UGA announces 40 Under 40 Class of 2024

The University of Georgia has unveiled the 40 Under 40 Class of 2024, a group of young alumni that includes a deputy national intelligence officer, a senior entertainment writer for Variety, an AI innovator at Microsoft, and more. 

The 40 Under 40 program celebrates the personal, professional and philanthropic achievements of successful UGA graduates under the age of 40. The honorees will be recognized during the 14th annual 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon on campus in September.  

“Our previous 40 Under 40 honorees include some of our most accomplished and dynamic young alumni, and this year’s class is no different,” said Adam Roell (BSED ’10), UGA’s executive director of alumni relations. “When you talk to these Bulldogs and learn about their achievements, their aspirations, and how important UGA was to both, you gain a deep appreciation for how our university shapes tomorrow’s leaders.” 

The 40 Under 40 Class of 2024, including graduation year(s) from UGA, city, title and employer, are: 

Jeremy Adams (BBA ’07) Atlanta; senior managing director, Jones Lang LaSalle 

Katharine M. Bleau (BS ’13, BS ’13) Arlington, Virginia; attorney-advisor, U.S. Department of the Interior 

Matt Bradley (DVM ’18) Johns Creek; owner and medical director, ModernVet 

Tamara Branch (BBA ’09, JD ’12) Tifton; vice president of legal, Tift Regional Health System 

Leanna Brown (AB ’10, MIP ’12) Atlanta; vice president of business climate, Metro Atlanta Chamber 

Jack Bush (BSME ’20) Atlanta; systems engineer, ELDP, Lockheed Martin Corporation 

Rodd Cargill (BBA ’10) Johns Creek; senior territory manager, Johnson and Johnson 

Chris Chammoun (BSA ’08) Tifton; executive director, American Peanut Shellers Association, and president, Peanut Institute 

Brittany S. Chitwood (BBA ’14, MACC ’15) Atlanta; assistant director of climate change and sustainability services, EY 

Antavious Coates (BSFCS ’09, MS ’11) Atlanta; executive director for NFL player marketing, CAA Football 

Candler Cook (BBA ’11, MBA ’18) Atlanta; senior vice president, US Strategic Capital 

Ella Dorsey (BS ’13) Atlanta; meteorologist, Atlanta News First 

William Ferrand (BBA ’15) Atlanta; senior manager, risk and compliance, Protiviti 

Peyton Claire Fraser (BS ’14, BSED ’14) Smyrna; senior technical program manager, Microsoft 

Zain Hasan (BS ’09) Parkland, Florida; co-founder and CEO, Risk Transfer Advisory Group 

Bo Hatchett (JD ’17) Cornelia; Georgia state senator and attorney, McDonald & Cody, LLC 

Alex Hill (BBA ’10) Atlanta; director of investing, Icarus Alternative Investments 

Angelique Jackson (ABJ ’12) Los Angeles; senior entertainment writer, Variety 

Cameron Keen (AB ’18, AB ’18, JD ’21) Atlanta; attorney, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP 

Kristina Stafford Kelly (ABJ ’08) Suwanee; vice president of communications, UP Entertainment 

Audrey A. Lewis (AB ’07, ABJ ’09, JD ’10) Marietta; attorney, Gregory, Doyle, Calhoun & Rogers, LLC 

Mindy Lipsitz (BS ’08) Bend, Oregon; physician, ultrasound administrator, St. Charles Medical Center 

Garrett Mack (BSFR ’09, MFR ’11) Atlanta; director, portfolio management, Forest Investment Associates 

Hailey Hebebrand Morelli (BSCE ’17) Sandy Springs; senior consultant, FTI Consulting 

Amber Kay Morgan (AB ’17, AB ’17) Washington, D.C.; special assistant to the national security advisor, White House National Security Council 

Gibril Njie (MPH ’11, DRPH ’21) Dulles, Virginia; lead health scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Loree Anne Paradise (ABJ ’11) Atlanta; chief of staff, Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Georgia 

Christopher Perlera (AB ’07) Chamblee; founder and principal, Critical Point Consulting 

