” Podcast Host
With more than two decades of dedicated experience, Mary Anne is on a mission to transform the landscape of dementia care. Her journey began as a family practice nurse, allowing her to witness the growing wave of dementia in our aging population, the "tsunami of dementia.”
This early exposure ignited her belief in the power of relationship-based care and holistic approaches to support individuals in various states of dementia. Mary Anne holds a triple certification as a PAC trainer, consultant, and coach in Teepa Snow's "Positive Approach® to Care" (PAC). She's also a certified dementia practitioner and has earned certifications in Alzheimer's care from both the Alzheimer's Association and the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.
As the host of the highly acclaimed podcast, "Aging Angst and Alleluias," Mary Anne provides invaluable support, education and encouragement to care partners navigating the intricate journey of dementia care. Throughout the series, she shares her extensive experience, practical tips and strategies, often featuring insightful interviews with experts in the field. This podcast serves as a vital resource for care partners, promoting a compassionate and understanding approach to dementia care.
Mary Anne's dedication to the field extends beyond her podcast. She actively contributes to dementia care and advocacy, serving as a member of the Mayor's Senior Council in Gallatin, Tennessee. Furthermore, she holds the role of vice president of legislative affairs for the Tennessee Association of Adult Day Services (TAADS) and is a valued member of the Adult Day Services Advisory Committee for the Tennessee Department of Human Services.
A strong advocate for compassionate dementia care, Mary Anne has been at the forefront of fighting for legislative changes that improve the lives of individuals facing dementia. Her work is grounded in faith-based principles and a deep commitment to compassionate care.
Mary Anne is deeply involved with Veranda Ministries, an organization she co-founded, which is dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals living with dementia. As a faith-based respite setting, Veranda Ministries offers a holistic and compassionate approach to dementia care, providing a nurturing environment for both individuals with dementia and their care partners.
Mary Anne is a published author of the book “Remember for Me: Life Lessons from Those Living with Dementia.” This insightful book delves into the profound wisdom and experiences shared by individuals living with dementia, offering a unique perspective on their journey. Through heartfelt narratives and practical insights, “Remember for Me” serves as a powerful testament to the strength, resilience and humanity of those facing dementia.
Wesley Paine (’70)
Retired Director of the Nashville Parthenon and Co-author of “Classical Nashville”
Wesley Paine retired in 2021 as director of the Nashville Parthenon after 42 years in that position. During her tenure the museum underwent a complete renovation of the lower level, which added a new entrance and visitor services, as well as a 10-year restoration of the exterior. Another milestone of her administration was the creation and installation, by sculptor Alan LeQuire, of the 42’ statue of Athena which completed the interior as a faithful re-creation of the Athenian original.
Paul Prill, Ph.D.
Retired Lipscomb University Professor and Certified Master Gardener of Davidson County
Paul Prill retired from Lipscomb after 42 years of teaching. He has since become a certified Master Gardener of Davidson County, and he serves on the board of Wild Ones of Middle Tennessee. He will soon complete the Certification in Native Plants offered by the Tennessee Valley chapter of Wild Ones, and he has spent the last two years planting a mostly native garden in his yard that features over 75 different species of native trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers.
Linda Peek Schacht (’72)
Retired Lipscomb University Faculty; Founding Director, Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership; and Former Senior Fellow, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Linda Peek Schacht has advised government, business and nonprofit leaders on communication and strategy for over 40 years. A veteran of the Carter White House press office, she has held the top communication positions for a national Presidential campaign, USA Today, the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate and the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. She is a former vice president for global communications and public affairs strategy for The Coca-Cola Company and senior fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
As founding director of Lipscomb’s Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership, she created programs that reflect her lifelong commitment to developing leaders who serve the common good. She is a frequent commentator and author on leadership, politics and government. As a board member of the International Women’s Media Foundation and Athena International, Linda has worked to advance women’s leadership around the globe. She is a member of the International Women’s Forum and the Women Business Collaborative advisory council. She also is a recipient of the NBJ Women of Influence Trailblazer award, the Athena Award and the YWCA’s Academy of Women of Achievement.
