2023 Alumni Award Recipients

LeClare (Litch) Litchfield grew up in Maryland and graduated from Takoma Academy. He attended Columbia Union College, then Southern Missionary College, where he majored in accounting before earning his degree in social work. While there, he got to know Professor Ed Lamb, who became a lifelong mentor and friend.

A scrap of paper on the dorm’s bulletin board, which sought potential student missionaries in England, led to a life change. Litch answered this invitation and went with 11 fellow Southern students to work in England with Pastor Mike Stickland. The group performed varied outreach activities, such as stop-smoking programs, door-to-door work, an evangelistic series, and a coffeehouse ministry. This experience transformed Litch’s faith into a personal relationship with Christ and inspired him to become a pastor.

After earning a theology degree at Newbold College, Litch pastored the Exeter then Southampton churches before returning to the United States to work at Pine Tree Academy in Maine. He then moved back to the South, first as chaplain at Georgia-Cumberland Academy (seven years), then as pastor at Knoxville First Church (five years), then as chaplain at Collegedale Academy (16 years). After an early retirement, he returned to work part-time on the pastoral staff at Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists, where his ministry emphasis is Bible studies with young people and pastoral visitation. Throughout Litch’s ministry, he has loved giving Weeks of Prayer and speaking at camp meetings across the States, as well as in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and the Philippines. He spent time every day during those events visiting with people individually, as well.

In 1976, Litch married Shelly Jennings (attended), and they have enjoyed doing ministry together. Their most rewarding experience has been growing a family. Two teenage foster daughters (sisters Jody and Brenda Ballard) lived with them at GCA and still call them Mom and Dad. Their sons Ryan Litchfield, ’08, and Adam Litchfield, ’10, were born while at GCA, and their adopted daughter, Candace Litchfield, joined their family at age 17 while they lived in Collegedale. The Litchfields’ five grandchildren are the source of much pride and joy.

Pastor Leslie D. Louis was born to missionary parents from India on the island of Ceylon (known today as Sri Lanka), where he spent most of his boyhood days. He holds a BA in Religion from Southern Missionary College, along with an MA in Education from Andrews University. He has served in five conferences in North America including Florida, Ohio, Kentucky-Tennessee, Gulf States, and Carolina. His 50 years of service for the Seventh-day Adventist Church include being a classroom teacher, elementary school and academy principal, superintendent of education, pastor, and conference vice president and president.

Pastor Louis was elected to serve as the 37th president of the Carolina Conference of Seventh-day Adventists in 2011 and has been re-elected for a second and third term, which ends in August 2027. During this time, he has served on the Board of Trustees for Southern Adventist University and currently serves on both the Governance and Spiritual Life committees for the university.

Leslie is married to Carole (Dendy) (attended), who is truly the love of his life. They met while they were both students at Southern Missionary College and will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in December 2023.They have two children, Christopher, ’01, and Catherine, ’02, and three granddaughters: Isla, 12; Rosalind, 11; and Eloise, 7.

Leslie enjoys traveling, photography, camping, biking, and reading as leisure activities. He has had the opportunity to travel and visit countries on six continents. The greatest passions of his heart are to preach and share Christ through evangelism, prayer, and witnessing.

Lauren Hall is president and CEO of First Things First, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. For 26 years, First Things First has made an impact by helping families start and stay strong.

After graduating from Southern Adventist University in 2013 with a BS in Mass Communications, Lauren began a career in marketing and advertising. Eventually she worked her way up to become head of production at The Johnson Group, an agency best known for its long-term partnerships with The Krystal Company, Cracker Barrel, Mapco, and Erlanger Hospital.

In 2015, Lauren received an opportunity to transition her career to the nonprofit sector by joining First Things First as director of marketing. In this position, she helped the organization develop and implement a strategy that not only served the local community, but impacted families internationally through digital avenues, social media, and strategic email campaigns. In September of 2021, she assumed her current role as president and CEO of First Things First. She has the privilege of writing a weekly column for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, representing the Chattanooga Nonprofit Alliance, and serving on the Juvenile Commission for the Hamilton County Juvenile Court.

