Meet Your Alumni Team!
In Our Office
Tammy Cessna, Director of Alumni and Church Relations, is a graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary and spends her days at Asbury loving on the alumni community. She has three grown kids and a fuzzy dog, not to mention a great sense of fashion. The best thing about Tammy is her generosity and gentle spirit. If she can create joy, she does it without hesitation. And if you need a back rub, Tammy is the one to go to. Tammy’s work takes her far and wide, working both from the States and abroad to create connections in the global Church and lend support to our phenomenal alumni all over the world.
Patricia Taylor, Coordinator of Alumni and Church Relations, is brand new to the Alumni Office. A native of southern Georgia, she has been an editor, writer, domestic violence victims’ advocate, and has a deep-seated passion for prayer ministry. Prior to joining the Alumni team, she worked as an editorial assistant in online publishing through Asbury’s own Seedbed.com. She is the mother of a phenomenal young man who is currently in high school. She is a wordsmith and a master of logistics. Always willing to be a listening ear, her passion is in caring for the souls of God’s precious ones. She is energized by working with people and serving the community that has given so much to her.
Hannah Hutchinson, Alumni Office Student Support, is beginning her second year as a Master of Divinity student. She is newly married and enjoys taking classes with her husband, Nathan. Hannah and her husband are both candidates for ordination in the United Methodist Church. She loves being an active part of the Asbury community and working for and with Asbury’s alumni. Hannah is from a small town in Mississippi and most recently lived in Birmingham, Alabama. She likes going on road trips, exercising, being outside, and spending time with friends and family.
On The Road
Dexter Porter, Alumni Ambassador, is a 1976 graduate of Asbury Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity degree. He worked full-time for the seminary for thirty-seven years in the finance department and as Asbury’s representative for the Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce. He also serves as Treasurer for the Martha R. Jones Foundation for Health Education, Inc. and the Foundation for United Methodists, Inc. These two non-profit organizations directly support the ministry of Asbury Theological Seminary. Dexter enjoys worshiping at Wilmore Free Methodist Church, where he serves as chair of the Finance Team. Dexter enjoys gardening, working on vehicles, and traveling with family and friends. He and his wife, Dickie Lee, have three adult married children and four wonderful grandchildren.
Dale Shunk, Alumni Ambassador, hails from Pennsylvania, where he served for 40 years as a pastor in the Western PA Conference of the United Methodist Church. He graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary with his Master of Divinity degree in 1977 and founded two mission outreaches, served 10 years as the Conference Secretary of Global Ministries and was elected 2 times as delegate to General Conference. He retired and moved to Wilmore, Kentucky with his wife, Annabelle, in 2015 to be near their grandchildren. Dale enjoys astronomy, photography, computers, camping, writing and teaching on the intersection of Faith and Science.
Our Ambassadors’ main focus is to minister to alumni. These alumni relationships help produce prospective students, potential guests to Asbury Theological Seminary events, and create general goodwill between the seminary and our alumni.
Dale, Congratulations on the retirement, enjoying grands, and Wilmore! Many blessings! Tom