The Carthage Independent School District Alumni Association is pleased to announce the 2012 inductees into the school districts Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame.

This years inductees are: Kay Lynn Vincent Brumbaugh, class of 1985; JoAnn Hooper Parker, class of 1964; and John Randall Randy Taylor, class of 1971.

The honorees and their families will enjoy a day of festivities at homecoming on October 12. CHS juniors and seniors will be inspired by the lives and accomplishments of these graduates at a school assembly. A reception and program will follow at 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, and everyone is invited. The honorees will be introduced and presented keys to the city during the Carthage Homecoming ceremonies at Bulldog Stadium.

Everyone is encouraged to attend the reception, the ballgame, and the homecoming activities.

JoAnn Hooper Parker is a dedicated businesswoman, community leader, and compassionate philanthropist. She graduated from Carthage High School in 1964 and has spent almost fifty years giving back to others.

The daughter of Carlene Carswell and Pierce Berdett Hooper and sister to Larry and Terry, JoAnn grew up in Deadwood. After graduation and marriage to Thomas Ronald Parker, she began her business career as an executive secretary in the Housing Supply Office for the U. S. Air Force in Sembach, Germany. Upon her return to the United States, she started the American Realty Mart of New Iberia, Louisiana, which she sold in 1977.

In 1981, JoAnn left the real estate field and started Pro-Log, Inc., an oilfield manufacturing, sales, and rental service company providing blast resistant portable buildings and specialized equipment to the oil industry. During her thirty years as company president, Pro-Log has grown and expanded with offices in several states.

Parker, with her daughter Heidi Parker Martin, opened Acacia Design and Desktop Publishing to handle design and marketing for her companies and a number of non-profit agencies. She also established and maintains Solimar EE, LLC, which provides specialty drilling mud products and services to the oil industry in the southern Rocky Mountains, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana.

In 2009, Hole Pluggers, LLC was founded with JoAnn as a partner and a member of the board of directors. This company worked with the LSU AgCenter to develop and patent the process of turning recycled plastic and cellulosic fibers into Tiger Bullets which can be used for lost circulation control in drilling oil and gas wells. This product was nominated for the prestigious Acadiana Innovation of the Year award in 2010 and has been in use internationally since 2011.

JoAnn returned to her early roots and, with her husband, established East of Eden Ranch in southwest Panola County where she has reintroduced native flora and fauna in cooperation with the Texas Wildlife and Fisheries Department. Exotic and endangered species of animals are protected and established on the 1,000 plus acres.

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Parker honored as distinguished alumni at CISD