Mays celebrates 2020 Outstanding Alumni

Almost six months to the date of the originally planned celebration disrupted by Coronavirus, on October 8, 2020, Mays friends and family gathered at the Texas A&M Hotel and via Zoom to celebrate and honor the 2020 Outstanding Alumni. Safety protocol was followed with 6-feet spaced tables seating six instead of their regular 12, facemasks were worn at all times unless eating, and the event was moved to a hybrid virtual/in-person structure. The in-person celebration, though smaller than past years, was a welcomed reminder of our collective humanity and love of Mays Business School.

As the highest honor a Mays Business School graduate can receive from the college, recipients of the Mays Outstanding Alumni Award are recognized for leading lives of distinction and embodying the Aggie core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service.

Coming from different backgrounds and walks of life, these recipients are chosen for their activity in their communities and continued involvement within the Mays community. Mays recognized the three 2020 Outstanding Alumni inductees at the 28th annual Outstanding Alumni Awards Dinner.

The honorees are Laura C. Fulton ’85, Randall B. Hale ’85, and Blake A. Pounds ’89.

So far, Mays has honored 91 former students who have reached outstanding achievements and have made significant contributions within their respective fields, as well as within Mays and their surrounding communities.

2020 Honorees

Laura C. Fulton ’85 is the vice-president of finance for the American Bureau of Shipping

Fulton graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

Fulton, who started as an auditor at Deloitte & Touche, reached a career milestone when she assisted Hi- Crush Partners LP in becoming a publicly-traded company as the organization’s CFO. In 2019, “Oil & Gas Investor” magazine recognized Fulton as one of the “25 Most Influential Women in Energy.”

At the dinner, Fulton mentioned her multi-generational Aggie family and called out her dad, Daniel Clinton ’52, Texas A&M Distinguished Alumni Recipient, and the ways that they have supported her.

“A lot of people think of giving back t0 A&M as a giving of money but I think of it as giving yourself– giving your time and your talents.”

 

Learn more about Laura: tx.ag/Fulton

 

 

 

Randall B. Hale ’85 is founder and managing director of Rock Hill Capital Group

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

At the Outstanding Alumni Dinner, Hale said that it was an honor to be on the stage after seeing the names and the pictures of the past recipients of the Outstanding Alumni Awards on the screen during the dinner.

“Certainly an unexpected award for me, I didn’t anticipate receiving it. Thanks to Dr. Jim Benjamin and a few other phenomenal business teachers, I am where I am today.”

 

 

Learn more about Randall: tx.ag/Hale

 

 

 

Blake A. Pounds ’89 serves as Accenture’s Houston Office Managing Director where he leads more than 2,000 professionals and oversees developing local business relationships, expanding civic presence, and fostering employee engagement.

Pounds graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Pounds said at the dinner that in the same way that iron sharpens iron, so had the family, friends, and colleagues in the room sharpened him to be the man he was.

“Texas A&M has given me a lot and it’s neat now, later in my career, to be able to give back and to give opportunities to current students.”

 

Learn more about Blake: tx.ag/Pounds

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn more about the 2020 Outstanding Alumni: tx.ag/OA2020