UA’s HES to Present Jack Davis Alumni Awards

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama College of Human Environmental Sciences will present the Jack Davis Professional Achievement Awards during upcoming homecoming activities on campus.

This year’s honorees include Lisa Gianni Aaron, Carlisha Hartzog, Todd A. Hoover, Kevin R. Jackson, Beverly Flowers Jordan, Erica Jordan, Lindsay Ann Kemp, Jonathan Millican, Donna Seibels, Douglas Walker and Craig Williams.

The awards are presented annually to outstanding CHES alumni for their professional accomplishments. The awards have been given out since 1986. With this year’s presentations, the College will have awarded the recognition to more than 200 alumni.

Dr. Lewis Clifton “Jack” Davis, a Tuscaloosa dentist, was a pioneer in emphasizing nutrition and dentistry. Born in Gordo, his father, grandfather and great-grandfather represented 102 years of Pickens County physicians.

2015 Jack Davis Professional Achievement Award recipients

Lisa Gianni Aaron
Aaron, of Livingston, New Jersey, is the director of store planning for the internationally famous French jewelry company Van Cleef and Arpels, founded in 1896 in Paris. She is responsible for managing construction, renovation and visual merchandising for their flagship boutiques around the world. Aaron’s career has also included store design and interior decoration for Barneys New York, Polo Ralph Lauren and Club Monaco. She graduated from The University of Alabama’s CIDA accredited interior design program in the College of Human Environmental Sciences, as well as completing a minor in Italian.

Carlisha M. Hartzog

Hartzog, of Mobile, is the managing member of Hartzog Consulting, LLC, which offers consulting, branding and project management services to individuals, organizations and corporations such as Alabama Power, the Senior Bowl and the University of South Alabama. She also serves as adjunct marketing professor in the division of business at Spring Hill College and is the founder of Urbane, an e-boutique offering designer fashion and accessories for men and women. Hartzog is a board member for the Distinguished Young Women scholarship program and is accredited by the British Fashion Council. She received her bachelor’s degree in fashion retailing with minors in business, marketing and Spanish from The University of Alabama and her master’s degree in business administration from The University of South Alabama.

Todd A. Hoover

Hoover, of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the program manager for Army Wellness Center Operations for the U.S. Army Public Health Command, where his focus is on addressing the major causes of illness and injury from a prevention standpoint and providing standardized, evidence-based wellness services for soldiers, family members, retirees and civilians. His work has pioneered innovations in the integration of technology for wellness. Among his numerous awards and official citations by the U.S. Army and Navy, Hoover was selected as Senior Civilian of the Year in 2002 and twice received the Commanders Award for Civilian Service. He has been frequently published and invited to present at major conferences and workshops around the world. Hoover received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Mount Olive and his master’s degree in health science from The University of Alabama.

Kevin Jackson

Jackson, of Whittier, North Carolina, is a computer specialist and desktop support service manager for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. In that role, he developed an interactive website for online language preservation and learning and has continued to expand the use of information technology within the tribe to preserve its unique and important history. Jackson also serves as mentor for a Costa Rica eco study tour that offers local youth the opportunity to learn about sustainability and share their culture with the indigenous people of Costa Rica. He is chairman of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Code of Ethics Committee and a board member of the Cherokee Youth Council and the Jones Bowman Fellowship, which help working adults and youth enhance leadership qualities while becoming more knowledgeable of Cherokee culture, traditions, governance and sovereignty. Jackson received his bachelor’s degree in business management from Montreat College and his master’s degree in human environmental science with a specialty in interactive technology from The University of Alabama.

Beverly Flowers Jordan

Jordan, of Enterprise, is a partner and primary care physician at Professional Medical Associates as well as clinical adjunct assistant professor in the UA School of Medicine’s department of family medicine. A fellow with the American Academy of Family Physicians, Jordan has received numerous honors and awards throughout her career and was named Young Alumnus of the Year by the UA School of Medicine in 2014. She holds several professional memberships and serves as the Alabama delegate for the American Medical Association and speaker of the Medical Association for the state of Alabama. She has been frequently published and invited to present at universities and professional conferences on topics ranging from rural practice to cardiovascular disease to depression. Both her bachelor’s degree in athletic training and her doctoral degree in medicine are from The University of Alabama.

Erica Florence Jordan

Jordan, of Pearland, Texas, is a clinical assistant professor of human development and family studies at the University of Houston, where she teaches courses related to marriage, contemporary families and parent-child relationships. She also serves as consultant for the Attack Infant Mortality health education and research initiative that she developed in partnership with the Florida Department of Health while serving as assistant professor of psychology at the University of West Florida. She has received numerous grants and contracts for her research and earned an Excellence in Teaching Award from UWF. Her bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications is from Samford University, and she obtained both her master’s degree in human environmental sciences and her doctoral degree in psychology from The University of Alabama.

Lindsay Ann Kemp

Kemp, of Mobile, is a designer for Ralph Lauren New York, where she manages all phases of garment design to create apparel collections and prepare them for showroom presentation. She has successfully designed and marketed apparel collections for numerous world renowned fashion labels such as Nautica, Narciso Rodriguez, Brooks Brothers and Sperry Topsider. Kemp earned her bachelor’s degree in apparel and textiles with a minor in marketing from The University of Alabama.

Jonathan E. Millican

Millican, of Birmingham, is the director of financial planning operations for Kinsight LLC, where he coordinates a team of financial planners to offer custom services that align with the life goals of some 180 client families. He is a member of the Financial Planning Association and the Estate Planning Council of Birmingham Inc. Millican earned his bachelor’s degree in consumer science from The University of Alabama, where he was named most outstanding student in family financial planning.

Donna R. Seibels

Seibels, of Birmingham, is an assistant professor at Samford University as well as director of the didactic program in dietetics and clinical coordinator of the nutrition and dietetics program.  A registered and licensed dietician and member of multiple professional organizations, she has been published in scholarly journals and periodicals, and she has given a number of presentations. Seibels earned her bachelor’s degree in coordinated dietetics from Auburn University and her master’s degree in nutrition is from The University of Alabama.

Douglas L. Walker

Walker, of Tuscaloosa, is the senior associate athletics director and the associate athletics director for communications at The University of Alabama. He is the primary communications contact for the department of athletics and its primary adviser to the UA president on public relations issues. He has served as press officer for a number of prolific sporting events, such as the Olympic and Pan-American games and has been named best in the nation by the College Sports Information Directors of America for excellence in sports communication and information. Walker received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M University and his master’s degree in sports management is from The University of Alabama.

Craig M. Williams

Williams, of Tuscaloosa, is the owner of The Avenue Pub, which he opened in January 2014 in downtown Tuscaloosa. Before opening his own restaurant, Williams was the general manager of Buffalo Phil’s pub and café, where he oversaw a staff of some 70 employees in two franchised locations. Williams is known for fostering a rewarding atmosphere of responsibility and accountability. At The Avenue Pub, he continues those successful strategies, combining them with a focus on fresh, quality ingredients and made-from-scratch menu items. His bachelor’s degree in restaurant and hospitality management is from The University of Alabama, where he was a member of the Gamma Beta Phi honors society and the Eta Sigma Delta hospitality society.