MID-AMERICA - Key Persons
Adam Peterson was born and raised in Denver, Colorado, and received his bachelor's degree at the University of Colorado-Boulder. He is a PhD candidate at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where he is studying African American Christianity between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. He lives in Louisville with his wife and two sons, who enjoy what remains of his time not occupied by teaching or studying.
Job Titles:
- Funeral Director
- Program Director
Audrina Dollar is an Idaho licensed funeral director, embalmer, pre-need counselor, and certified crematory operator who recently relocated with her husband and two boys from the Boise, Idaho area, and are new residents of Louisville, Kentucky. Audrina holds a BA in Anthropology from the University of North Texas and is an alumnus of Dallas Institute of Funeral Service where she received her Associate of Applied Science degree. In her free time, she enjoys reading, coloring, and doing puzzles.
Born and raised in Miami, FL, Azina Williams attended Miami Dade County Schools receiving her diploma from the Miami Northwestern Senior High School. Growing up as a young child Azina knew she wanted to work in the funeral industry; therefore, after her graduation from high school she enrolled at Miami Dade College where she received an Associates degree in science with a focus in Funeral Science. Working in the funeral industry 15 years as a licensed funeral director and embalmer dedicating her life to serve in excellence, a thirst for knowledge pushed her to seek a degree in Human Services; with vigor and excitement she completed her Bachelors degree at Kaplan University. Realizing there was more to learn and a better way to serve families in the funeral service industry she obtained her degree in Marriage, Family, and Couples Counseling. As she achieved these milestones, she has experienced these successes with a loving husband Christian Williams and four beautiful daughters Ashley, Christina, Krislyn, and Destiny Williams. Currently working as a licensed funeral director and embalmer for one of the largest funeral homes in Broward County Florida, she serves families by reflecting daily on her mission of helping people and caring for them. As families lose their love ones, serving them brings fulfillment to her soul. As she continues to help others in this of what is call a ministry, she knows that she will fulfill her purpose as a professional practitioner and an instructor to those who choose a career in the industry.
Ms. Marcum-Bright Grew up in Northeast Indiana and attended West Noble High School. She worked for several years as a Respiratory Therapist in the Veterans Health Administration, and as an Administrative Officer after obtaining her master's degree in Strategic Leadership. Her hobbies are motorcycles (yes, she owns two), camping, and narrating books of the Gutenberg Project.
My name is Constance Howlett or Connie. I have been with Mid-America since September 2020. I received my premotion to became Admissions Director here at Mid-America at age 27. I am the youngest Admission Director in Mid-America history (according to Mr. Bridgewater, he has been here since the school opened.) I have three degrees. I received my associate in business administration at Ivy Tech in Sellersburg Indiana in 2016 and received my bachelor in general studies with a minor in journalism multi-media in spring 2020 at Indiana University Southeast. I hold education close to my heart because I personally struggled in school due to having a learning disability called dyslexia. I even had teachers tell me I would not even graduate high school. But I have learned to get around my disability and succeeded! I used my disability to push me to do better instead of having it enable me. I am a firm believer you can do ANYTHING you set your mind to if you really want it. Some other things about me are; I am an identical twin, I bought my first house last year by myself, I run 5k with my best friend Lauren and I love soccer!
Dave A. Davis is from Miami, FL, but recently relocated to the DC Area. His accounting education has helped him with a diverse career background, which includes years of service with the Internal Revenue Service, auditing throughout the Federal Government, and instructing college courses. He has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Florida State University and a Master of Accounting from Nova Southeastern University.
Debby Elswick is originally from Port William, Ohio. She moved to Indiana in 1997 and now calls Charlestown, Indiana home. She came to Mid-America College with over 20 years Accounting/Controller experience and 6 years Office Manager experience.
Debby and her husband, of over 40 years, have 2 daughters, a pug named Zoie and a rescue cat named Penny. She loves listing to audio books, classic cars, and camping at Kentucky Lake with her friends and family.
Denisa, although originally from Louisville, KY, graduated High School at Sevier County High School located near Pigeon Forge, TN. She has three children of her own and two step-children, with ages ranging from twenty-six to six, with two still living at home.
Alongside her High School Diploma Denisa attained a Certificate in Office Education. Since college wasn't an option at the time, Denisa entered the workforce right out of high school. In her career she has worked in several industries and has always been most comfortable in an Accounting role.
In 2008, Denisa enrolled at Strayer University to attain a BS in Criminal Justice with concentration in Psychology and a minor in Accounting. In 2010, she was inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and was on the Dean's List regularly. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to complete her college education, but does hope to return to the classroom in the future.
