Two honored at luncheon

UALR alumni have made their mark

It was a festive, almost post-covid-19 atmosphere in which Whitney Burgess and Henry C. “Hank” Kelley Jr. were honored March 12 at the Distinguished Alumni Luncheon hosted by the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Business. The mask-wearing guests, and the fewer seats per table there in the ballroom of the Little Rock Marriott, were the only signs that the pandemic isn’t over just yet.

Business school student ambassadors assisted the attendees, who caught up on socializing before sitting down to a meal whose highlight was a rich Cobb salad.

Lester Matlock, chief executive officer of Natural State Private Wealth Group, was master of ceremonies for an event that began and ended with remarks by Dr. Jane P. Wayland, dean of the UALR College of Business, Health & Human Services, and also included a few words by Dr. Christina Drale, UALR chancellor.

Jessica Blackburn introduced Burgess, vice president

of marketing and strategy for Mangan Holcomb Partners/ Team SI and recipient of the Dean’s Award for Excellence. Kelley — introduced by Ashvin Vibhakar, the Joe T. Ford Chair in Finance for

the School of Business — was presented with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. The CEO of Kelley Commercial Partners gave an acceptance speech that contained all the meat, and potatoes, of a keynote

address.

Stephen Malec, a senior finance major, shared about his experiences as a business student.

Stephanie Kelley, Kay Kelley Arnold and Tommie Kelley with honoree Hank Kelley

Honoree Whitney Burgess with Dean Jane Wayland and master of ceremonies Lester Matlock

Caroline Reddmann, Lizzy Chandler, Kelsey Blackmon, Sarah Henley and Aziza Carroll

Josiah Johnson, John Hall and Caleb Boutin

Cydney Smith, Ed Willis and Brooke Miller

Patti and former Little Rock Mayor Jim Dailey with current Mayor Frank Scott

Ambassador Ke’Mora Goodwin, Michael Johnson and Ambassador Nyah Peyton

Kenneth Reed and Joshua Gonzales

Kathy and Bruce Bender

Kristen Nicholson, Sharon Vogelpohl and Mary Claire Hill

Quynh Nguyen with Stephen Malec of Royal