Jessica J. Pittard (BBA ’11) Ball Ground; president, BDI DataLynk 

Isobel Mills Prescott (BFA ’12) Atlanta; owner and sole designer, ISOBEL 

Thomas C. Presley (BBA ’08, MACC ’09) Marietta; regional managing partner, wealth advisor, Corient 

Fadi Rammo (BSHP ’10) Baltimore; vice president, MedStar Health 

Camir Ricketts (BS ’15) Brooklyn, New York; bioinformatics scientist, NVIDIA, and founder, MindsOf Initiative 

Eric L. Roden (AB ’09, JD ’12) Charleston, South Carolina; partner, Roden Law 

Katie Seay (BSFCS ’09) Manhattan, Kansas; president and director of wealth management, The Trust Company 

Jessica Simmons (AB ’10) Atlanta; deputy CIO, Georgia Technology Authority, and executive director, Georgia Broadband Program 

Kevin Steele (AB ’17, AB ’17) Alexandria, Virginia; deputy national intelligence officer, Directorate of National Intelligence 

Naveed Tharwani (PHARMD ’11) Chamblee; CEO, SynerGrx 

Juanita Traughber (ABJ ’08, AB ’08) Nashville, Tennessee; director of marketing and communications, University School of Nashville 

Tiffany Woods (BSES ’08, MS ’11) Atlanta; senior director, National Wildlife Federation 

Hundreds of nominations for 40 Under 40 were received from February to March. Honorees must have attended UGA and uphold the three pillars of the Arch: wisdom, justice and moderation. Additional criteria and more information on this year’s honorees are available on the UGA Alumni website. 

“Every one of our honorees is a fantastic representative of our alma mater,” said Roell. “We are so proud of their accomplishments and will be pleased to welcome them back to Athens to celebrate them this fall.” 

Former Chief Justice follows in the ‘Footsteps’ of UGA trailblazers

Retired Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert Benham will receive the 2024 Footsteps Award and be recognized at the annual 1961 Club celebration. 

Each year, alumni who demonstrate a significant positive impact in their community are honored with the award, named to recognize three UGA trailblazers that helped to integrate the university: Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Hamilton Holmes and Mary Frances Early. Winners are chosen by a committee of University of Georgia faculty, staff and students.

“Justice Benham’s career is inspirational for students, fellow alumni and communities all over Georgia,” said Lee Zell, president of the UGA Alumni Association. “He has given so much to his community, his state and his university. It’s an honor to be able to recognize his service in this way.”

Justice Benham, a 1970 graduate of UGA’s School of Law, is no stranger to breaking barriers. He was the first African American member of the Supreme Court of Georgia, and he was the longest-serving justice when he retired in 2020 after more than 30 years. Among his many other achievements, Justice Benham was also the first African American to establish a law practice in Cartersville; the first Black president of the Bartow County Bar Association; and the first African American to win a statewide election since Reconstruction.

In addition to his illustrious public service career, Benham also continues to give back to the UGA community. He was the keynote speaker at the 2020 Holmes-Hunter Signature Lecture, which is sponsored by the UGA Office of the President and is designated as a Signature Lecture. It has been held annually since 1985.

The Justice Robert Benham Scholars Program Fund was created to support UGA School of Law students in the Benham Scholars Program who have overcome significant adversity and demonstrated an intent to return to and serve rural or legally underserved communities. The program provides support for law students in four key areas: recruitment, preparation for law school, academic support and career planning.

Justice Benham has received numerous accolades over the years, including some from other esteemed Georgia institutions. The Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism, the organization responsible for ensuring that Georgia lawyers are enlisted in the service of the client and the public good, established the Justice Robert Benham Awards for Community Service, which now enter their 24th year of honoring outstanding community and public service by judges throughout the state of Georgia.

“Justice Benham embodies the values that the University of Georgia hopes to instill in our alumni: courage, compassion and a dedication to public service,” Jill Walton, vice president for development and alumni relations at UGA said. “We are excited to be able to celebrate his involvement with UGA and his community with this award.”

This year marks the third year of the UGA Footsteps Award. Previous honorees include Richard Dunn and Xernona Thomas in 2023, and Eugenia Harvey as the inaugural honoree in 2022.

