Kelly Layton supports UGA’s future artists and designers

/by

University of Georgia alumna Kelly Layton made a significant investment in the future of the program that gave her her start with a $500,000 gift to create the Layton Graphic Design Endowment.

“Georgia has a great graphic design program, and more people need to know about it,” said Layton. “If you want to pursue art, UGA presents such a great opportunity: a quality program, a rich campus community and a well-rounded, liberal-arts education.”

The endowment will provide substantial support for the graphic design area—part of UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art. Graphic design is the most high-demand, selective major in the School of Art, and with her contribution, Layton hopes to both elevate the program and inspire future artists and designers.

“This gift will be transformative for graphic design and our students as we have minimal to no discretionary funds,” said Julie Spivey, graphic design professor and area chair. “We truly cannot thank Kelly enough.”

Layton, who received her bachelor of fine arts degree in 1990, is a longtime donor to the university along with her husband, Brent. Her gift came after a campus visit to the School of Art.

“I had not been to see the graphic design area since I was in school,” said Layton. “And after I went, met with the professors, listened to what the area’s needs were and sat in on a class, I knew the difference I could make and knew I had to contribute.”

Layton works on her senior portfolio in 1990.

Layton works on her senior portfolio in 1990.

Layton’s gift is the largest single commitment in the graphic design area’s history. Spivey, along with the rest of the graphic design faculty, believe that the endowment will help to further improve the small, but accomplished area of study.

Layton herself secured a design position at BellSouth after she graduated, and for half a decade, she climbed the ranks there until the tragic death of her younger sister led her to re-evaluate her life. She decided then to devote herself to supporting her family—she and Brent had a son two years prior to this decision and found they were expecting another two weeks after—and helping Brent grow his consulting business.

“I made sure to keep in touch with my art,” said Layton. “I made logos for my sons’ sports teams, did some volunteer graphic design for their schools, made logos for friends, calligraphy for weddings, things like that.”

The business she helped her husband grow opened doors that eventually led to him becoming president and COO of a company ranked 26 among the 2022 Fortune 500.

Brent and Kelly in 1987, just before that year's Georgia-Florida game.

Brent and Kelly in 1987, just before that year’s Georgia-Florida game.

Her family moved to St. Louis in 2010 and built a life there, but Georgia was never far from their minds—they continued to cheer for the Dawgs, and her oldest son even earned a master of science in business analytics degree last spring. Thanks in part to one of the Laytons’ neighbors, that affinity became something more in the last five years.

“Our neighbor was talking to us about all these organizations he was involved with, all this philanthropy, and he said, ‘First, you learn. Then, you earn. Then, you return,’” said Layton. “And I thought that was a great lesson. And so my husband and I decided: we’ve been blessed to earn a lot, we’re doing well, now we need to start returning.”

Since 2017, they have made numerous substantial gifts to UGA, committing to support—among other areas—athletics, scholarships targeting UGA students from their hometown, UGA’s study abroad program in Spain and now the graphic design endowment.

“The more involved we’ve gotten, the more connected we feel, and the more we want to do,” said Layton. “It’s been such a joy to get reconnected with the university in all these ways, to visit and feel the excitement of being on campus. We just feel like we’re home again, and this is where we want to be.”

The Jack Bauerle coaching tree: a nationwide network rooted in Athens

/by

Somewhere, there’s a swim coach that swam for Jack Bauerle at the University of Georgia.

Actually, there’s more than a few places where this is the case.

In June, Jack Bauerle, longtime head coach of UGA’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs, announced his retirement. Bauerle’s time with the University of Georgia spanned over 50 years, beginning with his undergraduate years as an athlete on campus and ending after 46 years as a coach—43 of which were spent as a head coach.

Bauerle’s teams won SEC and NCAA championships, he coached Olympic gold medalists and NCAA Woman of the Year award recipients, and he was the head coach for the U.S. women’s team at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games—and this list doesn’t even scratch the surface of his accomplishments. Bauerle’s list of accolades is extensive, but he is even more well known for his dedication and passion for UGA, the sport of swimming, and his athletes.

While Bauerle’s retirement means that he’ll be seen around the pool deck less, his influence can still be felt across the country through the network of his former swimmers who went on to be coaches themselves. At every level, you can find a coach—from age group to NCAA Division I—who was coached by Bauerle and is now leaving their own mark on the swimming world.

Coast to Coast

UGA Swimming & Diving won its first NCAA women’s team championship in 1999 with Bauerle at the helm–a moment which has become a cornerstone memory for Julie de Fabrique (BSFCS ’99), who was a senior at the time. The win was the first of seven national titles for Bauerle’s women’s program, with the most recent coming in 2016.

