Matt Ballard Among Those Recognized During A-B Alumni Banquet

Alderson-Broaddus College recognized three of its alumni at the Alumni Banquet Oct. 11 during the college’s annual Homecoming celebration.

Matthew G. Ballard, president and CEO of the Charleston Area Alliance, received the Alumni Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions in his career.

Dr. Stacey (Davis) Dickenson of Beckley, West Virginia, received the Distinguished Alumni Award for her outstanding service to the College.

Mrs. Janette (Powers) Corrothers of Independence, Kentucky, received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award for her contribution in her chosen career within ten years of graduation.

Ballard, a 1999 graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College, was named president of the Alliance on December 1, 2006. Prior to that, he served as Executive Vice President of the Alliance, managing its economic development efforts, including attraction of new businesses and jobs to the Kanawha Valley.

Before joining the Alliance, Matt served as the Executive Director of the Hatfield-McCoy Trails, a 500-mile multi-use recreational trail system, operating in nine counties throughout southern West Virginia. Prior to his work in tourism, Matt served for two years as the Special Assistant for Project Management and Policy Analysis to the Cabinet Secretary in the West Virginia Department of Revenue. In 2008, Matt was recognized by The State Journal as one of "Generation Next, 40 Leaders Under 40" in West Virginia.

Ballard has an undergraduate degree in nursing from Alderson-Broaddus College and a master’s degree in Public Administration from West Virginia University. During graduate school, he was a Burke Scholar with the West Virginia Legislature and spent nine months working for the Senate Majority Leader.

He currently serves on the Governor’s Disaster Recovery Board, the Chemical Alliance Zone Board of Directors, the Advantage Valley Board of Directors, the Regional Intergovernmental Council, the Alderson-Broaddus College Alumni Council, the Citizens Advisory Committee for the Yeager Airport Master Plan, the West Virginia Center of Nursing, West Virginia University’s Advisory Board for the School of Nursing, and the Board of Directors of the Hatfield-McCoy Trail as a Kanawha County Representative. Matt is also a member of the Charleston Rotary.

Dr. Stacey Dickenson, a 1988 summa cum laude graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College with a bachelor’s degree in biology, has distinguished herself as a pediatric physician for almost 20 years. She currently serves with Community Health Systems, Inc. in Beckley.

She was certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in 1995, which was renewed in 2002. She has been a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics since 1996; and a Continuity Clinic Resident Preceptor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine from 1995-1999. She is a member of the American Medical Association and the West Virginia Medical Association.

She has served faithfully and energetically as a member of the Board of Trustees of Alderson-Broaddus College from 2003 to the present. In her capacity as Trustee of the College she served as chair of the Trusteeship Committee and as a member of the Presidential Search Committee.Before her present position with Community Health Systems, Inc. in Beckley she served in Summersville Pediatrics from 2001 – 2005, in the New River Family Health Center in Scarboro, West Virginia, 2000 – 2001, Nicholas County Health Department, Adolescent Health Clinics, 1999-2001 in Summersville, the Richwood Area Community Hospital in Richwood, West Virginia in 1999, Carolina Pediatrics in Columbia, South Carolina, 1995-1999, and the University of Kentucky Department of Pediatric Residency Program in Lexington, Kentucky, 1992-1995.

Dr. Dickenson received the Doctor of Medicine with honors from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 1992 and her residency certificate in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in 1995.

Janette (Powers) Corrothers is a 1999 graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College who currently holds the position of staff accompanist and lecturer of music at Northern Kentucky University where she teaches Class Piano and serves as studio and recital accompanist for voice and instrumental majors. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Corrothers is Principal Accompanist for the Cincinnati Children’s Choir, in residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

In October of this year, Corrothers will assume the position of conductor of CCC’s newest satellite choir, located in northern Kentucky. Prior to her appointment at Northern Kentucky University, Corrothers held positions as Staff Accompanist and Lecturer of Music at Alderson-Broaddus College and Marietta College (Ohio). She also served as Director of Music and Organist at the First Baptist Church of Parkersburg, West Virginia, where she founded and directed the Mid-Ohio Valley Children’s Choir, directed the chancel choir, handbell choir, worship team and maintained a private studio, teaching voice, piano and organ.

She has served as accompanist for many choral festivals, workshops and reading sessions over the years including the 2007 and 2008 West Virginia high school All-State Chorus, WV All-State Chamber Choir and the Fellowship of American Baptist Musicians national conference youth choir, among others. She has collaborated with such composers and conductors as Kevin Fenton, Brad Holmes, Sharon Hansen, Christine Anderson, Joseph Martin, Craig Courtney, Tom Fettke and David Schwoebel. Corrothers received a master’s of music degree in Organ Performance from the Shenandoah University Conservatory of Music (Winchester, Virginia), a Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied and Church Music from Alderson-Broaddus College and is currently pursuing collaborative piano study with Kenneth Griffiths of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.