The Belk College of Business honored four alumni and friends for their accomplishments, service, and dedication to the college at the 2022 Belk College Alumni Awards, held Thursday, Oct. 20 at UNC Charlotte Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.
The eighth annual Alumni Awards ceremony, presented by the Belk College Alumni Council, was held during Niner Nation Week.
"We are proud to honor four distinguished honorees, all of whom support our College and University," said Jennifer Troyer, dean of the Belk College of Business. "They are all strong leaders and serve as inspirations not only for our students but for the University, the Charlotte region and beyond."
Distinguished Alumna Award
Yvonne Hinson '86 Accounting, '90 MBA, CEO of the American Accounting Association, received the Belk College’s highest honor, the Distinguished Alumna Award.
Hinson has served as the Chief Executive Officer for the American Accounting Association since 2020. She began the role after serving as the Academic in Residence and Vice President of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA). A frequent speaker on academic and student initiatives, Hinson's background also includes an 18-year tenure with Wake Forest University as an Associate Professor of Accounting as well as Director of Accountancy, Director of Graduate Studies and Dean of Charlotte Programs. Hinson is a past president of the Federation of Schools of Accountancy and past Chair of the AAA Membership Advisory Committee.
Hinson earned both her Bachelor of Science in accounting and her MBA at UNC Charlotte where her late father, Dolan Hinson, taught accounting and finance courses for more than 30 years.
"Your university really does give you so much, it sets the trajectory for your life — giving back and being a part of your university as you move forward is something that we should all do," said Hinson. "Receiving the Belk College of Business Distinguished Alumni Award has been the greatest honor."
The Distinguished Alumni Award celebrates alumni who have had a transforming influence on the college and the community over a lifetime.
Distinguished Alumni Service Award
Joe Price '83 Accounting, partner at Falfurrias Capital, received the Distinguished Alumni Service Award.
Price, who earned a Bachelor of Science in accounting, was the third alumnus to serve as chair of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees. He has also shared his strategic vision as a member of the Belk College of Business Board of Advisors, the University's Exponential Capital Campaign and the Turner School of Accountancy Advisory Board. Price has championed the UNC Charlotte Habitat for Humanity student organization as well as Charlotte 49ers athletics.
Price has more than 30 years of senior operating management experience in executive roles including former Chief Financial Officer as well as former President of Consumer and Small Business Banking for Bank of America prior to joining Falfurrias Capital Partners.
"My success and others' success is rooted in what we learned here," Price said. "I hope others get the same experience of being part of an organization and giving back to it over time because it's a very fulfilling thing."
The award recognizes outstanding service to the Belk College.
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award
Senator Dave Craven '12 Accounting, Finance, Political Science received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.
Sen. Craven was elected to the North Carolina Senate in 2020 and is the second youngest serving member of the body. He has eight years of community banking experience and serves as the Senior Vice President at Fidelity Bank focusing on business development. He was appointed to the board of directors for the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina in 2016 by the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives and has served as the treasurer, vice chairman and chairman for the Randolph County Economic Development Corporation. While a student, Sen. Craven served as study body president from 2011 to 2012 and as a member of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees.
Craven earned a Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting and finance as well a Bachelor of Arts in political science from UNC Charlotte.
"I look around this room at people who have been so influential," Sen. Craven said. "To be a 21-year old-student who got to talk and interact with folks like this had a lasting experience and impact on my life today."
The award recognizes an alumnus/a who is under 40, has demonstrated achievement and shows a promising future in business.
Honorary Alumnus Award
Fred Klein, senior managing partner at Childress Klein, received the Honorary Alumni Award.
Klein serves on the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees and is a founding member of the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate. He has previously served on the UNC Charlotte Foundation Board as well.
He is an ardent supporter of the Belk College. Klein and his business partner Don Childress named the Childress Klein Center for Real Estate with generosity totaling over $2.5 million to the University. He has also named the Childress Klein Distinguished Professorship in Real Estate and Urban Economics, the Childress Klein Fund for Professional Training for M.S. in Real Estate students, the Childress Klein Faculty Fellowships Fund, and the Childress Klein Fund for Research Grants. He also launched and led the fundraising efforts to establish the Steven Ott Distinguished Professorship.
Klein previously served Trammell Crow Company as both partner and regional partner before forming Childress Klein in 1988. Childress Klein has grown to become one of the largest full-service commercial real estate firms in the Southeast.
The "light bulb turned on" in the 1990s, when Klein realized UNC Charlotte’s importance in bringing large businesses to Charlotte, he said.
"I thought, wow, this university is really important to the success of our region. I made the decision to become involved in the university and help it in any way I possibly could," Klein said.
The award recognizes individuals who, while not graduates of the Belk College, have made significant contributions to its leadership, vision and educational mission.
More photos from the 2022 Belk College Alumni Awards