Justice Benham will be honored during the annual 1961 Club Celebration on June 14 in Atlanta. The 1961 Club is a giving society named for the year of desegregation at UGA. Members support the Black Alumni Scholarship Fund, which seeks to remove barriers to education for students.

Altera Investments named fastest-growing UGA business

The University of Georgia Alumni Association recognized the fastest-growing companies owned or led by UGA alumni during the 15th annual Bulldog 100 Celebration Feb. 9 in the West End Zone of Sanford Stadium.  

The 2024 fastest-growing business, Altera Investments, was founded and is led by David Fershteyn, CEO, Carlos Alcala, CFO and Mitch Reiner, Board Member. Fershteyn, Alcala and Reiner all earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Terry College of Business – Fershteyn and Alcala received theirs in 2017, while Reiner received his degree in 2005.  

Altera Investments is based in Atlanta and is an alternative investment firm focused on the lower middle market. This is the company’s first time on the Bulldog 100 list, although Reiner has represented previous companies that have made the list.

Altera Investments - Bulldog 100

The 2024 No. 1 Bulldog business, Altera Investments, is led by David Fershteyn, CEO (pictured above in foreground), Carlos Alcala, CFO (pictured in background above), and Mitch Reiner, Board Member (not pictured).

Rounding out the Bulldog 100 top ten are: 

  1. Jetset World Travel, Atlanta, Georgia
  2. Ryals Brothers, LLC, Lula, Georgia
  3. Neighborly Software, Atlanta, Georgia
  4. Capital Real Estate Group, Atlanta, Georgia 
  5. SynerGrx, Chamblee, Georgia
  6. teXga Farms, Clarkesville, Georgia
  7. Eagle Christian Tours, Rome, Georgia
  8. Society 54, LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina
  9. Lighting Pros, Jefferson, Georgia

“It is our privilege to recognize this year’s honorees, who truly embody the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship that is found in every Bulldog,” said Lee Zell, president of the UGA Alumni Association. “Welcoming these Bulldogs back to campus was an honor, and we look forward to continuing to celebrate their impact on their communities and industries.” 

The Bulldog 100 companies were ranked solely based on their three-year compounded annual growth rates. The Atlanta office of Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors—a Bulldog 100 partner since the program began in 2009—verifies the information submitted by each company and determines the ranked list. On average, companies in the 2024 Bulldog 100 grew by 67 percent each year from 2020-2022, the highest growth rate in the 15-year history of the program.  

This year, businesses are headquartered in a total of 7 states, with 88 of the businesses located in the state of Georgia. In total, 139 alumni representing over a dozen industries, including health care, financial services, agriculture, and real estate are being recognized. 

The fifth annual Michael J. Bryan Award was presented during the Feb. 9 event. The award, named for the co-founder and managing partner of Vino Venue and Atlanta Wine School who passed away in 2017 from cancer, recognizes a returning Bulldog 100 honoree who demonstrates the entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to UGA that was Bryan’s hallmark. This year’s recipients are Jim Chasteen, Charlie Thompson, Kelly Chasteen, Justin Manglitz and Chad Ralston, the team behind ASW Distillery.

2024 Michael J. Bryan Award Winner: ASW Distillery

(L-R) Kelly Chasteen and Jim Chasteen of ASW Distillery, the 2024 Michael J. Bryan Award winner, with Michael’s wife Leila Bryan and UGA Alumni President Lee Zell.

The complete list of 2024 Bulldog 100 businesses can be viewed online at alumni.uga.edu/b100 

Nominations for the 2025 Bulldog 100 will open in late Spring 2024.

Richard Dunn and Xernona Thomas named Footsteps Award recipients

The University of Georgia has named Richard Dunn (ABJ ’93) and Xernona Thomas (ABJ ’91, MSW ’92, EDD ’17) as the recipients of the 2023 Footsteps Award. This annual award, given this year on the 62nd anniversary of desegregation at UGA, recognizes UGA graduates who are following in the pioneering footsteps of Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Hamilton Holmes and Mary Frances Early, UGA’s first African American students.

“Richard and Xernona’s commitment to education in our state is impressive,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson (BSFCS ’00, MED ’16), executive director of the UGA Alumni Association. “The work they have done in building better communities through education follows closely in the footsteps of Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Hamilton Holmes and Mary Frances Early. We are beyond excited to have the opportunity to honor them with this award.”

