DA A Will Honor Best and Brightest June 15
Distinguished Alumni Honorees
The University of Memphis Alumni Association will honor five of their best and brightest at the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Awards Friday, June 15, in the University Center.
Distinguished Alumni Honorees Include: CHARLES BURKETT (BBA ’73) is chairman of the First Tennessee Foundation. He is a former president of banking for First Tennessee/First National Horizon Corp. Burkett has served as an adviser to UofM President M. David Rudd and interim President Brad Martin. Along with his wife Judy, he chaired the successful Empowering the Dream Centennial Campaign. The campaign raised more than $256 million toward funding scholarships, new educational facilities, faculty and research, among other initiatives. ROOSEVELT COUNCIL JR. (BBA ’87) was named general manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in January 2017. As the leader of the world’s busiest airport, he oversees airport operations as well as a multibilliondollar capital improvement program that will pave the way for growth over the next 20 years. Previously, he was the airport deputy general manager and chief financial officer. In that role, he directed all accounting, budgeting, financial analysis and forecasting, procurement and treasury operations at the Airport. Council has more than 25 years of experience as a financial professional in public accounting, communications, transportation logistics and the public sector. He joined the city of Atlanta in 2009 as budget and fiscal policy chief and later served as deputy chief financial officer. EMILY GREER (EMBA ’06) is chief administrative officer for ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, where she is responsible for leading the day-to-day administrative operations for ALSAC and serves as the No. 2 executive behind the chief executive officer. During her 25-year tenure with ALSAC, Greer has served in various management roles, including senior vice president of Human Resources and chief of staff prior to becoming CAO. She serves on a number of community
CHARLES BURKETT
boards, including the Greater Memphis Chamber and the Memphis Medical District Collaborative. Greer was a board member for the Ronald McDonald House of Memphis and was on the transition team for Memphis Mayor-elect Jim Strickland in 2015. She is the wife of longtime WMC-TV sportscaster Jarvis Greer (BA ’79). JAMIE MCMAHAN (BS ’65) studied mathematics and fine arts at the UofM. The celebrated portrait artist works from photographs and personal impressions to bring his subjects to life in colorful oil paintings. Last year he completed a portrait of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, commissioned by her alma mater, Yale Law School. Over the past 35 years he has painted many judges, politicians and university presidents, including UofM presidents Andrew A. Kincannon, Cecil C. Humphreys, Thomas Carpenter, Billy Mac Jones, V. Lane Rawlins and Shirley Raines. McMahan played on the Tiger basketball team from 1962-1965, participating in the National Invitational Tournament in New York’s Madison Square Garden. KEVIN BROOKS (BA ’16) is an awardwinning filmmaker who received the Dean’s Creative Achievement Award in the UofM’s film program. In 2016, he was selected as one of the top five filmmakers from around the world to be a part of Sundance Film Festival’s Ignite Program, which is aimed at developing new voices in the next generation of filmmakers. He was accepted two years in a row by NFFTY (National Film Festival for The Youth), a festival for the top upcoming filmmakers ages 18-24. In 2017, Brooks was selected as a semifinalist for the Warner Bros. Emerging Film Director’s Workshop. He is the youngest member to ever hold a position on the Shelby County Film Commission board. He is currently a part of the Indie Memphis Youth Initiative Program, a program that is geared toward helping and mentoring youth about filmmaking.
ROOSEVELT COUNCIL JR.
EMILY GREER
JAMIE MCMAHAN
KEVIN BROOKS
For tickets or more information, visit alumni.memphis. edu/daa2018 or email alumniassociation@memphis.edu. SPRING 2018 |
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