Championship Photo

de Fabrique recalls falling in love with UGA during her official visit in high school. She recorded an impressive four years as a Bulldog, including winning SEC titles and ending her collegiate career with an individual NCAA title in the 1650-yard freestyle. When reflecting on her time swimming for the Bulldogs, de Fabrique remembers the way Bauerle believed in his athletes in and out of the pool, constantly encouraging them to give their best at practice and in the classroom.

de Fabrique is now a head age group coach in her home state of California at San Clemente Aquatics, but she wasn’t always interested in becoming a coach. It wasn’t until nine years ago, when her husband volunteered her to coach a local club team, that she began her first official coaching role. As a coach, de Fabrique keeps in mind the many things she learned from Bauerle, from the way he structured practice to the way he motivated his athletes—things she feels fortunate to be able to pass on to her swimmers today.

“I feel fortunate to have been a part of this program and to share that experience with those who I coach now.”

– Julie de Fabrique (BSFCS ’99)

UGA coaches and swimmers cheering

Coaching isn’t the only way de Fabrique is able to pay it forward to the next generation of swimmers. Recently, she had the opportunity to return to Athens and share her love for the University with her family. She even stopped by Gabrielsen Natatorium on her visit to share her story with the current women’s team.

Homegrown

Bauerle’s influence doesn’t ring any clearer than right here at the University of Georgia.

Following the announcement of Bauerle’s retirement, UGA Athletics named Stefanie Williams Moreno (BSED ’03) women’s swimming and diving head coach and Neil Versfeld (BSFCS ’10) men’s swimming and diving head coach. Both had accomplished college careers at UGA under Bauerle, each accruing SEC and NCAA championships among numerous other accolades.

Stefanie Williams Moreno and Neil Versfeld coaching at the 2022 Women’s NCAA Championships.

Williams Moreno knew she wanted to be a swim coach as soon as her time as a collegiate swimmer came to a close, thanks to her experience at UGA—something she strives to replicate for her team.

Stefanie Williams Moreno (bottom left) with teammates during her time as a UGA swimmer.

“My mission has been to provide an environment for success like the one I experienced at the University of Georgia.”

– Stefanie Williams Moreno (BSED ’03), Women’s Swimming and Diving Head Coach

Versfeld represented South Africa in the 2008 Beijing Olympics—the same year Bauerle served as a head coach for the United States—and after an impressive career as an athlete, his passion for the sport drove him to pursue coaching in 2013.

Neil Versfeld

“Words cannot describe how blessed I am to have this opportunity to give back to this University and the swimming and diving program that gave me so much.”

– Neil Versfeld (BSFCS ’10), Men’s Swimming & Diving Head Coach

For Versfeld and Williams Moreno, the opportunity to be a head coach at UGA is a dream come true. As they continue the legacy that Jack Bauerle built, they will also strive to emulate a practice Bauerle implemented during his years at UGA: looking beyond the pool.

“Jack has an incredible ability to connect with his swimmers as people,” says Neil Versfeld.

Williams Moreno agrees: “What stands out to me is Jack always understood the bigger picture. Everyone is more than a swimmer; one day, their swimming career will end.”

UGA swimmers celebrate by pouring water over Jack Bauerle.

Q&A with Alex Urban (MA ’12), TOUR Championship Executive Director

/by

Alex Urban (MA ’12) is living his childhood dream: this past May, the PGA TOUR named Alex executive director of the TOUR Championship. After falling in love with the sport of golf early in life, he now plans, facilitates and advocates for one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the United States. The TOUR Championship is truly Alex’s perfect workplace, and why wouldn’t it be? It’s full of Bulldogs!

The TOUR Championship runs August 24 – 28, the first under Alex’s leadership (want to go? Here’s how to do that). Ahead of the big event, Alex generously took some time to answer a few questions about his time at UGA, the PGA TOUR, and everything in between.

Q: What is your first UGA memory?

A: My first memory is walking into the Grady College when I was touring colleges for grad school and being instantly amazed by the campus and the facilities. I was, at the time, choosing between UGA and UF, and thankfully, there is no doubt in my mind that I made the best possible decision.

Q: Where did you spend most of your time on campus?

A: When I was on campus, I was mainly in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. I love that part of campus because it’s right there by the Tate Student Center and, of course, Sanford Stadium. Outside of Grady, I did spend a decent amount of time at the Zell B. Miller Learning Center and the Main Library – graduate school requires a lot of reading and writing! As a former competitive swimmer, the 50-meter pool in Ramsey was awesome too.

Q: As you progressed in your career, what was the most valuable lesson from UGA that you carried with you?

A: I learned so many things in my time at UGA—both in and outside of the classroom. One thing that has really stuck with me is the value of measuring progress and success. For example, when we evaluate marketing campaigns or tactics, it’s easy to fall into the trap of just guessing what is working and what is not. It’s so important to create accurate ways to measure output both pre- and post-implementing tactics so you work with the best information to make decisions.

Also, the value of listening is something I am always being reminded of. There are a lot of smart people in the world, and teams operate so much better when leaders get out of the way and listen. There is nothing more important than listening – to a similar point above, listening allows you to get the full picture before making strategic decisions.

