Lett er From The Publisher Life
PUBLISHER
The Bingham Group
President
Lisa Atkins Bingham
Art Director
Brett Hawkins
Graphic Designer
Ashley Singleton
Brett Hawkins
Lisa Atkins Bingham
Contributing Writers
Amanda Howerton
CeCe Owens
Gayle Fisher
Jennifer Porterfield
Seth Sumner
Contributing Photographers
Brett Hawkins
Gayle Fisher
Lisa Atkins Bingham
Robert Burleson
Advertising Sales
Mignonne Alman
Tel: 865.523.5999
mignonne@binghamgroup.com
Chris McLaren
Tel: 865.523.5999
chris@binghamgroup.com
Subscription or Editorial Inquiries
Tel: 865.523.5999
www.mcminnlife.com
The Bingham Group, Inc.
11921 Kingston Pike, Suite 201
Knoxville, Tennessee 37934
www.binghamgroup.com
www.mcminnlife.com
Mignonne and Jack Alman
Summer has arrived with it’s usual school break, hot temperatures and days at the pool. Those are the
childhood memories that I cherish, there is something special about being in school with someone for
14 years-summers of your life. My lifelong friend, Lee Grant Johnson, we worked together as lifeguards
at the Madisonville pool, was a special person, always smiling. Lee was a member of the Old Guard,
a prestigious division of the US Army. Chosen by and serving under President Ronald Reagan, Lee’s
family will tell you that Reagan knew him by name! I wanted to honor to remember my lifelong friend
in this issue and Lee received his ultimate healing from cancer. He will be greatly missed!
The Bingham Group at Brushy
Mountain State Penitentiary,
CeCe Owens and Lisa Bingham
in James Earl Ray's Cell!
Memories are precious, I have a lifetime of them on the campus of Hiwassee
College. From events to education to fundraisers, it has been a common thread
in the fabric of my life. We share the heartbreak of this historical place closing, but
unite in hope that something wonderful will take up residence on the beautiful
grounds. Many thanks to Dr. Robin Tricoli of Hiwassee and Dr. Harley Knowles
of Tennessee Wesleyan for their continued work to ease this transition for all. We will
continue to share in future issue about the incredible acts of the faculty and staff of
Tennessee Wesleyan as they have truly “stepped it up” to help all affected by the closing.
In this issue, we share about traveling Back to Brushy Mountain and experiencing
the re-opening of the prison as a tourist attraction. I highly recommend visiting
and touring the infamous facility, which are guided by former prison guards and
even former inmates. We give you plenty of festivals and destinations for a summer
packed with fun.
It is a pleasure, joy and continued honor to share stories about the people, places
and things that make East Tennessee so amazing. We share about one of those
special people, Wes Stowers, who brought his family to East Tennessee following a
12 year career as a Fighter Pilot with the United States Air Force. He shares about
working alongside his father in business, navigating the 2008 Recession, and being
a good steward. Wes is the first in our profile series of the businessmen and women
rising from great challenges. So many valuable lessons can be learned from each
of them.
I want to close my letter by sharing about Jack Alman. He wrote many stories for us,
considered himself my personal driver and would jump on his motorcycle to run
packages anywhere needed, anytime. He was about giving back, serving as a SCAN volunteer, was a
part of Rolling Thunder, played the bugle at countless funerals and was a proud U.S. Army Veteran.
At 75, he beat cancer, had two brain surgeries and lived the next 6 years to the fullest with the love
of his life, Mignonne. We Salute & Miss You Jack!
Congratulations to the TWU Baseball Team on winning their second national championship. Way to
go Bulldogs! We look forward to sharing more about the students, faculty and history of Tennessee
Wesleyan University in the coming McMinn Life Magazines. Enjoy all the wonderful stories in this
issue and get out this summer, make some memories and enjoy time with loved ones. Wishing you a
spectacular summer.
Lisa Atkins-Bingham
President of The Bingham Group,
Publisher of Farragut, Monroe & McMinn Life Magazines
6 McMINN LIFE SUMMER 2019
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