Dunn, now retired, served as the executive director of the Athens-Clarke County High School Completion Initiative, a program that he founded to increase the graduation rates in high schools across the county. The program focuses on helping students reach graduation and explore career and education opportunities. In 2010, he launched a weekly radio show hosted by local high school students titled “Education Matters” as part of his efforts to improve graduation rates in Athens-Clarke County, particularly for students of color.

A graduate of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Dunn’s passion for journalism drove him to establish The Athens Courier in the 1980s and address the needs of the minority community in Athens. In addition, he hosted the weekly radio show “Community Forum,” which addresses politics, community issues and more. The show is now the longest-running radio talk show in Northeast Georgia.

Thomas spent 31 years working in education as a social worker, assistant principal, principal, chief of staff, and most recently, superintendent of the Clarke County School District where she became the first woman to serve in the role. Thomas sought to reduce exclusionary discipline practices among students of color by identifying inequitable instructional and disciplinary practices and implementing leadership professional learning. She worked to increase language services, encourage parent involvement, develop a district budget to better support district instructional priorities, and opened Clarke County School District’s first charter, Schoolwide Enrichment Model, Foreign Language Acquisition Program and Professional Development School.

Thomas, who received her bachelor’s degree from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, master’s degree from the School of Social Work, and doctor of education from the Mary Frances Early College of Education, collaborated with the University of Georgia to establish the Experience UGA partnership for K-12 students that launched in 2013. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as superintendent, she provided students with technology devices and internet access while they were not meeting in person and ensured that all students 18 and younger had access to breakfast and lunch five days a week. Thomas retired as superintendent in fall 2022.

“Richard and Xernona are excellent examples of what it means to be UGA alumni,” said Yvette Daniels (AB ’86, JD ’89), president of the UGA Alumni Association. “Their combined dedication to students in the Athens community is improving lives every day. We celebrate them as members of the Bulldog family and the recipients of the 2023 Footsteps Award.”

Dunn and Thomas will be recognized during the annual Holmes-Hunter Lecture on February 28 in the UGA Chapel. The Honorable Verda M. Colvin (JD ’90), a Georgia Supreme Court justice and UGA School of Law alumna, will present this year’s lecture.

UGA Alumni Sports Industry Council

Created in 2018 by Michael Cheney (BBA ’85, MAcc ’86) and Dr. Steven Salaga (MEd ’04), the UGA Alumni Sports Industry Council serves students and faculty in UGA’s Sport Management program by providing access to professional experience and executives across sports business disciplines. The Council contributes to the success of UGA students through guest lectures, career development opportunities, access to industry internships, providing scholarships, sponsoring an on-campus internship, and fundraising.

The Council is comprised of a dedicated group of sports industry executives with a wide range of expertise in sports media, sports agencies, sports marketing, sports properties, and sponsorship. Current members of the Council include:

Vince Thompson, Founder and CEO, MELT

Susan Goodenow, VP of Marketing and Communications, Chicago Bulls

Chris Brearton, Chief Operating Officer, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) & Chair, USA Swimming

Chip Caray, Play-by-Play Announcer, Atlanta Braves and Fox Sports South

David Koonin, Head of Endorsements & Marketing, CAA Sports LLC

Sarah Davis, VP Business Leadership and Brand Experiences, Momentum Worldwide

Bryan Johnston, CEO/Founder, Adjacency Partners

Brian Doud, Chief Marketing Officer, Thompson Tractor

Scott Williams, Senior Director Sales, SEC Network Multimedia

Becca Elliott, Product Track Lead for Mobile, Carvana

Percy Vaughn, Vice President, Kia Motors America; Chairman, Chick-Fil-A Bowl Board; Board of Trustees, Chick-Fil-A Corporation

Michael Cheney, Sr. Director Partnerships, Partech, Inc.