Q: What is the best thing about being executive director for the TOUR Championship?

A: Very few people in the world get to say they work in their dream job, and I am one of the lucky members of that club. When I was 15 and thinking about what I might do for a living, I knew it was a dream to work in sports, but then to work in my favorite sport is special. I love the sport of golf so much and this job. I feel like I get to make my own mark on the history of the game and make a positive impact on our community.

Q: How often do you hear “Go Dawgs” from players and other PGA TOUR staff?

A: All the time! As you might imagine, there are a ton of Dawgs that work for the PGA TOUR, especially with it being headquartered not too far away in Ponte Vedra Beach outside of Jacksonville. I was at our headquarters for five years, and of course, the Georgia-Florida game is a can’t-miss event every year. As far as our players, there are so many on TOUR that you can’t go too long without running into a Dawg.

I was lucky enough to be working the Sony Open in Oahu during the first national championship game against Bama and helped set up the bet between Kevin Kisner and Justin Thomas where the loser had to wear the winner’s jersey for a hole during the Pro-Am. While it was a sad week for UGA that time, Kevin was a good sport. There have been a lot of happy Dawgs at the PGA TOUR since January!

Q: What does your day-to-day look like in your job?

A: I get asked this all the time, and it’s so hard to answer because it changes so much depending on the time of year or even the day of the week. We put on a small city to operate a world-class tournament like the TOUR Championship, so on any given day, we might be working with one of our proud partners – Southern Company, Coca-Cola and Accenture – or doing budgeting, marketing, speaking engagements, operational build items, signage, community outreach, permitting—the list goes on. It is truly impossible to get bored in a role like this given the breadth of the job.

Q: What does the volume of UGA golfers on tour say about the program Coach Haack runs?

A: It says three things in my mind:

  1. Coach Haack knows how to identify great players.
  2. He knows how to coach them so that they grow into PGA TOUR-level players.
  3. UGA is an ideal place to hone a player’s skill.

It is truly amazing what Coach Haack has been able to accomplish, and the ever-growing, already huge list of Dawgs on TOUR highlights that. I teed it up a few times at the University Golf Course, and it’s obviously a pretty good test of golf!

Q: How does the PGA TOUR involve itself in philanthropy in the communities it touches?

A: Throughout the season, PGA TOUR events generate millions of dollars for the communities they play in, and none underscore the importance of that more than the TOUR Championship here at East Lake. Since 1998, the tournament has generated more than $42 million in charitable donations to the East Lake Foundation, the First Tee of Metro Atlanta, Purpose Built Communities and a few other local charities. These charities directly impact the community immediately surrounding the course—what the East Lake Foundation and the Cousins family have been able to accomplish to improve this area is remarkable.

You look at the construction of an impressive building like the Drew Charter School, and you can see that charitable impact at work—it isn’t just a number. And those things all work in concert to make the city of Atlanta and East Lake a better place to live. We take that responsibility very seriously. Every year, two First Tee of Metro Atlanta students earn the right to hit the opening tee shot on Thursday through a series of essays, interviews and golf tournaments. It is such a special way to start the week and highlight our commitment to this community.

 

Thank you to Alex for spending some time with us and giving us a peek into the working life of a Bulldog running the TOUR Championship! Find tickets to the event on their website, and watch the top 30 PGA TOUR players compete at East Lake Golf Club from August 24 – 28. Stay informed by following the official TOUR Championship on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Learn More About the Tour Championship

$1 million gift to promote Terry College study abroad scholarships

/by

This story, written by Ed Morales, was originally published on UGA Terry College of Business on June 28, 2022.

The University of Georgia received a $1 million gift to the Terry College of Business to support students and faculty pursuing work and study abroad opportunities in the risk management industry.

The gift from the family of Scott and Linda Sink of Birmingham, Alabama, will help fund travel, research, internships and other expenses, with first priority supporting study abroad trips to Bermuda and London for students in Terry’s Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) program. The RMI program administers the Insurance Market in Bermuda trip during spring break and the Insurance Market in London trip during Maymester. The endowment will also supply financial resources to bring visiting faculty and international scholars to UGA who provide a global perspective on risk management.

Scott Sink serves as Senior EVP and Energy Division Practice Leader at McGriff Insurance Services, Inc., an insurance broker specializing in business and personal insurance, employee benefit solutions, risk management services and more. He graduated from the Terry College in 1984 with a BBA in risk management and insurance, serves on the RMI Program Advisory Board, and was named Terry’s 2012 Risk Management Alumnus of the Year. The Sinks are members of the Terry College Shareholders’ Society, which helps fund college initiatives to support students, programs, and faculty teaching and research.

“We recognize the importance of international business experience and exposure to other cultures to cultivate a global mindset when starting your career,” Scott Sink said. “Terry’s RMI program has provided our family with an abundance of opportunities, and we are thrilled to make these experiences more accessible to Terry students.”

