“Award/Recognition” Class Notes

Charles Napier (Col ’81 CM) came out of semi-retirement last year to serve as director for the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority. His team was honored to receive the 2024 Governor’s Award for Excellence in recognition of outstanding public service to Pennsylvania.

Gabrielle Rhodes Crawford (Col ’00 CM) was named Advanced Practice Provider of the Year for the Centra Medical Group Sept. 25. This recognition honors one advanced practice provider who truly exemplifies excellence in patient care, leadership and teamwork. Crawford has worked in the general surgery and trauma department at Centra Health in Lynchburg since 2015 and currently serves as the lead advanced practice provider. After graduating from UVA, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Lynchburg College, now University of Lynchburg, and an Master of Science in Nursing from James Madison University. She and her husband, Kenneth Crawford (Col ’01 CM) are the proud parents of two sons, Kenneth II and Kingston, and a daughter, Austin. Kenneth II is a senior at Appalachian State University.

Myron Santos (Col ’01 CM) has been accepted as a member of American Cinema Editors, an honorary society that celebrates excellence within the art of motion picture editing, promotes mutual respect among peers and supports diversity and inclusion within the profession. Myron, his wife and their 10-year-old daughter live in Los Angeles. He is also a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is on the board of the UVA Entertainment Club of Los Angeles.

Andrew G. Lee (Col ’85, Med ’89 CM) is proud to receive The 2025 UVA Walter Reed Distinguished Achievement Award. The award recognizes professional accomplishments, outstanding innovation and exemplary leadership in the field of medicine.

Sara A. Austin (Col ’87 CM) was granted fellowship in the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL), which provides a forum for the exchange of information among experienced legal professionals working for the advancement of community association governance. Austin, who is the founder of Austin Law Firm, earned this national recognition due to her outstanding leadership and commitment to the advancement of the legal principles and practical tools necessary for community associations to thrive. Among other professional positions, Austin is a past president of the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Spencer Francis (Engr ’03 CM) celebrated 22 years with Bowman Consulting Group (NASDAQ: BWMN) and commemorated Bowman’s 30th anniversary by ringing the NASDAQ opening bell with other Bowman leaders. Francis has helped grow Bowman from a regional Washington, D.C.-based engineering firm into one of the top multidisciplinary design firms in the United States. Francis is currently executive vice president and division manager at Bowman. He and his wife, Kirsten (Dodd) Francis (Col ’03 CM) live in Richmond with their three daughters.

Deborah E. Sheetenhelm Hammond (Arch ’82 CM) has been selected as the regent of the William Henshaw chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) in Martinsburg, West Virginia. Hammond traces her ancestry to Peter Mantz of Frederick, who aided independence efforts in the Revolutionary War. She has also recently become a member of the Captain James Gibson chapter of the United States Daughters of 1812, being descended from soldiers who fought in the War of 1812.

Hammond continues her second career as a novelist, with a new novel, Death in a Perfect Village, due in the autumn. Her previous novel, Death in Lewes, is a murder mystery set in Lewes, Delaware. All of her novels are available on Amazon.com in both Kindle and paperback versions.

Trey Cox (Law ’95) has been named a finalist for Texas Lawyer’s Texas Lawyer of the Year. So far in 2025, he has helped secure over $3 billion in verdicts and dismissals on behalf of clients. On the plaintiff side, he led two high-profile trial wins: a $667 million jury verdict for Energy Transfer against Greenpeace and a $46 million compensatory award for Gala Capital Partners. On the defense side, Cox obtained two major summary judgment victories, defeating over $2 billion in securities claims against Energy Transfer and securing dismissal of $400 million in fraud claims against GE Vernova.

Adrian Talley (Educ ’86 CM) was named the 2025 DuPage County Regional Office of Education Educator of the Year and Administrator of the Year. Talley is currently in his sixth year as superintendent of Indian Prairie School District 204, the fourth largest school district in Illinois. He was recognized for his work in expanding mental health services, amplifying student voices and expanding STEM opportunities for students.

Peyton Hall (Arch ’74 CM) received the first Impact Award given by the University of Southern California Architectural Guild. He was honored for his four decades of dedication to the practice of historic architecture and enrichment of the cultural and civic fabric of Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects, a managing principal emeritus of Historic Resources Group in Pasadena, California, and an adjunct professor in the Heritage Conservation Program of the School of Architecture at USC.

Patrick Wheaton (Col ’86 CM) was named president of the Southern States Communication Association during their 95th annual convention in Norfolk, Virginia in April. SSCA is a regional association of academics and professionals in the fields of human communication. Wheaton is a professor of communication studies at Georgia Southern University, teaching courses in rhetoric, argumentation, public speaking and political communication.

Andrew Lee (Col ’85, Med ’89 CM) was recognized with a YouTube Silver Creator Award for his YouTube channel, “Neuro-Ophthalmology with Dr. Andrew G. Lee.” There are over 113 million active channels on YouTube, and Lee is proud to be among only 400 thousand channels to receive the YouTube Silver Play Button. With frequent uploads and a wealth of knowledge, Lee’s channel is great for those interested in all things neuro-op.

Michael Huffstetler (Arch ’87) was sworn in as the 106th national president of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). He will lead the National Leadership Team and the SAME Board of Direction in overseeing the governance and strategic efforts of the society, its 25,000 members and 1,500 member companies, and over 100 posts and field chapters around the world. The Society of American Military Engineers is dedicated to patriotism and national security, and seeks to connect engineering professionals from public and private sectors.

William Brockschmidt (Arch ’86 CM) is proud to announce that his design firm, Brockschmidt & Coleman, LLC was awarded the 2025 Arthur Ross Award for Interior Design given by the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA). The Arthur Ross Awards were established in 1982 to recognize and celebrate excellence in the classical tradition of art and architecture. The awards ceremony was held on May 12, 2025 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City. Brockschmidt & Coleman was established in 2001 and has offices in New York City and New Orleans.

William Mell Griffin III (Col ’79 CM) has been named the 2025 Outstanding Lawyer of the Year by the Arkansas Bar Foundation and the Arkansas Bar Association. He is a partner at Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP, where he serves as vice chair of the firm’s management committee and leads the litigation practice group.