Francis Marion University honored Deborah W. Hyler (’82) as its 2015 Outstanding Alumnus at the university’s annual Alumni Appreciation Dinner.
Hyler was one of four FMU alums honored at the Feb. 26 event held at the FMU Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence. Emily Brandenburg McMillan (’10) received the Benjamin Wall Ingram III Young Alumnus Award; Stacey Y. Brayboy (’94) received the Professional Industry Award in Public Service and Law; and Bradley A. Sponic (’04) received the Professional Industry Award in Education and Arts.
Hyler received a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from FMU in 1982. Hyler has been executive director of The School Foundation in Florence since 2006. During her leadership, The School Foundation has funded and awarded more than $900,000 in grants to local public schools. Hyler is an accomplished organizer with more than 20 years of experience in community-related activities. In 2014, she was the recipient of the Mary Dean Brewer Woman of Distinction award from the Girl Scouts of the Eastern South Carolina. She resides in Florence with her husband, Dr. Daniel Hyler ‘81. They have three children: Jonathan, Jennifer, and Julia.
McMillan received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from FMU in 2009 and is a third year law student at the University of South Carolina School of Law. After her spring 2015 graduation, she will work as an associate at Sweeney, Wingate & Barrow in the areas of estate planning and appellate advocacy. Emily and her husband, John, a 2013 FMU MBA graduate, reside in Columbia.
Brayboy received a Bachelor of Science in political science from FMU in 1984 and a master’s degree in public administration from Clark Atlanta University. She is chief of staff for the Food and Nutrition Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., where she manages the daily priorities of FNS. She resides in Washington, D.C. with her daughter, Madison Lilli Philhower Brayboy.
Sponic received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from FMU and a Master’s of Education from Walden University. He is expected to graduate with a Master’s in Education from Arkansas State University this spring. He has been employed by Florence School District I since 2008, where he teaches theatre arts in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program at Williams Middle School. Bradley resides in Florence.