Alumni News – September 2021

Jamella Foster ’17 has always had a passion for sport. Elementary and Middle School basketball and soccer rec league. Cross country in college. High school basketball, athletics, softball and recreational soccer. Four years as a member of the Roanoke College women’s basketball team – her final year as team captain.

Quite naturally, Foster, who holds a BA in Communication Studies from Roanoke and an MA in Communication Studies from Liberty University, turned to sports in his choice of career.

In August, Foster began working as a production assistant for ESPN’s “NFL Live”, her first assignment with ESPN Next, a leadership development program based on content production. The 18-month program provides young professionals with an opportunity to network with leaders, explore different areas of ESPN, and work with a diverse group of people.

As a production assistant based at ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut, “I will be creating content that will be broadcast on [NFL Live], operate the teleprompter and interact with analysts and team members to cover major NFL news, ”said Foster, whose work experience includes a stint as a communications assistant for the Washington football team. “Upon successful completion, I will move on to a Content Associate, which is the next step up from being a Production Assistant. “

The opportunity to create engaging and compelling content for viewers, and to work with “the best and brightest in the broadcasting industry,” is an exciting prospect, said Foster.

“My experience at Roanoke really gave me the foundation I needed to launch my career,” she said, noting the weekly WRKE radio show she hosted and the final year internship at the local NBC affiliate she obtained through the College’s Career Services office.

“And I was fortunate to be taught by world-class faculty in the communications department who shared their passion and knowledge about the broadcasting industry,” said Foster. “It really motivated me to use all the opportunities that were offered to me in Roanoke to make my dreams come true.”

Other news from alumni

Jacob Manthey ’13 is health policy director for private health plans and reimbursement at the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association in Rockville, Maryland.

The association supports more than 200,000 audiologists and speech language pathologists nationwide. Manthey holds a BBA from Roanoke, a Masters in Health Care Administration and an MBA from Marymount University.

Shena Sanchez ’08.

Shena Sanchez ’08, Ph.D. joined the faculty of the University of Alabama as an assistant professor of qualitative research. Sanchez’s academic interests include student identity and voice, education policy and leadership, and the socio-political contexts of schooling.

She is the founder of the Lavender Girls Project, a mentoring and research group for and with Black, Latin and Asian girls in Title I high schools who have experienced exclusion and academic discipline.

Sanchez holds a BA in English Literature from Roanoke, an M.Ed. in International Education Policy and Management from Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, and a Ph.D. in Education from the School of Education at UCLA.

David Nangle ’79.

David Nangle ’79 retired as Executive Vice President / President of Lincoln Electric – The Harris Products Group. Nangle joined Lincoln Electric, a global manufacturer of welding products headquartered in Euclid, Ohio, in 1979.

During a distinguished 42-year career with the company, he held various leadership roles in sales management before being appointed president of the company’s Harris Calorific subsidiary in 1999 and then president of the company’s retail subsidiary, WCTA LLC, in 2003 and chairman of JS Harris. Cie in 2005.

Nangle holds a BBA from Roanoke and an MBA from California State University, Fresno.

Amanda Nitto ’09 was named one of Charlotte, North Carolina’s 50 Most Powerful Women for 2021. The list, compiled by The Mecklenburg Times, honors women for their influence and leadership in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community.

Amanda Nitto ’09.

Nitto, a partner at Robinson Bradshaw law firm, is an active member of the Charlotte community, serving on the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance Board of Directors and the Mecklenburg County Smart Start Board of Directors.

Nitto holds a BA in Political Science from Roanoke and a JD from the University of South Carolina-Colombia.