Expanding study abroad is a key initiative for the Terry College of Business, which seeks to provide vast and diverse access to international learning experiences needed to excel in a global business environment, said Dean Benjamin C. Ayers. The average cost for a study abroad experience is $5,000, and the college currently offers fewer than 10 endowed donor-supported study abroad scholarships.

“This important gift will open the doors in perpetuity for more Terry students to have the ability to learn and experience international business firsthand,” Ayers said. “About a third of our students have financial need, and the Sinks’ generosity helps the college lift that barrier to provide opportunities to study abroad to more of our students.”

Ranked No. 1 overall by U.S. News & World Report, Terry’s RMI program is the largest undergraduate program of its kind in the U.S., boasting more than 500 students.

To learn more about study abroad opportunities at the Terry College, please contact Kathy Ortstadt in the Terry Development and Alumni Relations Office at ortstadt@uga.edu.

SUPPORT THE TERRY COLLEGE STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP FUND

40 Under 40 Spotlight: Mario Cambardella reinvents urban landscaping

/by

For Mario Cambardella (BLA ’06, MEPD ’11, MLA ’13), connecting his professional purpose to a personal passion to make a difference ultimately set him on a pathway for success. It’s why he pursued a variety of service-oriented efforts to reinvigorate urban landscapes before turning his attention to starting an innovative business that relies on technology to better connect Georgia farmers with new markets in the Atlanta area.

For his personal, professional and philanthropic achievements, Mario ranked among UGA’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2021. The program celebrates young alumni leading the pack in their industries and communities.

Mario and his wife, Lindsey Cambardella (JD ’12).

How did Mario Cambardella find his purpose?

During his time at UGA, Mario connected with Jack Crowley, a professor emeritus in the College of Environment + Design. Mario found that “he understood how to find a solution that achieved true sustainability by balancing economic, social and environmental factors in equal harmony.”

After earning his master’s degree in landscape architecture in 2013, Mario landed an internship with a prestigious firm based in Colorado. However, many of his assigned projects didn’t align with his belief that designed landscapes should have a more holistic function that better supports the people who live near them. That’s what ultimately put him on a journey to become the first Urban Agriculture Director in the country.

“The premise is the landscape can be more than beautiful—it can perform, and it can have a function,” Mario said.

He would go on to lead the AgLanta initiative, focusing on bringing sustainable landscaping practices to underutilized properties in the Atlanta area. Relying on its Grows-A-Lot program, Mario acquired several vacant properties that had fallen into disrepair in USDA-defined food desert areas and converted them into community gardens. These spaces would help generate healthy food for the surrounding areas, and would be aesthetically pleasing and create a sense of place for the community.

Mario also helped cultivate the country’s largest municipal food forest, Urban Food Forest at Browns Mill.

What is ServeScape?

After focusing the first phase of his career on revitalizing urban communities, Mario embraced a new challenge when he founded ServeScape. Its goal is to bolster the green industry’s supply chain and enhance its use of technology to better serve customers and empower Georgia’s growers. It is Atlanta’s largest online-only garden center and wholesale plant nursery, sourcing a variety of Georgia Grown plants from farmers and horticulturists across the state.

ServeScape connects the bounty of growers with wider audiences, expanding their market and boosting revenues, while enabling property owners in urban areas to curate their own sustainable landscapes with native plants.

“We can enable beautiful and resilient landscapes all across the country because we’re relying on technology and a simple methodology,” Mario noted. “It’s bringing forward the idea that the products of every farmer can now get to market. And then when it gets to the market, we can actually make sure that it gets to the right hands.”

Mario (left) with his ServeScape team.

How is ServeScape sustainable?

Mario created ServeScape with sustainability in mind. ServeScape elevates locally grown products and locally stationed experts to foster a closer, greener community in the Metro Atlanta area. The company brings together landscape designers, plant experts and professional installers to create a landscape that challenges the norms of retail sellers.

By being a fully online marketplace, ServeScape does not waste resources on large, expensive plant nurseries and instead ships plants directly from the farm to clients’ doors. ServeScape’s designers also create a customized landscape that can last in each individual environment. Plants are meticulously curated to not only be beautiful, but also functional and resilient, reducing the need for replacements and leading to economic and environmental success.

“Through every job and project, I keep in mind that working in the natural and built environment makes you a student of each project site,” Mario said. “I hope I never lose the sense of adventure and excitement of seeing a site for the first time. Losing touch with the land distances yourself from many of the reasons this profession is so unique, engaging and rewarding.”

ServeScape is provides landscape design services throughout metro Atlanta and the Athens area, while AgLanta continues to advance its mission of advancing and supporting urban agriculture in the city.

Do you know an outstanding young grad leading the pack in their industry or community? Nominate them for the 2022 Class of 40 Under 40! Nominations close on April 8.

NOMINATE A GRAD

Written by Johnathan McGinty (ABJ ’00), Partner, The Trestle Collective

UGA advertising alumni shine with Super Bowl commercials

/by

Jason Kreher (ABJ ’00), a Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication alumnus, had a hand in creating two of the most popular commercials during this year’s Super Bowl.