Born and raised in Chattanooga, she currently lives in the downtown area with her husband Daniel; their 4-year-old son, Strider; their 3-month-old daughter, Larkin; and their sweet rescue puppy, Ida Mae.

Lauren is grateful that the Lord has provided her with the opportunity to serve Him and the community she loves by providing resources that guide people in their relationships.

After earning his bachelor’s in theology, Bradford felt called to pursue a master’s degree in school counseling. He was inspired by a former associate pastor at his home church in Duluth, Georgia. Pastor Gary would visit with students at lunch and took the time to get to know them. Bradford wanted to be like him, to dedicate his time to serving students on a daily basis. He credits his professors in the School of Education and Psychology for helping him to discover this passion. Though he never expected to major in theology and school counseling, it turned out to be the perfect combination for his time at Southern.

Since 2019, Bradford has been serving as an elementary school counselor with Hamilton County Schools. He teaches regularly on mental health, feelings and emotions, and character traits. He runs small groups that provide students with an opportunity to share their thoughts, learn from each other, and cling to a sense of belonging. For him, the best part of a school day is when he can sit down with students for lunch or catch up with them on the swings at recess.

Bradford is also the team lead for Table Talk, a Sabbath School class for grades 5-8 at Crosswalk Church in Chattanooga. He’s been teaching there for four years, and Table Talk is the cherry on top of his week. He loves to go from engaging with 500-plus students at his school to a single class at church that has grown from five kids to a group of almost 30. They dig deep into the Bible, and it is clear to Bradford that the Holy Spirit is guiding their conversations.

“If I am known for anything since graduating from Southern, it is for helping children understand the importance of mental health and a careful reading of the Bible,” says Bradford. “Again, I never expected to major in school counseling, but I wouldn’t change a thing. God has taken me on a journey that has introduced me to little smiling faces I hope to know for all eternity.”

In 1972 Linda Marlowe moved to Collegedale to begin what she thought would be a four-year employment at Southern’s School of Nursing while her husband, Jim, ’76, attended Southern Missionary College. Little did she know that Jim would spend his teaching career in the Hamilton County School System and that her four years at Southern would turn into 41.

Linda had previously graduated from Knoxville Business College and enjoyed a banking career. She later graduated from Southern Adventist University with a BA in English.

Linda describes her years at Southern as more than she could have imagined. She loved working in an environment where she could share her faith openly. She states that somewhere along the way she realized it was not just a job, but a ministry. That made all the difference. She considers herself a cheerleader—first in high school as a Sunbright tiger, then throughout her life. Her greatest pleasure is fostering others to achieve and be what God intends for them. She is described as beaming with joy whenever her students reached their goals of graduating and becoming RNs or starting their marriages, careers, and families. She expressed the same joy as faculty received their masters and doctorates. Sometimes asked why she could stay with one employer for so long, she replies, “Every day is different; new prospective students and their families, current students, faculty, staff, and alumni are in my office.” It is through interaction with others that Linda gains her energy and drive to explore ways to help others maximize their potential.

Recruiting and visiting academies throughout the United States and Canada was a part of Linda’s position as the admissions and progressions coordinator for the School of Nursing. These visits helped her to connect with students, providing them a contact person prior to arriving on campus. She served on numerous university committees, her favorite being the Employee Events Committee, which she chaired for many years and continues to serve on as a Lights Volunteer. Linda was asked to join the Preparing to Meet the Firms Committee and was the business etiquette and dining presenter. Again, she found it rewarding to see students gain confidence as they develop skills needed for entering the corporate world. She has also shared this passion with church and community groups.

Linda’s service to the church includes ministry as a children’s Sabbath school leader, Vacation Bible School volunteer, Sabbath school superintendent, deaconess, and First Impressions Ministry leader.

Jim and Linda thank God for their almost 55 years of marriage and are involved in one another’s activities and volunteerism. Both are Southern Lights Volunteers. Thirty-five years ago, when j.i.m. Marlowe Photography was launched, Linda assisted her husband with this pursuit. They enjoy spending time with family and friends and their cat, Ebony; hiking; studying the Bible; and just being together.