Black Alumni Society to Present Awards During 2013 Reunion Banquet

The Black Alumni Society of the Arkansas Alumni Association will host its 11^th reunion, themed “Think Back, Look Back, Come Back, Give Back” on April 19-21. The reunion is filled with events for all ages, including a scholarship golf tournament, welcome reception, Neo-Soul Lounge, an Old School After Party and the awards banquet. To see a full listing of events, register or purchase a table at the awards banquet, visit www.arkansasalumni.org/BAS2013.

During the banquet, nine individuals will be honored for their personal and professional achievements in the following categories. Read their full bios at www.arkansasalumni.org/BAS2013.

Citation of Distinguished Alumni

Ronald L. Rainey, B.S.A.’91, M.S.’93, Ph.D.’01 – Rainey is a professor with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture in Little Rock. He currently works as an economist within the agriculture economics and agribusiness department. He has worked with the university for almost 20 years. He is the past president of the U of A Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences Alumni Society; Capital Chapter, the second largest alumni chapter; and the Arkansas Alumni Association’s National Board, ex-officio.

Ritche Manley Bowden, B.S.I.E.’86 – Bowden is a retired administrator for the Mid-South Gastroenterology Clinic and Outpatient Ambulatory Surgery Center. Continuing her thirst for knowledge, she then received her Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in health care economics from the University of Memphis. Bowden has used her education and wisdom to make a strong impact in the local and professional community, serving in several different expert leadership capacities including chief operating officer of Colonies of Memphis and the Bowden Point Group. Additionally, Bowden shows her love for the University of Arkansas campus through her work with the Arkansas Alumni Association National Board of Directors and the Black Alumni Society.

Col. Dennis O. May, U.S. Air Force (retired), B.S.P.A.’82 – May is the director, Veteran Employment Services Office, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He guides the VESO staff in expanding and enhancing recruitment efforts to increase the percentage of veterans in the VA’s workforce, reduce voluntary turnover by providing career development support and to support our military service members by enhancing deployment life-cycle support. Prior to assuming his current position, May served as VESO deputy director, and before that as director of the veterans employment coordination service in the VA’s Office of Human Resources Management. May came to the VA after a successful Air Force career, where he retired at the rank of colonel in 2007.

Honorary Alumni Award

Mike Anderson was welcomed back to Fayetteville on March 23, 2011, when he was named the 12th head coach of men’s basketball in Arkansas history. A longtime assistant and associate head coach at Arkansas, Anderson spent nine years as a head coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham and Missouri, before returning to the Razorbacks. He is now charged with bringing back the winning tradition that was synonymous with the Razorback program throughout the decades of the 1980s and 1990s. Anderson has been a friend to the Black Alumni Society since he arrived on campus in the ’90s. Anderson was a part of perhaps the greatest run of basketball in Arkansas history as it matched many of the biggest names in the sport in total wins, NCAA Tournament appearances and Final Fours. The Razorbacks won five outright conference championships in his 17 years on the bench, won an SEC Western Division title as well as Arkansas’ only SEC Tournament Championship in 2000. Anderson’s coaching career began as a volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater, Tulsa, where he worked with Richardson for three years before moving to Arkansas. His teams were 69-22 (.758) in those three seasons and earned two NCAA Tournament berths.

Young Alumni Award

Latriece Watkins, J.D.’99 – Watkins currently leads the adult beverage category team for Wal-Mart U.S., where she is the vice president. She is responsible for providing merchandising vision, strategy and leadership for all adult beverage categories. Watkins joined the company in 1997 in the Real Estate Division, as an intern, where she grew both her real estate and leadership skills. She quickly gained leadership responsibilities in the Real Estate Division. She acquired more than 10 years of real estate experience in property management and administration, commercial transactions, and property disposition and development. In 2008, Watkins transitioned into a divisional merchandising role at Sam’s Club, specifically designed to provide growth opportunity and merchandising experience to high potential associates. During her tenure in merchandising, she led the company’s cross-functional initiative to evaluate, develop and implement joint business planning and supplier collaboration tools and processes for the Sam’s Club organization.

Chris Walton, B.S.M.E.’12 – Walton decided to follow two previous generations of his family to the University of Arkansas. During his time at the U of A, he was very active in various student organizations. He joined the National Society of Black Engineers, served terms as president and vice president of the Student African American Brotherhood, and was a member several other campus groups, including the Pi Tau Sigma Honors Mechanical Engineering Society. Walton was also a resident assistant for the 2007–08 academic year and a First Year Experience mentor for the Razorback Outreach for Community Knowledge (R.O.C.K.) Camp in 2007, 2008 and 2009. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Mississippi State University and is working at MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems as a research assistant under the advisement of Mark Horstemeyer. His research focus is on the damage progression of the chemo-mechanical effects on magnesium alloys. This multidisciplinary research field integrates chemistry, materials science, solid and fracture mechanics, and probability and statistics.

Alumni Service Award

Erica P. Holliday, B.S.E.’94 – Holliday has been involved with the Black Alumni Society since its inception. Holliday has volunteered with the Black Alumni Society for more than 15 years, as well as given her time, gifts and talents. Her humor and her sincere compassion to help others have always guided her in her life’s journey. The DELTA (a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.) from the Delta (Holliday was raised in Snow Lake, Arkansas, a small town located in the southeastern part of the state), graduated from Elaine High School and has her name “chiseled” in Senior Walk three times. In 2002, she earned the distinction of being the youngest black female graduate in her department. Known to many as “Doc Holliday,” she is currently an associate professor at NorthWest Arkansas Community College in the business and computer information division. Holliday’s passion for educating students in the world of technology and using a “real-world” curriculum has gained her many honors in her profession for her service and leadership.

Community Service Award

Tony D. Posey, B.S.’91 M.S.’94 – Posey is the founder and CEO of Outcomes Inc. in Springdale. Posey moved to Fayetteville in 1988 to attend the university on a track and field scholarship. He was part of two Triple Crown Championship teams and was named All-Southwest Conference. Upon completing his graduate studies, he began his career at Family Support Services serving individuals with developmental disabilities. After several years of service in various roles, he founded Outcomes Inc. in 2000. Outcomes is a certified Medicaid and licensed department of human services program, which allows the agency to serve children and adults with developmental disabilities within their communities. Posey has provided services for foster children and developmentally disabled individuals over 18 years.

Wyatt Weems Memorial Award

Paul Davis, vice president for customer development Global Wal-Mart Team, joined Tyson Foods in 2007 as vice president of sales operations. Since 2008, he has led the Global Wal-Mart Team. Davis has been instrumental in working with the University of Arkansas, Black Alumni Society, Student Alumni Association and the BAS scholars in providing sponsorship support as well as protein to ensure students and alumni meet their campus and community obligations. He received his Master of Christian Education for Ashland Theological Seminary and his Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas.