20 Under 40 Recognition

Antos was recognized in 2022 as a national recipient of the Music Teacher of Excellence Award from the Country Music Association Foundation; as one of the Yamaha Corporation’s top “40 Under 40” music educators in the United States, and one of 10 Illinois Regional Teachers of the Year.

A two-time finalist for the Grammy Music Educator Award, Antos is a National Board Certified Teacher and is currently working toward his second doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Northern Illinois University. He resides in Frankfort, Ill., with his wife Samantha and their two sons, Milo and Max.

In 2019-2020, Bowen was awarded the Auburn University Student Affairs Legacy of Success. He has distinguished himself with his service to his students, campus partners and alumni, and assisted in establishing the partnership between Auburn Student Media, Auburn University’s EAGLES Program and the WEGL Alumni Affiliate.

In addition to his role in student media, Bowen is the lead play-by-play announcer for women’s basketball and softball for the Auburn Sports Network. He serves in a similar role with War Eagle Productions on SEC Network digital broadcasts. Bowen resides in Opelika with his wife, Jesse Bowen ’15, their daughter Mallie, and their dog Charlie.

Prior to Chptr, Parker was the CEO and Founder of Tailgate Guys. Duffey revolutionized gameday experiences for fans by creating customized premium tailgates. After starting in Auburn in 2009, Tailgate Guys expanded to more than 60 universities across the country, hosting an average of 3,000 tailgates every game day. In 2014, Duffey launched PRE Event Resources, which focused on rentals for large-scale events with the same exceptional service. Duffey successfully exited both companies to private equity in early 2020.

In 2015, Parker was recognized by Auburn University’s College of Business as Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and was also recognized by Sports Business Journal as a “College Sports Power Player” in 2019. He and his wife, Melanie Alemany Duffey ’07, live in Auburn with their two daughters, Elizabeth James and Margaret.

She received the 2023 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) New Investigator Award Grant, 2022 AACP Innovations in Continuing Professional Development Award, and 2020 AACP Walmart Scholarship. She lives in Nashville with husband, Codey Frederick ’14, their two dogs and a cat.

Vander Maten is active in the Atlanta business community, serving on the Chairman’s Circle in the Greater North Fulton Chamber and as a Select Cobb Pledge with the Cobb Chamber. A member of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors (ACBR), Vander Maten was recognized as a top producer in ACBR’s “Million Dollar Club” for the past two consecutive years.

Vander Maten co-organized “The Oaks,” an executive association of Atlanta-based business leaders with Auburn ties to network, share business advice and connect with one another. In addition to his Georgia real estate license, Vander Maten maintains an active CPA license with the Georgia State Board of Accountancy. He and his wife Becky live in Atlanta with their children, Clyde, Ruthie Mae and Penny.

Melas has interviewed countless celebrities, including Steven Spielberg, Hugh Jackman, Natalie Portman, Meek Mill, Naomi Watts, Queen Latifah and Jane Goodall. Her groundbreaking reporting into Kevin Spacey during the #MeToo era led to his dismissal from the feature film “All the Money in the World.”

In 2019, Melas created and hosted a television series for CNN’s HLN “Side Hustle Success,” which featured women who turned their hobbies into multimillion dollar businesses. Prior to joining CNN in 2016, Melas co-launched HollywoodLife, an entertainment website under the Penske Media Corporation.

A first-generation college student with degrees from Auburn, the University of Indianapolis and Purdue, Mitchell was named a member of the 2018 Harvard University’s Women in Education Leadership Cohort, a Jackson Scholars’ Recipient with the University Council for Educational Administration, and a Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship Recipient. She is most proud of her Congressional Recognition for Excellence in Education, in honor of her dedication to academic excellence for the students she serves.

Robinson owns Rockstar Kitchen at the Experience Estate, a 28.7 acre event venue property right outside of Atlanta with a demonstrable impact on the surrounding community. Utilizing his Masters in public health, he offers a garden-to-table cooking class on the property for school-age children that helps underserved areas fight adolescent childhood obesity and prevent long-term health problems.

In 2023, Robinson partnered with Auburn University’s culinary program to instruct students on various techniques, preparation and culinary entrepreneurship. He also hosts public master classes for the city of Auburn as well.

In addition to her position as a vice president, she is the executive director of the Scott Foundation, which is the corporate giving mechanism of Scott Bridge Company. Scott manages the annual distribution of more than a million dollars in grants assisting more than 30 organizations. Prior to her business and philanthropic experience, Scott served on multiple record-setting political campaigns, including re-election campaigns for a former Governor of Alabama and for Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia, both of which were successful.

Scott graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and finance and holds a Master of Professional Studies from Georgetown University in emergency and disaster management. As an alumna, Scott has enjoyed giving back to Auburn University in a variety of ways including serving on the engagement council for the Gogue Performing Arts Center and as an advisor to Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. She also serves on the board of trustees for Haggai International and Point University. Scott resides in Auburn, Ala. with her two pugs, Elvis and Priscilla.

Sledge graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2006 with a degree in software engineering. In 2013, she completed a Master of Science in information technology from Florida Institute of Technology. She serves on the board of directors for Girls Inc. of Huntsville and volunteers with students at local colleges. In 2020, Sledge was the recipient of the Women of Color Technology All-Star Award. Outside of work and volunteering, Sledge enjoys reading, traveling, watching Auburn football, and returning to the Plains.

The 2019-2020 president of the Auburn Student Government Association, Turton moved to Houston, Texas after graduation and began her marketing career with ExxonMobil. In her first role with the company, she focused on lead generation and marketing analytics, helping to improve the effectiveness of the team’s marketing strategies through data-driven insights.

While in Houston, Turton served as the president of the Greater Houston Auburn Club (GHAC). Under her guidace, the club reestablished regular events post-COVID, leading to a record number of engaged young alumni at events and on the volunteer board. In 2022, the GHAC funded its second endowed scholarship and was recognized for “Sports-Related Event of the Year” by the Auburn Alumni Association.

Wade currently serves on the board of directors for the North Georgia State Fair, and is involved with numerous civic and professional organizations, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, and Leadership Cobb Alumni Association.

Wade was named a Young Professional of the Year by American Council Engineering Companies, “Georgia’s Young Engineer of the Year” by the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers, a 20 Under 40 recipient by Cobb Life Magazine, and the Next Generation Award winner by Cobb Young Professionals—all within the past few years. Most recently, he was named West Cobb Citizen of the Year by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.

While at Ernst & Young, Jacob assisted clients across the US, gaining years of experience and expertise in the finance, accounting, and software industries. Harnessing the newfound knowledge and experience after re-locating in 2013, Jacob went on to establish an array of startups and investment opportunities, taking multiple companies from inception to acquisition while leading in every aspect from sales to operations and back-end support.

With a passion for real estate sales and development, Jacob officially began his real estate career in 2015. Focusing on development, new construction, and sales he, along with his business partner Hilary Farnum-Fasth, have personally sold over $1B+ in sales volume along the Florida panhandle. In 2020, Jacob and Hilary launched Corcoran Reverie through a merger of two boutique brokerages, 30A Realty and Hilary & Reverie. They have since grown the company to over 200 agents covering multiple markets. In 2022, Corcoran Reverie extended its reach beyond state lines with the opening of a new office in Nashville, TN, becoming one of the first real estate brokerages to successfully leverage the unique interconnectivity between the two markets. Since inception, Corcoran Reverie has achieved over $3B+ in sales volume while assisting countless families and investors with the acquisition and sale of properties.

Raised in Fairhope, Alabama Jacob attended Auburn University. At Auburn, Jacob was involved with several organizations while also serving as Student Body President in 2009-2010. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics in 2010 and a Masters of Business Administration in Finance in 2011. In addition to his career accomplishments, Jacob is active on the boards of multiple organizations including the Auburn University Alumni Board and the Sonder Project Board of Directors. Jacob resides in Inlet Beach with his wife, Devan, his son, Jay, and his daughter, Nora. They enjoy boating, fishing, paddle-boarding, time on the beach, and bike riding.