Black Alumni Awards

Del Anderson, a small animal veterinarian, currently serves as the medical director at Inman Park Animal Hospital, a Southern Veterinary Partners (SVP) practice in Atlanta. His leadership and extensive medical expertise have elevated Inman Park Animal Hospital to a top-ranking SVP practice. In recognition, he received SVP’s 2023 Regional Growth Award.

Beverly H. Banister retired from the US Environmental Protection Agency in 2020 after more than 36 years, 19 of which were spent in the Senior Executive Service. Banister was inducted into the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame in 2021 and currently serves as co-chair of Auburn University’s 100+ Women Strong.

Alana Dillette is the co-founder of CODE, co-director of Tourism RESET and an associate professor in the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at San Diego State University. She was also is a researcher involved with to date the largest BIPOC Travel Consensus dataset co-produced by NOMADNESS and Tourism RESET. A former Olympic swimmer, Dillette represented the Bahamas at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Chris Heard is co-owner and managing principal at Hendrick, Inc., an Atlanta-based architecture and design firm. A member of the Hendrick team for more than 30 years, Heard’s commitment to client satisfaction, attention to detail and superior project management skills have helped establish and maintain the firm’s highest standards.

Tony Holland has more than 40 years of experience in the pharmacy industry and is a previous president and chairman of the Alabama Pharmacy Association board of trustees. Holland served as vice president of the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Licensure Advisory Board and served as a member of the Harrison College of Pharmacy Dean’s Advisory Council. Tony currently serves as a pharmacist with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) in rural Alabama.

Wayne Little is orchard manager for the Weyerhaeuser Company’s orchard in Lyons, Ga., with more than 40 years in the forestry industry’s public and private sectors. He is responsible for planning and  implementing to meet targets for genetically improved seedlings bred for durability and quality. Little supports diversity initiatives as a member of the Woodlands and Wildlife Society, and directs support to various endowed scholarships.

Churmell Mitchell has served as executive director of the Alabama Head Start Association since August 2023, offering essential training and resources as well as representing their interests across state and national levels. A board member for the Children’s Trust Fund in District 3, Mitchell completed his pastoral degree from Highlands College and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in physical education from Auburn.

Megan Thomas-Sheehy is an economist at the Bureau of Economic Analysis under the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington D.C. A former senior economist at S&P Global, she currently serves on the leadership board for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences and is a member of the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ Diversity & Inclusion Council.

Stephanie Todd is Bank of America’s global operations data steward, responsible for executing programs that control, mitigate and monitor data risk within operational processes, and for compliance to data privacy law rules and regulations globally. A previous consultant for EY and Accenture, Todd is an alumni of the Junior League of Charlotte, Leadership Charlotte, Access Charlotte and INROADS, a nonprofit career resource center for diverse students.

Necole Floyd-Turner is program director of the Paralegal Studies Program at Georgia Piedmont Technical College, is a deputy director with the Global Chamber of Commerce Atlanta and serves as the Young Global Leaders Chair. A former private client banker for JP Morgan, Floyd-Turner is also an entrepreneur, author and podcast host. She co-founded The Floyd Turner Foundation, Inc. which focuses on food insecurity among college students.

Clarence Stewart is Auburn University’s assistant vice president for Campus Safety and Compliance. He is the former assistant chief for Auburn Police Department, capping a career of exemplary service and leadership that began nearly two decades earlier as a patrol officer. A U.S. Army veteran as well, Stewart completed the National FBI Academy in 2019. In 2021, he earned a PhD in Adult Education from Auburn University, complementing his two previous degrees from Troy University.

Bettina D. Wright is the assistant director for patient care practice at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, overseeing clinical operations in multiple surgery centers. A retired Air Force officer with 21 years of dedicated service, she is a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNPc) candidate with a Nurse Executive certification as well. Her dedication to improving patient outcomes and developing future nurses  is embodied through her extensive contributions to publications, conferences and support of the Auburn College of Nursing.