Denisa lives in a small rural town and loves every aspect of living in the country, from working in the garden to gazing up at the stars at night. Her hobbies include searching for antiques, spending time with her children and baking. During the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Denisa started a home-based bakery and began selling to her town and surrounding towns. She now supplies the General Store with homemade cakes, pies, candy and fudge and has won the hearts, and stomachs, of all of her neighbors.
Job Titles:
- Funeral Director
- Faculty Member
Dr. Erin L. Wilcox has been a licensed funeral director and embalmer for nearly 15 years, during which time she has experience working in family-owned funeral homes, corporate-owned firms, and as a trade embalmer. Dr. Wilcox holds a PhD in Educational Research with an emphasis in Higher Education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and earned her Mortuary Science degree from Cypress College in Cypress, CA, Bachelor of Arts degree from Hastings College in Hastings, NE, and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE.. Erin has 8 years of teaching experience, and is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in California, Nebraska, and Washington.
Dr. Melissa Houston obtained her dual Bachelor's Degrees in Social Work and Sociology from St. Cloud State University. Dr. Houston has worked in retail, healthcare, social services agencies, roofing and construction, and education fields. She has owned 2 businesses and has created marketing strategies for several organizations. She has worked for several mental health agencies and nursing facilities as a mental health therapist and behavioral counselor, human resource director. After completing her certification in Behavior Analysis, she has taught in secondary education institutions and was an in-home therapist working with children and residential treatment programs. Dr. Houston then obtained her first Master's in Public Administration, non-profit management from DeVry University and completed a second Master's degree in Human Resource Management a few years later at DeVry University. Dr. Houston has been teaching for over a decade, beginning at secondary institutions including public, private and charter schools then progressing to post-secondary academic institutions and online instruction. Dr. Houston has worked for many academic institutions as adjunct faculty, department chair, curriculum designer, recruiter, advisor, campus director of a college on a Naval Base, a Dean for Online and Graduate Programs, Assistant Professor of Business, and Visiting Assistant Professor of Management. Dr. Houston completed her doctoral degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources at Northcentral University. Dr. Houston has published articles regarding the preparation of faculty at academic institutions and is interested in the training and development, as well as emergency management (disaster planning) issues relating to faculty, students and staff at academic institutions. Her current research interests include mentoring for faculty, and if automation and artificial intelligence will replace humans in the workplace by 2030. She enjoys teaching business administration, management, human resources, public administration and marketing.
Dr. Eubanks has held roles as a faculty member, externship coordinator, program director, and several years as an Academic Dean. He previously worked in the Healthcare industry as a practitioner and administrator. Additionally, he served in the U.S. Navy as a combat medic. Dr. Eubanks has earned degrees in Project Management, Curricular Design, and Educational Leadership. He is a Chicago native who enjoys traveling whenever he can with his wife who works in corporate compliance. Dr. and Mrs. Eubanks also love spending quality time with their senior beagle rescue: Gracie. They are both looking forward to being back in the Midwest after dodging alligators and hurricanes in Florida for the past several years.
Dr. Scott T. Barton is from San Diego, California. He has a Ph.D. in leadership from the University of the Rockies, a Master's Degree in Business Administration and Bachelor's Degree in Biology. He completed his Funeral Service Education Degree at Mt. Hood Community College. Dr. Barton has been a licensed Funeral Director since 2001 and is currently licensed in California. He is currently the Director of Anatomical Services at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
Dr. Tara Mashburn is a licensed chiropractor. She holds a Doctoral degree in Chiropractic and a Master's degree in Human Nutrition from Logan University. She also has a Master's degree of Business and a Bachelor degree in Kinesiology from Colorado Mesa University. Tara has been teaching online science classes since 2018. In her free time, she enjoys being outside gardening and hiking.
Elissa has her MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction from Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH and her BA in Human Services from Columbia College in Osage Beach, MO. She currently teaches English and Literature courses for several on-ground and online colleges. She has been teaching close to 3 years, both online and in-seat courses, and really loves the different atmosphere each one brings to the table. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading and working on her book that she hopes to finish one day soon.
Mr. Bridgewater entered the funeral service profession while attending Pikeville College in Kentucky, working full time at Baker Funeral Home. He is originally from Scottsburg, Indiana.
He graduated from Pikeville College with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and History and then attended the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science and was employed by Pearson Funeral Home in Louisville, Kentucky. After obtaining his Kentucky Funeral Directors and Embalmers license, he continued his working relationship with the funeral home until he had the opportunity to teach at the Kentucky School of Mortuary Science and in September of 1980 at Mid-America College of Funeral Service in Jeffersonville, Indiana for over 39 years. After retiring from the educational realm of the funeral industry in March of 2009, he became a Realtor working with his wife Joan. In January of 2012, he returned to Mid-America and is currently teaching Mortuary Law/Ethics, Business Law, Funeral Directing, Funeral Merchandising, Funeral Service Marketing and Operations, Small Business Management and Accounting.
