Ever since returning to Tallahassee after graduating law school at the University Florida, Jennifer Parker LaVia has asserted herself into the Tallahassee law and general community like few others. From practicing trial law, to being a published author, to assisting with countless volunteer initiatives involving the Tallahassee community, LaVia has made it a priority to help those in need.  LaVia founded the Kearney Center legal clinic, where she volunteered from 2012-2017, and then joined Mobile Law for All as a volunteer lawyer in 2018. Currently, in addition to her legal volunteer efforts, LaVia opened her own office, LaVia Law P.A., which operates as a low bono firm providing access to affordable legal services for those are ineligible for legal aid but cannot afford full-price legal services. For seven years, LaVia served as an active board for Kid Incorporated of the Big Bend. She was also a member of the Foundation for Partnerships in Correctional Excellence from 1999 to 2001. Additionally, LaVia was involved with Boys Town of North Florida in multiple different roles, as well as St. Stephen Lutheran Church. She is also a former board member here at Maclay School.

The 2018 Distinguished Alumnus honoree is 1988 Maclay graduate Mary Shovlain.  After Mary finished her education at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross where she received a licentiate degree in theology and graduated Summa Cum Laude she did extensive work with Vatican Radio, providing live coverage of the Pope’s international trips and Vatican events.  Mary created television and radio programs from the Eternal City and also collaborated on projects that have aired on the History Channel, National Geographic, and PBS.  She also hosted her own program, The Vatican Report with Mary Shovlain, on SIRIUS XM’s The Catholic Channel.  This weekly radio program focused on the activities of Pope Francis and explored Vatican news headlines with experts and Vatican officials. Beginning in 2015, she served as a correspondent and producer for EWTN News Nightly and works as a liaison with members of the press and opinion makers in Rome regarding the policies of the American government.

Dr. Deryk Jones (’82) attended Emory University and The Stanford University School of Medicine where he received his Doctorate of Medicine. He then completed his residency at the Harvard Combined program and was selected as Chief Resident at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Later, he completed his fellowship training in Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and then joined the staff of the Tulane University School of Medicine. Today, he is ranked in the top 1% in the field of Sports Medicine and Orthopedic and provides medical care for numerous college and high school athletes along with serving as the team physician for the New Orleans Saints NFL team and the New Orleans Pelicans NBA team.

Lawton Langford is a 1975 graduate of Maclay School.  He has served in various leadership positions including Maclay’s Chairman of the Board from 2002-04, and Chair of the Trustee committee for the $2.5 million Building of Excellence capital campaign in 2004. Most recently, he and his wife Beth participated in the iTHINK campaign for the creation of the Beck Family Research Center and Beck Family Innovation Center.  Langford was President and CEO of Municipal Code Corporation (Municode),  a leader in publishing (electronic and hard copy) loose-leaf documents. His civic involvement included serving as Chairman of the Young Presidents Organization, Tallahassee Community College Board of Trustees, the Seminole Boosters, Inc. and the United Way campaign for eight counties; and as director for Tall Timbers Research Station, the Community Foundation of North Florida, FSU’s School of Information Studies and Strozier Library’s Advisory Boards and Goodwill. Langford’s continued support and leadership has been invaluable to the growth and direction of Maclay School over many decades.