Dancing with the Herd

Brandon Dennison is Ashley Dennison’s husband and father to their boys: Owen and Will. He currently serves as Vice President for Workforce and Economic Development at Marshall University. He holds a Ph.D. in Human and Community Development. Prior to joining the Marshall team, Brandon founded Coalfield Development where he still serves as Executive President. Coalfield Development works to build the Appalachian economy from the ground up. Brandon is leaning on Ashley’s beauty and charm to be competitive in this competition.

Ashley Dennison is a Maine native who loves the life she has built in West Virginia with her husband, Brandon. She holds a BS in Business Administration from High Point University and an MA in Humanities from Marshall University and has worked in multiple roles in the philanthropic/nonprofit sectors, as a RYT 500 yoga teacher, and as a substitute teacher for Cabell County Schools. Her most enjoyable and time-consuming job is taking care of their two sons, Owen and William. She is not at all worried that agreeing to participate in this was a mistake. She’s really not. It’s going to be amazing.

Dr. David Gozal is Vice President for Health Affairs at Marshall University and Dean of the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. An internationally recognized physician-scientist and leader in pediatric sleep medicine, David has devoted his career to advancing discovery, mentoring future physicians and scientists, and improving health around the world. Among his many international honors, he was made a Knight of the Order of Merit of Cameroon.

At Marshall, David is passionate about strengthening medical education, research, and opportunities for the next generation. Beyond medicine, his singular passion is the love of his life Elaine. Now, David is embracing a new challenge alongside Elaine: learning the bachata and discovering that sometimes the most memorable journeys begin with a single step.

Proudly Canadian, Elaine Gozal built more than two decades of her professional career in dentistry and sleep medicine in Canada before a new chapter brought her to West Virginia—where she quickly fell in love with its people, its mountains, and, quite literally, its country roads. Today, Elaine is the Dental Sleep Medicine Program Coordinator at Marshall Health Network, where she brings her clinical experience and passion for patient-centered care to expanding access to treatment for obstructive sleep apnea. She holds a Master of Science in Marketing from the University of Salford in Manchester, England, where her graduate research explored strategic approaches to advancing awareness and adoption of oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea, with particular interest in improving access for underserved communities.

Beyond their professional lives, Elaine and her husband, David, share a love of languages, travel and adventure. Together they speak several languages and can often be found scuba diving, stand-up paddle surfing, or horseback riding along the Appalachian trails. Most of all, they treasure their wonderfully big family: together they have seven children, ten grandchildren—and two very spoiled dachshunds, Taco and Beni, who happily complete the Gozal family.

Sydnee Smirl McElroy, MD, is a family physician with Valley Health Systems, medical director for Harmony House, and New York Times best-selling author. A Yeager alum and graduate of the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, she specializes in primary care, harm reduction, and expanding healthcare access for individuals experiencing homelessness. Alongside her clinical practice and community advocacy, she co-hosts the medical history podcast Sawbones. She lives in Huntington with her husband and two daughters.

Justin McElroy is an eight-time New York Times best-selling author, podcaster, and voice actor. He is known for lending his voice to projects like Trolls World Tour and Big City Greens, co-founding Polygon, and co-creating hit audio series including My Brother, My Brother and Me and The Adventure Zone. He is a proud graduate of Marshall University, where he earned his BFA in Acting and Directing. He is also a father to two kids, two cats, and a bearded dragon.

Seven women. One HERd. One goal. $12,000 for Marshall Women’s Athletics.

Meet The Starting Seven: Lesley Thomas, Jody Shy, Molly Fisher, Deja James, Emily Suter, Kylie Fisher, and Niesha Campbell — seven women with different backgrounds, talents, and connections to Marshall, coming together to dance for a purpose much bigger than themselves. Through Dancing with the Herd, The Starting Seven has set a goal to raise $12,000 to support all 12 of Marshall Athletics’ women’s programs and the continued work of the HERd Leadership Circle.

About the HERd Leadership Circle: The HERd Leadership Circle was created to Equip. Engage. Empower. Marshall women student-athletes by connecting them with women leaders, alumni, donors, and members of the community. Through mentorship, leadership development, professional networking, and meaningful relationship-building, the HERd Leadership Circle helps prepare women student-athletes for success during their time at Marshall and well beyond graduation. The program is built around the 3 Ps — Partner. Participate. Promote. — creating a community of women committed to investing in the next generation. $12,000 Supporting 12 Women’s Programs: Funds raised through Dancing with the Herd will help the HERd Leadership Circle support women across Marshall Athletics and enhance opportunities for student-athletes representing 12 women’s programs: Dance, Cheer, STUNT, Swimming & Diving, Softball, Women’s Golf, Women’s Tennis, Women’s Basketball, Volleyball, Women’s Soccer, Cross Country, and Track & Field.

The Woodlands Retirement Community is a locally owned, nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of older adults through exceptional housing, services, and compassionate care. Founded on a simple idea: every older adult deserves the opportunity to live with dignity, purpose, and peace of mind. For more than 30 years, the Woodlands has remained committed to creating a welcoming, vibrant community where residents can live with dignity, independence, purpose, and joy. Now, the Woodlands community is bringing that same spirit of connection and community to the dance floor. Their team will take the stage at Dancing with the Herd to showcase their moves, have some fun, and raise funds in support of Marshall for All.