Richard Welch
Vietnam Veteran, Retired Metro Water Services Employee
Born in August 1948 at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, the son of a career NCO, Richard Welch was an Air Force dependent until age 14. He moved to Tennessee in June 1962 to a farm just West of Kingston Springs and graduated as aalutatorian from Bellevue High School in June 1966. He worked as a glass glazer in Topeka, Kansas, and registered for the draft.
He entered the U.S. Army in March 1967 and was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, for eight weeks of basic training and continued 12 weeks of training at Fort Knox, Kentucky for Armor AIT. As part of the 6th Armored Cavalry Regiment, he served on riot control duty for the riots of 1967 in Washington, D.C. He became came a tank commander before coming down on levee for Vietnam.
Welch spent most of 1968-69 in Northern I Corp, from just south of Hue to the DMZ and from the South China Sea to the Laotian border. His squad was attached to the 101st Airborne most of that time. The last seven months, he trained new officers and NCOs at the Armor School at Fort Knox, Kentucky. On March 19,1970, Welch was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army.
He and his wife have been married since September 1971. They have a son and two daughters, all of whom graduated from Lipscomb Academy. Their son and oldest daughter also graduated from Lipscomb University.
Welch worked as a store manager for TSC stores in Springfield, Tennessee, and for RC Cola and Prudential Insurance. From August 1980 until August 2012, he worked for Metro Water Services, spending the last 20 years as a treatment plant shift supervisor with state licenses to operate water treatment plants and distribution systems.
In 2001, Welch hosted a 2/34th Armor reunion for Vietnam Veterans at Opryland's Radisson Hotel. The event was attended by 214 veterans of the battalion from all of the companies and all the years the unit was deployed to Vietnam. In 2013, he was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the 34th Armor Regiment at a ceremony at Fort Riley, Kansas.
Bobby Whitson
Civil War History Enthusiast and Expert Metal Detector
Bobby Whitson is a ninth generation Tennessean with his direct line originally establishing roots close to the Watauga settlement in present Johnson City. By 1809, the Whitson line was firmly entrenched in Middle Tennessee with his direct line living on the land that is the Boxwell Boy Scout property on the Cumberland River. After moving just North of Gallatin in the 1830s, his Whitson line moved to Nashville in 1941.
His father Bob Whitson was one of Nashville's most recognized and most appreciated individuals having impacted hundreds if not thousands of lives and families in and around the Nashville community through his generosity and kindness. Living in Franklin and working in the professional and collegiate athletic space for three decades, Whitson has been married to Danielle Neil for close to 30 years. He is the father of three daughters and has one grandson.
Combining his father's love of history with his desire to learn his purpose on this planet and to understand where he is going in life, Bobby identified that he must first understand his past and from where he comes. Years of genealogy work identified all of his family lines and their respective military service. Given the amount of Civil War activity in this area and being directly descended from several of the soldiers that served and fought in the local battles, Whitson first picked up a metal detector in 2016.
Learning from the best in the business—Sidney McAlister, Jim Kay and Mark Martin, Whitson researches battles, unit histories and personal soldier diaries and correspondence to identify locations where relics may be found. Then, he connects with the property owner or manager to gain permission to detect the properties.
Currently, Whitson runs a sports recruiting software company. He serves on the board at the Battle of Nashville Trust and actively assists in its efforts to acquire battlefield property, preserve it, interpret the history and to educate the public on the importance of the Battle of Nashville and its impact on Nashville and the Civil War.
Metal detecting provides Whitson an outlet to validate written history and to find personal solace by spending time with nature whether that be in the woods in the country or in the backyard of a house in the city. Each relic recovered ties him more closely with the soldiers that left their families and homes to place themselves voluntarily in harm's way in their individual efforts to serve their countries.