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Alumni Hall of Fame

Class of 2021

Dot Philis

Dorothea (Dot) Phillis, Class of 1981- attended Kent State University and Stark Technical College where she graduated in 1990 with a Physical Therapy Assistant degree with distinction. From there she has worked as a Licenced Physical Therapist Assistant for over 30 years in Florence and Hilton Head SC along with Savannah GA and multiple locations in Ohio. Dot earned 11 varsity letters while competing in three sports, volleyball, basketball and track. In volleyball she played on two Sectional Championship teams and two District runners-up teams and was selected an All Area player 3 times while breaking 2 school records. In Dot’s basketball career she was first team All-Area and MVC two times. During this time, Dot broke three school records, points per game (twice) and the single game scoring record. She also became the school’s first girl to score 1,000 points in her career. Dot’s track career was equally impressive. Dot broke both the shot put and discus records during her time at West Branch. She was first team MVC (Mahoning Valley Conference) in the shot put and discus multiple times along with All Area. Dot went on to attend Kent State University where she walked on and made the basketball team and earned a varsity letter.  While on the team at Kent State she played in the first ever NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball tournament in 1982. Dot would like to thank everyone for giving her the honor of joining this special group of individuals. Dot currently resides in Alliance Ohio.

James Bailey

James Bailey, Class of 1999- is the son of Mike and Debra Bailey. James earned 3 varsity letters in both football and baseball and was named a team captain.. During his time on the football team he was named to the Mahoning Valley Coaches Association All Star team. He was also named First Team N.B.C. and Lineman of the year. James was also a member of the 1998 NBC Championship team that competed in the State Semi-finals. While on the baseball team James was named NBC second team and a Mahoning County All-Star. He was a member of the 1997 NBC Championship team. James was a member of the National Honor Society, graduated in the top 10% of his class and was the recipient of the Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award.  James graduated in 2003 from Kent State University where he earned his BBA in Finance along with a Master of Science in Financial Engineering in 2004. While attending Kent State he was Homecoming King,  a Student Ambassador and earned numerous Scholarships and Student Leader Awards. James currently serves as a Senior Vice President, Managing Director @ PNC Bank.  Along the way he has served as:

  • Board President, Kent State University Alumni Association
  • Kent State University Foundation Investment Committee Chair
  • CFA Institute Presidents Council Representative Midwest US
  • CFA Society Cleveland President 2013
  • Adjunct Finance Faculty at Cleveland State
  • Kent State Department of Finance Advisory Board Member
  • Helped launch Golden Flash Asset Management, a student managed investment fund in 2017 that manages a portion of Kent State University Foundation’s assets. James and his wife, Kelly,(formerly Martig a 2000 WB graduate) reside in Hudson, Ohio with their three children Emma, Anna, and Bryce.
Mike Brown

Mike Brown, Class of 1975- earned three letters in football and was named to the Mahoning Valley Conference All-Star team as a senior. He earned two letters in track and was a member of the school’s 880-relay team, which set a Mahoning Valley Conference record which stood for many years. He was also a state alternate in track in the 440-yard dash his senior year. Mike’s post secondary education includes the Sharon, Pennsylvania School of Broadcasting, Kent State University, Mount Union College and Colorado Tech. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. Mike was a sports writer and later sports editor of The Alliance Review for 40 years. During that time, Mike won countless Associated Press writing awards and his Sports Department was named Best Daily Sports Section in Ohio on many occasions. In 1985, Mike wrote an article in The Alliance Review stating West Branch should name its football stadium for Clinton Heacock, the first superintendent of West Branch Schools and an avid supporter of its athletic programs. The West Branch Booster Club and School Board loved the idea, and on Sept. 6, 1985, West Branch Stadium became Clinton Heacock Stadium. Mike said he takes much pride in that article, because his dream for Clinton Heacock came true. In retirement, Mike works part-time covering sports for the Lisbon Morning Journal, Salem News, East Liverpool Review and Alliance Review. He has also worked for the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns and currently works for The Ohio State University football program. In 2018, Mike was inducted into The Ohio Prep Sports Writers Hall of Fame and he is also a member of the Alliance Top Gun Hall of Fame. In 2018, the Ohio Senate recognized Mike with a proclamation as one of the state’s outstanding citizens. Mike and his wife, Maryann, who is a travel nurse, reside in Homeworth, Ohio half the year and at their second home in Winter Haven, Florida the other half of the year. They are members of the Alliance Friends Church and have three grown sons, who all participated in sports at West Branch, including Eric, Ryan and Jeremy Brown.

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