In alignment with their mission to serve students, the Council created and funded the first two scholarship programs for Sport Management students at UGA. Each year, two students are selected to receive scholarships based on academic achievement, program participation and leadership. The first scholarship is funded by the Johnston Family in memory of Teri Johnston, a 1985 graduate of the Sport Management program. The second scholarship is funded through tax deductible alumni donations received by the UGA Foundation. If you are interested in supporting this scholarship, you can make your gift online or by mailing a check to the UGA Foundation (1 Press Pl. Ste. 101, Athens, GA, 30601) with the account number #90273000 – MFE College of Education included.

If you are interested in learning more about the UGA Sports Industry Council, please contact Michael Cheney via the Council email address ugasportscouncil@gmail.com. 

 

 

 

New PLC Chairs highlight importance of parent philanthropy

Talia Murphy first stepped foot on campus as a freshman in 1980 just in time to experience the University of Georgia’s national championship win later that year. Now she enjoys the pride of yet another national championship victory for the Georgia Bulldogs, as her daughter, Lily, attends classes. Talia states, “being back on campus with this victory buzz in the air has been so fun, and finding our own place on campus through the Parents Leadership Council has strengthened the experience for our whole family.” Along with her husband, John, Talia serves as the chair of the Parents Leadership Council (PLC), an organization of parents who are eager to contribute to the university and support student-serving organizations.

After her graduation, Talia and John spent 30 years overseas with their three daughters. She was relatively removed from the university during this time, but when John was called back to Atlanta for his career at Coca-Cola, UGA was back on the couple’s radar—especially as their youngest daughter, Lily, was getting ready to apply for colleges. All it took for her to be sold on UGA was attending the renowned, annual Georgia-Georgia Tech football game. Through their daughter, John and Talia reconnected with UGA and have remained passionate ever since. Even though John, an Irish citizen who did not go to college in the United States, had no previous connection to UGA, he has become an avid Dawgs fan.

For the past few years, John and Talia have known they wanted to invest in UGA. Together, they have pledged to create a Georgia Commitment Scholarship, a need-based scholarship program built on private donations. In supporting Lily, the Murphys have developed a passion for supporting every UGA student across campus. As Talia states, “Where your kids are, that’s where you put your time, your effort, and your financial support.” This philosophy steered the couple to the Parents Leadership Council.

The Murphys became involved in the PLC during the height of the pandemic. Though they were unable to meet other members in person, they believed in the program and wanted to stay involved. As time went on, they were able to find a community in the PLC and encourage other parents to do the same.

“We love that there’s an organization where we can really make a difference as parents”, said Talia. “It taps parents into what’s happening on campus and allows us to address the needs of students as they come up through the grants program.”

After the Murphys dedicated over a year to the PLC, getting deeply involved with the campus community and student life, the two were presented with the opportunity to serve as chairs. The couple takes great pride in holding this position, and they are striving to make the PLC even more active and engaged with campus organizations. The PLC Grants Program, a longstanding PLC effort and a major focus for John and Talia, awarded $875,000 last year to 100 campus organizations. The Murphys, working with the PLC Grants Committee Chairs, want to raise more money for grant funding than ever before: their goal is to reach $1 million in donations from PLC members this year.

John and Talia encourage any interested parent to consider joining the PLC for the tight-knit community, the service to the university and an opportunity to continue supporting your children throughout their years in college, as well as many other students and student organizations. The PLC offers parents a unique chance to show up in a very tangible way for their children.

“Whether it’s attending meetings or mingling with fellow PLC members, council members have an opportunity to be on campus. But best of all, we have an opportunity to make a difference in a student’s life,” said the Murphys. “Exploring downtown restaurants with Lily and her friends is one thing, but now we are able to feel an extra sense of gratification knowing that we are supporting her journey one step further through the PLC.”

UGA breaks fundraising record with over $257M in FY22

University of Georgia alumni and friends gave back to UGA at unprecedented levels over the past fiscal year, breaking the university’s fundraising record with over $257.4 million in donations.

“It has been an exceptional year for our university, and the generous contributions provided by UGA alumni and friends have been a major factor in our success,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “I offer sincere thanks to the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees and each and every donor for helping our students turn their dreams into reality, supporting our faculty to advance their teaching and scholarship, and growing our public service and outreach programs that strengthen communities and expand economic development.”