Gary lives in Goshen, Kentucky and has been married for over 35 years to Joan Kline Bridgewater. They have 3 children and 6 grandchildren. He is also an avid sports fan and was a high school basketball official in Indiana and Kentucky for 25 years. He also enjoys working with his wife in her real estate business and going on cruises.
Haleh is a proven transformative leader and educator with more than 18 years of experience in building strong teams to achieve organizational effectiveness in diverse industries. Haleh started her career as an IT developer and later to a business executive in Fortune 500 companies such as Coca-Cola enterprises and Colgate-Palmolive, used her analytical and leadership skills to produce innovative corporate outcomes for various business industries. As the CEO of Surgical Serenity Solutions, she used her entrepreneurial and management skills to deliver successful business results. As an educator for over a decade, where her passion resides, she is using her strategic planning in academia to teach soft and hard skills, lead teams and departments, updates programs with student-centric perspective, and develop or update curriculums to be workforce relevant for the ultimate success of graduates.
Haleh received her B.S. in Business Administration and Computer Information Systems with a minor in Management from Central Missouri State University, an Executive MBA from Bellarmine University, and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Strategic Management with a focus on Information Technology at Sullivan University. She is the Co-Chair of University of Louisville Computer Science and Engineering Advisory Board, past chair of Network of Entrepreneurial Women, past Chair of World Affairs Council of Kentucky and Southern Indiana, and Executive Director of Interfaith Paths to Peace.
Jackie has her MA in Communication Management from Webster in Liberty, MO and her BA in Psychology and Communication from William Jewell College University in St. Louis, MO. She currently works as the Executive Director of the Christian Hospital Foundation in St. Louis, MO. She has four years of online teaching experience prior to her joining our faculty team.
Jake Smith is a Forensic Anthropologist and licensed embalmer and funeral director. He received his Associate Degree in Mortuary Science and Funeral Service in Virginia and has been in the funeral industry for more than 17 years. More recently, he received his Bachelor's and Master's degree in Anthropology at the University of Tennessee with a concentration in Biological and Forensic Anthropology and a graduate certificate in Disasters, Displacement, and Human Rights. Jake specializes in human decomposition and taphonomy and worked intricately within the Forensic Anthropology Center's Body Donation Program at The University of Tennessee. In addition to teaching forensic-specific courses, he teaches Anatomy and Physiology Labs, Cultural Anthropology, and Restorative Art II. Jake serves as expert witness in court for negligent embalming and mortuary litigation cases, has testified in forensic cold cases, and lectures for various groups nationally and internationally. Jake can be found embalming, teaching, or assisting with skeletal recoveries at a moment's notice and he enjoys research. Jake honorably served in the U.S. Navy during the first Gulf War and worked as a mechanic for many years before changing careers, and now holds embalmer/funeral director licensure in Virginia, Florida, and Tennessee. Jake enjoys life with his wife, their son, and their pups on a 10-acre farm raising chickens and gardening. In the near future, they hope to add honeybees into the mix. Jake is a Vol For Life.
Joseph Dawson lives in Louisville, Ky, and was born in Morehead, Kentucky. He has lived in Florida and North Carolina. Joseph has been in education for 30 years and taught adjunct courses for 13 years including teaching online. He is married to Laura. Hobbies include walking my dogs (German shepherd puppy and rat terrier) working out at a fitness center and watching Ohio State football and University of Kentucky basketball. He is currently a math teacher at the Jobcorps in Simpsonville, KY.
Kellie Jones was born in Indiana but spent much of her childhood and youth in California. She graduated from Morgan Hill High School before returning to Indiana, where Kellie received further education in Psychology from Indiana Wesleyan University. She hopes to pursue additional studies at IWU in 2023. Kellie enjoys a robust family life. She is married to her wonderful husband, the proud mother of two amazing kids and devoted owner of a loveable miniature Australian Shepherd. Her son is studying to become a doctor of anesthesiology. Her daughter is likewise in medicine and on track to become a nurse practitioner. When not at work, Kellie enjoys a variety of leisure activities, including yoga, sports and fishing or golfing with her husband.