He served as creative director for both the Irish Spring cult-horror parody and the minimalist Coinbase DVD logo reference. The Coinbase ad was ranked No.1 by Ad Age and AdWeek and received a Super Clio for best ad in the Super Bowl.

View Irish Spring Ad View the Coinbase Ad

Getting to know Jason

Jason enrolled at UGA in 1996 already interested in the journalism school. He gives a lot of credit to Karen Whitehill King’s media class in which he said he learned “literally everything I know today.” 

After graduating in 2000, Jason traveled to Florence, Italy, before returning to the United States and landing a job as an assistant account executive on the intel account. In 2008, Jason joined the international advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy where he worked his way up to the creative director of its entertainment and editorial division.  

During this time, he earned the 2017 Henry W. Grady Mid-Career Alumni Award. Though he finds the ‘Mid-Career’ part of the title “hilariously diminutive,” he still asserts that this was the most exciting award to receive—and he’s received a lot of awards, including two Grand Prix’s at the Ciclope International Festival of Craft and the AICP’s Campaign of the Year, to name a few.  

After 14 years with Wieden + Kennedy, Jason found a new position as chief creative officer North America at Accenture Interactive. It was with this agency that Jason created and directed the Coinbase and Irish Spring ads for the Super Bowl. 

Jason (right) with Karen Whitehall King and Grady alumnus Tatum Shaw (ABJ ’02).

About the ads

He says he is pleased with the ads’ receptions. He prides himself on creating provocative ads, so when Coinbase’s one-minute-long bouncing QR code received mixed reviews, he was thrilled it was getting lots of attention.

“The Coinbase response was incredibly fun to watch happen in real time,” he said. “I love that once the dust settled, the spot came in first in the AdWeek and Ad Age polls and dead last in the USA Today poll. We knew the commercial wasn’t for everyone, but that was never the point. The number of people who scanned and the number of people who stayed and signed up exceeded our clients’ wildest expectations.”  

Despite being the more traditional of the two commercials—if you can call a sweaty man stumbling into a cleaning-obsessed cult traditional—Jason is happy with how the Irish Spring ad turned out, too.  

“Irish Spring made a few top ten lists as well,” he said. “But the funniest part is that I snuck in my high school’s logo on the main character’s shirt. Apparently, Brookwood pride is very real, almost alarmingly so. My clients were like, ‘why is our social feed lighting up in Snellville Georgia all of a sudden?’ Nice work, Internet Broncos.”  

All of Jason’s work—advertisements, short films, songs and more—are on his website. 

Jason shooting a campaign in Prague.

If you want more Super Bowl ads by Georgia Bulldogs …

Grady alumnus Andy Pearson (ABJ ’06, AB ’06) also had a hand in a popular regional commercial for Liquid Death.

View Liquid Death Ad

Andy served as the vice president of creative services for the ad which featured small children (and one pregnant woman) partying and drinking the non-alcoholic sparkling water to Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law.” The brand purposefully markets itself to look alcoholic to give those who don’t want to drink a healthier alternative without feeling pressured.

Andy also has his own website with his many advertising campaigns. He and his wife, Liza Behles, also have a joint website where they freelance remotely as a creative duo.

Support the next generation of ad industry professionals by giving to the Advertising Education Fund.

Donate to the Advertising Education Fund

Tyler Jefcoat (BBA ’07, MBA ’13) guides a new generation of accounting graduates

/by

In 2002, after graduating high school in Columbus, Georgia, Tyler Jefcoat (BBA ’07, MBA ’13) took an interest in Athens and the University of Georgia for two reasons: its music scene and its business school. While music stayed as a hobby, Tyler thrived in UGA’s Terry College of Business as an undergraduate.

After graduating and working as a retail bank manager, Tyler realized that corporate culture didn’t suit him. With encouragement from two key figures in his life, his dad and father-in-law, he returned to UGA and enrolled in an MBA program. It was here where he found his true passion for entrepreneurship.

“I came out of that MBA experience realizing that I just wasn’t a great corporate guy. I needed to build something for myself—so, I did,” Tyler said. “I literally got to present a concept company that we built, Care to Continue, as my final project in the MBA entrepreneurship class. I got great support from the university and from my classmates.”

Care to Continue trained and empowered caregivers for in-home senior care. Tyler stayed with Care to Continue for five years. The first year was difficult as they tried to market their name and build a loyal client base. By year two, though, the company was well-established within the market.

27 target customers met with Tyler and his cofounder to help build the essence of the brand in January of 2013. The name, Care to Continue, came out of this focus group.

“We were onto something because we understood our customer,” he said. “I think we were in a good market, but it was hard; it was crazy. And I was grateful that I got to sell my part of that business, because that was a 24/7/365 animal.”