The record-breaking amount came from 71,302 donors. In five of the last six years, UGA’s yearly fundraising total has been over $200 million, and the university’s three-year rolling average, which averages the three most recent years of giving, reached $212.5 million for FY22.

“The remarkable generosity of UGA donors illustrates the strong and distinctive philanthropic culture throughout the UGA community,” said Neal Quirk, Chair of the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees. “This record-setting year will benefit our students, our campus and our state long into the future, and our Trustees are extremely grateful to all donors who made this happen.”

Collectively, donors created 116 scholarship funds and 18 endowed faculty positions, bringing the university’s total to 340 endowed faculty positions.

Private giving to the university fueled significant progress across all areas of campus, including several marquee and priority projects.

  • The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation committed $15 million to the $30 million renovation of the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building, the historic north campus building named for Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, UGA’s first Black students. The project will include an array of improvements that will significantly enhance functionality while also restoring historic features of the building and honoring Holmes and Hunter-Gault.
  • Following a transformational gift of over $3.5 million from the estate of M. Louise McBee, UGA paid tribute to the former administrator and state legislator with the naming of the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education. The gift—the largest in the institute’s nearly 60-year history—will benefit the Louise McBee Distinguished Professorship in Higher Education and the Louise McBee Lecture in Higher Education and create an endowment providing broad support for the institute.
  • The $54.1 million Poultry Science Building project is receiving robust support from industry, alumni and other donors. Gifts to the project total over $10 million as of July—significant progress toward the $27 million private funding goal. The state-of-the-art facility, expected to be complete in fall 2023, will train future generations of leaders in one of Georgia’s most important industries.
  • The successful Georgia Commitment Scholarship Program continued to attract donors and expand support for students with financial need. In August, the UGA Foundation allocated an additional $1 million in matching funds—a popular component of the program that allows donors to immediately double their impact. These funds were quickly accounted for, and today, the program is responsible for more than 650 scholarships and nearly $100 million in commitments to need-based aid.

Donors also made a significant impact on March 31—Georgia Giving Day—when UGA supporters gave 9,339 gifts to the university in 24 hours, far surpassing the day’s initial goal of 1,785 gifts. Georgia Giving Day gifts totaled $5.3 million, and each of UGA’s 18 schools and colleges received donations. Donors—including over 600 students—originated from 130 Georgia counties, all 50 states and 16 countries.

“This year, more donors gave to the University of Georgia than ever before. All of our metrics indicate that Bulldogs’ commitment to giving back is not just sustained but strengthening,” said Kelly Kerner, UGA vice president for development and alumni relations. “I don’t know if there’s ever been a better time to be a Georgia Bulldog than the last 12 months.”

Representation matters

In honor of Black History Month, the UGA Mentor Program highlights the warm relationship between two outstanding student mentees, current UGA law student, Sydney Cederboom (AB ’21, AB ’21), and Belen Gad, Class of 2022, and their phenomenal mentor, Stacey Chavis (MSL ’19).

The UGA Mentor Program understands that representation matters. Students want to feel seen and validated by a mentor who shares aspects of their identity. Advice from a mentor who previously dealt with a common circumstance is more credible than recommendations from someone who has never had to handle the same situation.

“I would encourage all our Black alumni to mentor,” says Stacey. “Open yourself to the process. There are so many resources available to help guide you in building a relationship. Mentoring opened my eyes to different things and I learn a lot in return.”

“I’m not alone in my experiences”

In honor of Black History Month, the University of Georgia Mentor Program is highlighting the support available to Black male students through a partnership with the Georgia African American Male Experience (GAAME) Scholars Program.

Jakhari Gordon (Class of 2025) is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems Engineering in UGA’s College of Engineering, far from his Virginia home. He considers himself a family-oriented person, but has learned to stand on his own two feet at UGA thanks to support from others who traveled the same path before him.

“UGA has a community around it and a very big alumni network; UGA is full of opportunity” said Gordon. He took advantage of those opportunities, becoming involved in the Georgia African American Male Experience (GAAME) Scholars Program and the UGA Mentor Program.

The GAAME Scholars Program provides holistic support to undergraduate African American male students who are seeking to enhance their UGA experience through activities that honor and affirm their identities. It was through GAAME that Gordon met Marques Dexter (MS ’09, PHD ’24), interim director of the program, who encouraged him to join the UGA Mentor Program.