Mallorie currently lives in Southern Indiana with her husband, son, and their tiny dog. Mallorie graduated from New Washington High School in 2004. She has had various careers throughout her life and continues to hold a Life & Health and P & C Insurance license as well as a Cosmetology license, Alcohol license and is a Notary Public. She is very involved with the National MS Society as she was diagnosed in 2017. Mallorie enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Mary is from the Saint Paul, MN and migrated to her current location in Madeira Beach, FL. She is an alumni of McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in NYC and the University of South Florida where she earned her MBA. She is a licensed funeral director/embalmer and has been in the funeral industry for over 18 years. She is a corporate trainer for the largest funeral home and cemetery organization. Her goal is to facilitate a learning environment in a creative, practical and energizing manner. She loves to travel with her better half, Egyptology, history, and the beach.
Matthew White was born and raised in Floyds Knobs, Indiana where he currently lives with his wife, 2 kids and 2 dogs. He received a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from Sullivan University in Louisville, KY.
Dr. Mitchell has considerable experience in higher education with twenty years in various roles including Instructor, Administrator, Dean and Academic Dean and Executive Director. He has presented at national conferences on articulation agreements and published his dissertation "A Stakeholders Approach on Retention: Using Emergenetics in the Classroom".
Dr. Mitchell became President of Mid-America College of Funeral Service on September 23, 2016.
He has a Doctorate of Philosophy in Strategic Management from Sullivan University. He also holds a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Managing Information Technology from Sullivan University.
Dr. Mitchell has perspective from outside academia as well, having served as an Engineer/Project Manager for both Capstone Engineering and Harshaw Trane. He is a proud military veteran, serving ten years in the United States Army as a Combat Engineer.
In 2009, Dr. Bauer received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Louisville. While finishing his Ph.D., Dr. Bauer served as Chemistry faculty at Vincennes University in Vincennes, Indiana, from 2006-2009. Upon completion, Dr. Bauer began working as Senior Research Scientist at Endoprotech, Inc., a Louisville-based small business specializing in liposome-based drug delivery systems. In addition, Dr Bauer was an adjunct professor at Bellarmine University in the Chemistry Department from 2016 to 2022.
Sarah Mirabal received her B.S. in Justice Administration with concentration in Forensic Anthropology in 2006 from the University of Louisville, her B.S,. in Mortuary Science in 2010 from Mid-America College of Funeral Service, and M.S. in Forensic Studies with concentration in Behavioral Analysis in 2015 from Florida Gulf Coast University. She is a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the states of Alabama and Kentucky. Mrs. Mirabal is a published author with compilations in Deviance: Theories on Behaviors that Defy Social Norms and Social Media & Exploited Sexual Behaviors: following the Yik Yak Hear. Teaching has been something that I have always wanted to do. Marrying education with experience is a wonderful relationship. Education sets the foundation for so many opportunities. Excited to be on the other side of the classroom experience and be able to listen, learn, and inform those that want to make funeral service their career. As a former Forensic Investigator in Florida I have been able to experience the death industry full circle. Applying my knowledge from the Forensic/Behavior side along with Mortuary Science has given me a unique outlook and experience that I am excited to share with you. I am from the beautiful state of Kentucky. I played basketball for the University of Louisville and still love to play in my free time. Christmas is my most favorite time of year and yes, I am the one that listens to Christmas music in July. I love spending time with family and friends and enjoying every moment of this life I have been blessed with.
Shaun has his MS degree in Justice Studies from Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH, and his BA in Criminal Justice from Columbia College in Osage Beach, MO.
He lives in Missouri with his wife, 3 kids, and their critters. He enjoys spending time with his family, riding his motorcycle, working on cars, and fishing. He has worked in several areas, from owning his own flooring business to being a police officer, pest technician, sales and finance manager, and teacher.
Stacy is from the Akron, Ohio area. She graduated Kent State University with BA in psychology. In 1998 she transplanted to Southern Indiana with her husband who grew up in the area. She has two sons, a stepdaughter, and 3 step-grandkids.
Taylor started her career in funeral service in Nebraska before relocating to Texas in 2011. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Hastings College with a B.A. in History and a minor in Religion. She was the valedictorian of the November 2012 class at the Dallas Institute of Funeral Service. Taylor worked for SCI from 2011 to 2020 where she held multiple positions including Funeral Director, Location Manager, and Office Manager. Taylor has a passion for serving families and has transferred that passion into educating future funeral directors. She has been an instructor with Pierce Colleges since 2019. In her spare time, Taylor enjoys hiking with her dogs, reading, and spending time with her family.
In addition to co-sponsoring the Epsilon Chapter of Pi Sigma Eta academic fraternity at Dallas Institute, Mrs. Dart has taught Human Anatomy, Business Law, Funeral Service Administration, Funeral Service Merchandising, Funeral Service Sociology, Funeral Service Management, Ethics, Small Business Management, Professional Communications, and has been a lab assistant for Restorative Art Lab. Her current focus is the Capstone Review course, which she teaches at all three Pierce Colleges.