Tyler sold his portion of Care to Continue in 2018 after realizing that the direction the business was heading didn’t follow his vision. He helped train the new leadership team for 100 days. While selling his part of the company benefitted him and his family, he stressed over what his next steps should be.

His wife, Emily (AB ’08)—whom he met through an undergraduate club at UGA—was by his side the entire time, assuring him of his path while keeping their two daughters in mind.

“I had a bunch of great opportunities. And my wife said, ‘Tyler, these opportunities all seem to be in Chicago or Atlanta or New York. You need to find something that’s not in Chicago or Atlanta or New York.’ And so, we started looking for ideas.”

Not wanting to uproot his family’s life for a career in a big city, Tyler found the answer in Athens. While having a coffee with one of his friends, Tyler considered a new idea: e-commerce. He found that there was a need he could fill in bookkeeping for small-scale entrepreneurs.

“I went to my wife—like I did when I started Care to Continue—and said, ‘I’m thinking about starting a company in an industry in which I’ve never worked or had any business with … what do you think?’” he laughed. “Thankfully, she told me that we should do it.”

In 2018, Tyler launched Seller Accountant, an accounting firm that provides e-commerce sellers on Amazon with bookkeeping and fractional CFO (financial coaching) services. The business works with sellers to create and implement customized accounting plans for each unique circumstance.

Using the experience and knowledge he gained from his first company, Seller Accountant quickly became one of the top accounting businesses in the Amazon marketplace.

Ashley Carter, Partner and COO of Seller Accountant, standing with the company’s first four Terry interns: Lizzie Rose (BBA ’20), Erna Brandt Braxton (BBA ’19, MAcc ’20), Addie Young (BBA ’20, MAcc ’21) and Christian Joseph (BBA ’20, MAcc ’21) in their original 1 Press Place incubator office in downtown Athens.

Tyler is passionate about helping others, and with his new business, he leverages his business and finance background to assist small sellers.

“Leading and encouraging small business owners makes me feel alive,” he said. “It gets me so excited.”

His drive to help others led him back to UGA, where a friend encouraged him to rent space in the Delta Innovation Hub in the Innovation District.

The Innovation District connects bright minds from UGA and beyond. Located across multiple buildings in North Campus and downtown Athens, the Innovation District connects students, faculty, alumni and local businesses. Tyler immediately connected with the Innovation District’s vision.

“The vision of the Innovation District—attaching faculty and alumni ideas to reality and helping them come into fruition—I was like, ‘Man, that’s where I am right now with Seller Accountant.’”

Tyler moved his business into the Delta Innovation Hub in 2021. Now, he and Seller Accountant find inspiration within the Hub while working alongside UGA’s graduate accounting program to help UGA students and alumni.

Tyler proudly wearing UGA gear.

“We’ve made it our mission to empower students, and we’re seeing results,” he said. “Like graduate assistantships for the graduate accounting program: two years in a row, one of our few students has landed that opportunity. We’re seeing anecdotal evidence that they’re getting higher salaries coming out of the accounting program.”

Knowing what it’s like to be an uncertain graduate, Tyler hopes to foster an environment where a student can succeed in finding the career most suited to them–whether that’s as an employee at Seller Accountant or an entrepreneur forging their own path.

“Could I be a part of someone’s story or their career and get a lot of benefit from it? Absolutely. And there’s no better place to be than on UGA’s campus for that to happen.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP AT UGA

DC Dawgs: a love story

/by

UGA has brought so many couples together over the years, but the love story of Lynne (DVM ’03) and Rob (BS ’99) Randolph differs from the usual tale. They met after graduating: during flag football practice on The Ellipse near the White House, to be exact. It’s a little unconventional, but UGA still played its part in uniting the couple through the Washington, D.C., alumni chapter.

Before meeting, Lynne and Rob came to the university for very different reasons. Lynne’s family has a long history with UGA. Her grandfather, Dr. John Munnell, was a professor emeritus in the College of Veterinary Medicine, which inspired Lynne to follow in his footsteps and attend UGA’s veterinary graduate program. Her stepdad, John F. Munnell Jr. (AB ’77), her uncle, Clayton Munnell (BSED ’91), and her many aunts, Ginny Munnell Morris (AB ’80, JD ’06), Emily Ann Munnell (ABJ ’82), Amy Munnell (AB ’84) and Mandy Munnell (BFA ’85), all graduated from UGA. Emily even works for UGA’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations. Lynne always knew that she would become a Bulldog because of these relatives.

Rob, on the other hand, grew up in Montana, where the winters are cold and harsh. Tired of temperatures that pushed into the negatives, he decided to transfer to a school in a warmer climate and that offered a late acceptance deadline. While UGA wasn’t a place he felt destined to attend, Rob still became fully immersed in Bulldog culture. He roomed with a few men’s tennis players and partied hard when they won the 1999 NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Championship in Athens.

Lynne and Rob together at the 2022 CFP National Championship in Indianapolis

Lynne and Rob together at the 2022 CFP National Championship in Indianapolis.