“It’s been amazing to support students like Jakhari, particularly through the UGA Mentor Program,” said Dexter. “I know what it’s like being an out of state and far from home student, just like Jakhari. It was through connecting with others who looked like me–faculty, staff and alumni–that I was able to thrive at my institution. Having the privilege to instill the mindset that mentoring works, while emphasizing that I am where I am today because of mentorship, brings me full circle.”

Gordon found common ground with his mentor, Raymond Phillips (BS ’12, MBA ’18), and the two connected on many levels. In addition to being a senior technology and process improvement consultant in metro Atlanta, Raymond is a past president of the UGA Black Alumni Leadership Council.

“It was important that my mentor was a male African American like me. Growing up, I did not have much of a male influence,” Gordon said. “You think you’re the only person who has been through your situation, but I enjoyed talking with Raymond and seeing the differences and similarities between our times at UGA. The people ahead of us want to help us avoid  pitfalls. Everyone should look to connect with a mentor. That one person can change the course of what you’re doing or confirm the path you’re on.”

Dexter agrees, “My mentors saw more in me than I knew existed. The example my mentors set guides me now as I empower young men such as Jakhari to aim higher and dream bigger.”

Full medal jacket: Harold Berkman’s SVRC legacy

This was written by Charles McNair

Alumnus Harold Berkman fought for his country … and the Student Veterans Resource Center will remember him for it

On Friday, November 19, 2021, the University of Georgia’s Student Veterans Resource Center (SVRC) will proudly dedicate a new display – a waist-length wool jacket spangled with World War II combat medals.

The Eisenhower jacket perfectly fit UGA alumnus Dr. Harold Berkman (BBA ’49) from 1945 until the day he passed away in 2020 at age 94.

“Dr. Berkman was very proud of that jacket and what it stood for,” says Steve Horton (ABJ ’71, MED ’85) of the UGA Alumni Association Board of Directors. “He only wore it around fellow veterans and on special occasions.”

Harold Berkman's military uniform on display with various medals and two books placed on a table

Horton first met Dr. Berkman around 2016. Horton, retired Associate Director of Athletics at the University of South Florida (USF), was serving as scholarship coordinator for USF’s Office of Veteran Success. After retiring in 2007 from the University of Miami, Berkman had started a charitable foundation that awarded scholarships to combat veterans at a number of universities, including both USF and UGA.

Naturally, two men with UGA degrees became friends.

“He was a Bulldog,” Horton says. “He was proud of it, proud of his family, and proud of his military service.”

Berkman’s jacket exhibits that service pride. It bears the elite Army Combat Infantryman Badge, a Bronze Star, the Chevalier de las Legion d’honneur from France, and three campaign stars for action in the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe campaigns.

After Berkman’s death, Horton worked with his family to find a natural ‘fit’ for the jacket. He looked at a number of military museums, then decided (with the Berkman family’s approval) on the University of Georgia and its SVRC. That organization supports military-connected students by easing their transitions into civilian life, improving their educational experiences, and preparing them for civilian careers.

“Dr. Berkman would be proud to know the university and its veteran resource center displays his jacket and medals,” Horton says.

A girl in the Catskills

Berkman’s illustrious life – and his path to UGA – began in New York.

His parents, first-generation Belarus Jewish immigrants, carved out their version of the American Dream. They did well enough to vacation in the Catskills where, one golden summer in his childhood, Harold met an attractive young girl named Muriel.

She never left his thoughts.

Berkman graduated from high school in June 1944, the same month as D-Day. He got a draft notice, went through basic training, and shipped off to Europe. The 18-year-old rode with 22,000 other GIs aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth, a gigantic Cunard luxury liner recommissioned for the war as a troop ship.

Harold Berkman poses for a picture in his military uniform while sitting on a tank

Berkman reached France in early January 1945. Manning a machine gun, the young man spent his first 55 days in unrelenting combat as part of the 317th Infantry Regiment, 80th Infantry Division, units in General George S. Patton’s 3rd Army.

