Class Notes - Sac State Connection - December 2008/January 2009

1960s
Elizabeth Hurst Jones, ’68, B.A., Social Work, ’75, M.S.W., created the Parent Support Program while employed by Sacramento County in the Department of Social Welfare. As a counselor and since her retirement, Jones has worked with homeless programs and was a Stephen minister for Foothill United Methodist Church. She reports that one of her cases was ongoing for 18 months, but has proven to be a great success. She makes her home in Cameron Park.

1970s
Robert Denham, Jr., '73, B.S., Criminal Justice, has retired after 33 years of service from the Sacramento Sheriff's Office where he attained the rank of chief deputy sheriff. He was elected president of the Northern California Peace Officers Association, which is an organization of active and retired public safety personnel that provides scholarships to criminal justice majors. Denham now serves as the webmaster of the association (www.NCPOA.net). Sacramento is home for Denham and his wife, Sharen Sue.

1980s
Carrie (Robison) Markel, ’88, writes, "I'm the visual art department chair at Natomas Charter School. As a member of the Sacramento Metro Arts Commission, I work on new works grants and collaborative projects and am on the Public Art Commission for murals in the City of Sacramento. Personally, I have participated in solo exhibits at regional galleries and have been a part of Sacramento State alumni shows. I also conduct printmaking workshops in my home studio and was the recipient of the Innovation Award at the California State Fair, 2007. My daughter, Emily Markel, is a recent Sac State grad and is now employed in the Human Resources Department on campus. I make Sacramento my home."

1990s
Jason Jones, ’96, B.A., English, has earned his doctorate in educational leadership from St. Mary’s College while conducting a study in Long Beach about effective math teachers. His plans include speaking at conferences and conducting large-scale policy research in education. Jones and his family have created the Dwight Jones Memorial With Kids in Mind scholarship fund in memory of his late father and they are raising money to give to deserving students from Siskiyou County. He currently manages a children’s enrichment program in the tri-cities area of Union City, Fremont and Newark, Calif. He says the program “gives back to the community opportunities for summer enrichment for children entering grades 4-9.” Jones has taught English at the secondary level for three years and worked in a program that serves disadvantaged students and provides retention opportunities for eligible students to succeed in college. Among other career positions, he spent three years with the University of Phoenix as the department chair for the graduate education program. Jones and his wife, Brooke, live in Pleasanton, Calif.

Shelia Townsend Grigsby, ’98, B.S., Physical Education, ’99 and ’04, Education Credential, was named Teacher of the Year at Rio Linda Junior High School. She has taught physical education at the school since 2003. Before that, she spent five years teaching the same subject at Martin Luther King Jr. Junior High. Excelling in several sports, Grigsby played on varsity teams in high school even though she was a freshman and was later given a five-year scholarship sponsored by both Sac State and the Grant Union High School District (now Twin Rivers Unified School District). While in college, she was also a point guard for the Hornets until a knee injury ended her collegiate career. Grigsby and husband Frank live in Rio Linda with their children Riley, 6, and Tyler, 2.

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