While the two never met in Athens, they like to believe that they took a class together. Lynne took an undergraduate class in biochemistry and may have sat in the same 300-person lecture hall as Rob. They also frequented the same spots downtown. It’s not for certain, but they think it’s fun to believe it was.

Lynne and Rob officially met as DC Dawgs in August of 2004. They each joined the chapter to reconnect with fellow Bulldogs and became active members: watching football games as a group (Dawgs Never Bark Alone, after all) and playing flag football, which brought the pair together. While they didn’t begin dating until later, Lynne recalled what would become their first outing–when Rob “bamboozled” her.

Lynne loved live music—another reason she appreciated Athens—and discovered that a band she followed, OLD 97’s, was playing in D.C. at the 930 Club. She asked alumni in the chapter if anyone wanted to go with her, and Rob responded, “I love going to live music.” She found out later why he spoke so carefully: he listens to NPR and doesn’t actually like music all that much.

Rob maintains that he did not bamboozle her, and he went along solely to spend time with her. “He didn’t know any of the songs,” Lynne laughed, “but he still had fun, and it all worked out.”

Adalynne and Jack sitting on the throne chairs at Manhattan Cafe.

Adalynne and Jack sitting on the throne chairs at Manhattan Cafe.

While they never bonded over music, Lynne and Rob did bond while attending different chapter events. They got married on May 25, 2008, and now have two children, Adalynne and Jack, who is named after Lynne’s grandfather. They’re in elementary school, but Lynne and Rob hope they’ll attend UGA when they’re older.

The Randolphs make regular trips to Athens with Adalynne and Jack and try to attend at least one football game a year. They walk around campus and local parks and ensure they dine at their favorite Athens eateries, including The Taco Stand, Little Italy and The Grit.

“If we cannot go to those three places, it has not been a successful trip to Athens,” Lynne said. “Another must-do is that we have to go to Manhattan Cafe. That’s one place Rob and I had in common while we were in school. We love to take the kids there. The owner has kids, too, and he loves when we come.”

Despite living over 500 miles from UGA, Lynne and Robert are still Bulldogs at heart. They love that they can still engage with the university through the D.C. Dawgs Alumni Chapter. They regularly buy UGA gear for themselves and their children and recently received their order of championship merch in the mail. The UGA Alumni Association has been great for this couple, and they’re forever grateful that it brought them together in the first place.

The Randolph family on Christmas wearing their UGA gear.

The Randolph family on Christmas wearing their UGA gear.

Eugenia Harvey named inaugural Footsteps Award winner

/by

This story was originally published on UGA Today on Feb. 9, 2022.

The University of Georgia named Eugenia Harvey as the recipient of the inaugural Footsteps Award during the university’s annual Holmes-Hunter Lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 1.

The award recognizes a UGA graduate who follows in the pioneering footsteps of Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Hamilton Holmes and Mary Frances Early, UGA’s first enrolled Black students and first Black graduate, respectively, by making a significant positive impact in human rights, race relations or education in their community.

“When I received my acceptance letter from UGA, my mother reminded me that I was following in the footsteps of those who paid the price for me to attend my desired school,” said Harvey, who graduated with a Broadcast Journalism degree. “I bring those words up from deep within my heart today as I receive the inaugural Footsteps Award from this, my university. With gratitude and purpose, I walk forward, hoping to brighten the path for those yet to come.”

Harvey serves as the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for The WNET Group and is part of the organization’s senior leadership team. She plays a central role in the efforts to build a more inclusive, equitable and anti-racist organization. The WNET Group is the community-supported home of New York’s THIRTEEN – America’s flagship PBS station – WLIW21, operator of New Jersey’s statewide public television network NJ PBS, and Long Island’s only NPR station WLIW-FM.

In addition to her role as Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Harvey also oversees The WNET Group’s Community Engagement team, which has partnered with thought leaders from over 400 community organizations to convene solutions-oriented discussions around systemic racism in New York City and across the country.

Harvey is also an award-winning producer, and continues to serve as Executive Producer for The WNET Group’s Chasing the Dream: Poverty & Opportunity in America, providing critical programming on poverty, opportunity and justice in America; Peril & Promise: The Challenge of Climate Change, a reporting initiative reporting on the human stories of climate change and its potential solutions; and Exploring Hate: Antisemitism, Racism and Extremism, examining the roots and rise of hate in America and across the globe.

“Eugenia brings diverse and underrepresented stories to light and diversifies the talent behind and in front of the camera,” said Yvette Daniels, president of the UGA Alumni Association board of directors. “Her impactful work promotes social justice and inspires audiences to improve the world. We are honored to call her a Bulldog and honored to name her the winner of the inaugural Footsteps Award.”

“Eugenia is such a great example of UGA alumni at their best: she went out into the world, she is excelling in her field and she is making a real difference,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, executive director of the UGA Alumni Association. “The work she has done and will continue to do makes her a perfect choice for this first Footsteps Award.”