As the Allies drove Hitler’s German forces back through France, Berkman won a Bronze Star for valor. He lived through the Battle of the Bulge, Germany’s last offensive against Allies on the western front. Near the war’s end, the Jewish kid from New York was among the first soldiers to liberate Buchenwald, the notorious German concentration camp.

After the war, Berkman joined a wave of returning soldiers attending college on the GI Bill. He chose the University of Georgia, and he raced through school in less than three years to get back to Muriel, that girl from his Catskill summers, as soon as possible.

In an interview with the University of South Florida Foundation, Berkman explained, “If I didn’t get home, she would have been lying on the beach with somebody … and it wouldn’t have been with me.”

Muriel, now 92, lives in retirement in Florida.

“When Harold came back, we started dating,” she says. “He lived in Monticello, New York, and I lived in Brooklyn, so he would drive three hours to take me on a date. We married in 1950 in Brooklyn. We went on a cruise for our honeymoon.”

A rising academic star

The couple cruised into married life in Far Rockaway, New York, where the enterprising Harold opened Valencia Liquor in nearby Jamaica, New York. He grew that entrepreneurial venture into a prosperous chain of 10 storefronts in New York and Connecticut.

Berkman wanted more in life, though, than a retail chain. On the side, he studied at St. John’s University and earned master’s and doctoral degrees in business. He then entered academia at C.W. Post College, a Long Island university where he taught business and sociology.

He became a rising-star academic – Berkman would eventually write or co-write 18 textbooks and publish many articles, mostly on marketing. The University of Miami picked him up by creating the new position of Vice Dean of its MBA program. Berkman spent 30 years at Miami, where he finished his career. He continued to be academically entrepreneurial, founding and leading the Academy of Marketing Science and the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.

He and Muriel started a family. A son was born in 1951 and a daughter, Karen, blessed their lives in 1954.

“Dad was very organized and tidy, a personality trait rather than one related to his military career” Karen recalls. “In fact, he never spoke of the military when I was growing up. It was not until he retired at 81 that we started hearing about the war experiences. It became his new identity until he died.”

Karen carved out a distinguished academic career too. She became Dr. Karen Berkman, serving as USF’s Executive Director of the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities. She also launched USF’s LGBT Student Scholarship – the first at any state university in Florida.

This kind of goodness characterizes the Berkman family, which oversees the Harold and Muriel Berkman Charitable Foundation, Inc. That organization awards some 60 student scholarships a year, at $1,000 each, to various institutions of higher learning. It also funds marketing research. Many military veterans benefit from its scholarships.

Memories preserved

In his 80s, as Berkman began to talk more about the war years, he reached out to other veterans. He considered his most notable achievements for veterans to be leading efforts to create a custom CIB (Combat Infantryman Badge) Florida license plate and creating the Battle of the Bulge Association to honor those who fought in that historic WWII episode.

At a memorable oral history recording with The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Berkman talked about Buchenwald.

“This was the first time Americans had seen a concentration camp,” Berkman said. “I was one of the first GIs in Buchenwald. When I walked in, the ovens were still warm. The inmates weighed 75 pounds, and bones were stacked high where the furnaces were. [It’s] a thing I’ll never forget.”

Berkman told how General Patton drove in to see the camp. Patton notified the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, Dwight Eisenhower, and the two generals walked through the grim concentration camp together.

Happier times lay ahead for Berkman.

“My father liked to play tennis and golf,” Karen remembers. “He was very good with his hands. He could fix or build things. He enjoyed family and friends. He spent most hours working – he didn’t have a lot of down time – but we took vacations to Florida or upstate New York when we were young.”

Muriel, the girl he met in upstate New York, still adores the handsome young man she met in the Catskills.

“Harold was determined, diligent, hard-working, and loyal,” Muriel says. “He was generous to others and expected respect. Whenever he set a goal, no matter how difficult to achieve, he would pursue it until he accomplished it.”

That’s the formula Berkman used to woo Muriel. That’s the formula that quickly earned his UGA degree and made multiple businesses succeed. That’s the formula that brought him a long and successful tenure in academe.

Harold Berkman poses for a photo in his military uniform

Harold Berkman was a man in full with a life in full – a life spangled in medals and honors, worthy of its proud place of remembrance at UGA.

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