Three outstanding graduates of the Springfield City School District have been selected to receive recognition by the Alumni of Distinction Award Steering Committee, according to Chairman James W. Bacon.
2025 Alumni to be honored:
Deanna (Addis) Brougher of Springfield, Ohio, graduate of North High—Class of 1978
Monica (Emmons) Ewing of Atlanta, Georgia, graduate of
South High—Class of 1980
Jeremy Flack, of Phoenix, Arizona, graduate of North
High—Class of 1988.
Deanna (Addis) Brougher, of Springfield, Ohio, graduate of North High—Class of 1978
Deanna earned academic and athletic scholarships to study and play tennis at Eastern Kentucky University where she earned her B.A. degree with an emphasis in finance and insurance and earned her MBA from The Ohio State University.
Deanna worked in Strategic Planning at Nationwide Insurance Company while she completed her Certified Life Underwriter designation. She managed her father’s dental practice while raising her family and later managed the Chi Omega House at Wittenberg University.
Deanna coached both the boys’ and girls’ tennis teams at South High School and Springfield High School. Her love of tennis inspired her to pursue her USTA and ITA (collegiate) tennis officiating certificate.
Deanna is very involved in many Springfield community organizations: Junior Service League, Springfield Regional Hospital Board, Ridgewood School, Ferncliff Funeral Home and Ferncliff Cemetery, Wittenberg Guild, United Way Campaign Committee, High Street United Methodist Church, Snowhill School Boosters, Springfield Thunder Soccer Club, Springfield Area Tennis Association.
She participated in two successful school levy campaigns as well as the Springfield Income Tax Levy Committee. She served on committees of the Mercy Gala, Westcott Gala and the Heritage Center Gala.
She is an active volunteer for Rotary Food Truck event, Field of Dreams Soccer, and annual Rotary Children with Disabilities Christmas Party. Deanna volunteers the Open Hands Food Pantry and participates as a member of the Oral Health Coalition.
Monica Emmons Ewing, of Atlanta, Georgia, South High School graduate—Class of 1980
Monica earned her Bachelor of Arts from Georgia State University and her Juris Doctorate from Emory University School of Law. Monica is the Chief Municipal Court Judge in several Atlanta courts. She has practiced law for 33 years, specializing in multi-media law.
As a top entertainment attorney, prominent magazines such as People, Billboard, and Newsweek have called on her for contributions. Monica volunteered as a Judicial Officer in Stand Down Court, a program that assists homeless veterans with outstanding warrants and misdemeanor charges.
These one to three-day events provide food, clothing, and health screenings. Veterans also receive housing solutions, employment, substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling, and essential services. Monica serves on the advisory board of True Colors Theatre Company, which celebrates the rich tradition of Black storytelling.
She is also a board member of the South Fulton Bar Association, a member of the American Society for Bioethics & Humanities and a volunteer instructor at the Institute of Continuing Judicial Education.
Jeremy Flack, of Phoenix, Arizona, graduate of North High—Class of 1988.
Jeremy Flack is the Founder and CEO of Flack Global Metals (FGM), a company built to change the way steel is bought and sold in America. FGM provides a unified solution for metal supply and financial stability through integrated distribution, risk management, and market intelligence. By combining physical steel transactions with financial tools, Jeremy has positioned FGM as an industry leader in delivering certainty in an unpredictable market.
With a rare combination of financial expertise and deep metals industry knowledge, Jeremy has been a driving force in advocating for risk management strategies to navigate pricing volatility. He began his career in commercial banking with PNC Bank, where he first engaged with the steel sector. He later served as CFO of a manufacturing business, gaining firsthand insight into the impact of raw material costs on financial stability.
In 1998, he transitioned into steel distribution, rising to part owner in 2006 and President in 2009. Jeremy founded Flack Steel in 2010, which became Flack Global Metals in 2017. Today, Flack Global Metals is an industrial manufacturing, distribution, and capital markets firm specializing in the buying, selling, trading, and investing of flat-rolled steel.
The twentieth annual Springfield City School District “Alumni of Distinction Award” program is scheduled Friday, April 25, 2025, at 5:30 PM with a social time and 6:00 PM dinner, at the Courtyard by Marriott – Downtown Springfield, 100 South Fountain Avenue, according to the Committee Chairman James W. Bacon.
Prepaid reservations are required by April 17 to attend the dinner and awards presentation. The event is open to the public and anyone interested can make reservations at a meal cost of $34 per person. For reservation information, call Sherry Casto at (937) 505-2806. Reservation requests can also be mailed to the Alumni of Distinction Award Committee, 700South Limestone Street, Springfield, OH 45505. Checks should be made out to Springfield City School District, marked in the memo: Alumni Award Dinner and postmarked by April 17 in order to guarantee seating.
The Alumni activities are made possible through contributions from local businesses and individuals, Mr. Bacon emphasized.
The Alumni of Distinction Award program was established in 2005 by the Springfield Board of Education to recognize former students who have distinguished themselves through exemplary professional success and/or community service. In addition to James Bacon, the Alumni of Distinction Committee also includes Elena Ackerson, W. Eugene Barnett, Jr., Joan Elder, Wendy Ford, Bonita Longo, Jim Rolfes, Richard Umbaugh, and Springfield City School District Superintendent Robert F. Hill.