Harvey will be honored in Atlanta at the spring reception of The 1961 Club, a UGA giving society named for the year of desegregation at UGA and composed of donors to the university’s Black Alumni Scholarship Fund. Nominations for the 2023 Footsteps Award will open in the fall.

Family ties lead to lesson in giving

/by

Parents’ philanthropy inspires new generation of Bulldogs

Jeff and Allison Mitchell live on a steady diet of maroon and orange in the college town of Blacksburg, Virginia, where both Jeff and Allison are Virginia Tech alumni, regularly attending football games to cheer on the Hokies. Despite this familiar connection with Virginia Tech, their daughter Elizabeth Grace (ABJ ’21) elected to forge her own path at the University of Georgia.

Elizabeth Grace’s time in Athens offered her an education needed to succeed beyond graduation and it provided valuable lessons around the importance of giving and service. So, while Jeff and Allison may have earned their degrees elsewhere, they’re now building a legacy of giving alongside their daughter at UGA.

New Colors, Same Focus

When Elizabeth Grace arrived on campus, Jeff and Allison instantly joined the Bulldog family, swapping out their Hokies’ attire for red and black. They regularly visited the Classic City during Elizabeth Grace’s four years in Athens, engaging, giving and serving, primarily through service on UGA’s Parents Leadership Council, to demonstrate what a legacy of giving looks like.

“We wanted Elizabeth Grace to understand that supporting her university is something she needed to take the long-term view on,” Jeff said. “Don’t put it off and think ‘I’ll start giving later;’ get started now.”

Giving back is as natural for Jeff and Allison as breathing; they provide ample philanthropic support to a host of institutions and organizations, including their alma mater. They lead by example to ensure those lessons of generous giving are passed on to Elizabeth Grace.

Creating a New Legacy

As graduation neared, Jeff and Allison wanted to honor their daughter’s time at UGA and illustrate why giving is important. The Mitchells decided to recognize her with a legacy gift — a philanthropic gift made in honor of her time at UGA — establishing the Elizabeth Grace Mitchell Student Support Fund.

They sought her involvement, working with her to identify what she wanted the fund to address on campus. Elizabeth Grace recommended that the fund provide financial support to students in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication who are majoring in her field of study, entertainment and media studies (EMST).

“The Mitchell family’s support of student projects will help us fuel EMST film projects – the very heart of the department’s experiential learning efforts,” said Charles Davis (MA ’92) the dean of the Grady College. “This sort of support takes on increasing importance the more hands-on work we do as a college, so we deeply appreciate the fund and what it signifies.”

photo of the Mitchell family with Grady College Dean Charles Davis

Jeff and Allison Mitchell (far left and right) with their daughter, Elizabeth Grace Mitchell (AB ’21) and Grady College Dean Charles Davis (MA ’92) in December 2021.

The fund also gives the opportunity for Elizabeth Grace to engage philanthropically with UGA right after graduation. She’ll contribute directly to it, allowing her to start her own journey of giving while building a legacy that endures long after she’s graduated.

More Opportunities with PLC

In addition to the legacy gift, the Mitchells joined the Parents Leadership Council (PLC) during Elizabeth Grace’s freshman year. Ultimately, this decision launched the couple’s philanthropic journey at UGA.

The PLC offered the chance for their family to build a meaningful connection with the university, including a social network that Jeff and Allison could trust would support Elizabeth Grace during her time in Athens. The service-oriented group provides funding through parents’ annual gifts to various student programs and initiatives on campus.

In the last decade, the group has awarded more than $3.8 million to undergraduate student organizations and is the top supporter of the President’s Venture Fund. The response to these types of needs, as well as the opportunity to help prioritize what needs should be addressed, resonated with Jeff and Allison. It allowed them to proactively help determine how their contributions improved campus—something they offered their daughter when setting up the Elizabeth Grace Mitchell Student Support Fund.

Forever Connected to the Bulldog Family

For Jeff and Allison, establishing the legacy gift for Elizabeth Grace is the culmination of a series of relationships, experiences and opportunities that ultimately will connect them to UGA for the rest of their lives.

“Everybody knows the University of Georgia, but to have your daughter attend from out-of-state and understand the brand and the legacy here, it’s just special,” Jeff said. “We’ve met many, many passionate UGA alumni, and their joy and passion are infectious. You spend any time here, and you just get it. So, we’re happy to celebrate Elizabeth Grace and support the University of Georgia.”

Jeff and Allison hope their philanthropy will inspire other Bulldog parents to establish their own legacies in honor of their students’ UGA experiences. Doing so enables the next generation to strengthen UGA by creating new avenues to success for future Bulldogs.

Want to know more? Consider being a part of parent philanthropy at UGA and establishing your own legacy gift to benefit future generations of Bulldogs! Learn more about UGA’s Parent Fund and Parent Leadership Council.

Learn More About the Parent Fund Learn More About the PLC

Written by Johnathan McGinty (ABJ ’00)