UGA Alumni Association Unveils 2019 Class of 40 Under 40

Danielle Bezila

Monday, July 1st, 2019

The University of Georgia Alumni Association has unveiled the 40 Under 40 Class of 2019. This program celebrates the personal, professional and philanthropic achievements of successful UGA graduates under the age of 40. The honorees will be recognized during the ninth annual 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon on Sept. 13 in the Tate Student Center on campus.

The 2019 class includes gold medal-winning Olympic swimmer Allison R. Schmitt; Super Bowl champion and children’s author Malcolm Mitchell; and alumni from a variety of industries including law, nonprofit, and food and beverage. Also among the honorees are Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s chief of staff Tim Fleming, ABC News correspondent Will Carr and Catherine Marti, a cardiologist in heart failure and transplant cardiology at Piedmont Heart Institute.

“We are excited to unveil this year’s class of 40 Under 40 and welcome them back home to Athens for the awards luncheon in September,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, executive director of alumni relations. “I am always amazed by the excellence of our young alumni. These outstanding individuals exemplify leadership in their industries and communities.”

Nominations for 40 Under 40 were open from February to April, and more than 400 alumni were nominated for this year’s class. Honorees must have attended UGA and uphold the Pillars of the Arch, which are wisdom, justice and moderation. Additional criteria are available on the UGA Alumni Association website.

“The achievements of our nominated alumni each year make it hard to narrow down the list to just 40 honorees, and this year was no exception,” said Johnson. “We are proud of all of these outstanding young graduates. Their drive and focus inspires the UGA community.”

This year’s 40 Under 40 honorees, including their graduation years from UGA, city, title and employer, are:

Brooke Beach, 2011, Brookhaven, CEO and founder, Marketwake

Rhett Bennett, 2003, Fort Worth, Texas, CEO, Black Mountain

Ansley A. Booker, 2013, Macon, director, Mercer University Educational Opportunity Center

Jamie C. Brown, 2002, 2007, San Antonio, Texas, chief of surgery, Department of Defense Military Working Dog Veterinary Services in the U.S. Army

Ashley Hayes Callahan, 2004, Atlanta, senior director of integrated creative marketing, Chick-fil-A Inc.

Will Carr, 2006, Glendale, California, correspondent, ABC News (National)

Kyle B. Davis, 2006, Mountain Brook, Alabama, special forces commander and recruiting director, U.S. Army Special Forces; co-founder & COO, Hydralive Therapy

David B. Dove, 2009, 2014, Marietta, executive counsel, Office of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp

Demetric Evans, 2011, Allen, Texas, captain, NFL Trust and NFL Players Association

Zachary Faison Jr., 2006, Jacksonville, Florida, president & CEO, Edward Waters College

Tim Fleming, 2005, Covington, chief of staff, Office of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp

Extriara C. Gates, 2011, Atlanta, student services team lead, Year Up Greater Atlanta

Christina Guillen, 2004, Fairburn, executive director, YouthServ360 Inc.; head of schools, 7 Pillars Career Academy

William W. Harkins, 2003, Marietta, global director of controllership, The Coca-Cola Company

Carmin Laurose Haynes, 2013, Stanford, California, senior account manager, Google

Hannah Kay Herdlinger, 2004, Charlotte, North Carolina, founder, Thread Talk

Clay Huffman, 2007, Atlanta, senior manager, Frazier & Deeter LLC

Adrienne M. Madison, 2013, Dothan, Alabama, chief musculoskeletal injury prevention and protection team, U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory

Anant Mandawat, 2008, Atlanta, director, cardio-oncology program at Emory University and Winship Cancer Institute

Catherine Marti, 2002, Athens, cardiologist in heart failure and transplant cardiology, Piedmont Heart Institute

Malcolm Mitchell, 2015, Atlanta, founder, Read With Malcolm

Colin Muething, 2007, 2009, Atlanta, licensed psychologist, program manager, assistant professor, Marcus Autism Center and Emory University School of Medicine

Ling-Ling Nie, 2001, Peachtree City, general counsel and vice president, Georgia Institute of Technology

Amanda Olson, 2003, Houston, Texas, associate professor, stem cell transplant and cellular therapy, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Cory Phillips, 2003, Cartersville, principal, Forge Consulting

Raymond N. Phillips, 2012, 2018, Lithonia, senior consultant, Daugherty Business Solutions

Cindy Mitchell Quinlan, 2002, 2003, 2009, Loganville, integrated entrepreneurship teacher, Gwinnett County Public Schools

Arezoo Risman, 2011, Atlanta, senior health communications specialist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; author, “Helping Kids Heal”

Christian M. Robinson, 2004, Charlotte, North Carolina, vice president, J.P. Morgan Chase

Allison R. Schmitt, 2014, Canton, Michigan, gold medal-winning Olympic swimmer and mental health advocate

Ryan E. Schnetzer, 2005, Macon, spine surgeon, OrthoGeorgia

Stephanie Mundy Self, 2007, Franklin, Tennessee, principal and partner, Farris, Self, & Moore

Katherine E. Shayne, 2016, 2018, Athens, co-founder and CEO, Can I Recycle This Inc.

Terri R. Stewart, 2003, 2006, Atlanta, partner, Fisher Phillips

Tina Taylor, 2003, 2005, Houston, Texas, tax senior manager, Ernst & Young

JaNae Taylor, 2003, 2007, Norfolk, Virginia, owner and psychotherapist, Taylor Counseling and Consulting Services

Blake Tillery, 2006, 2010, Vidalia, managing partner, Smith & Tillery; state senator for District 19

Bob Watts, 2010, Atlanta, associate, Jones Day

Robbie York, 2005, New York, New York, owner, American Whiskey

Scott Zweigel, 2002, 2005, Brookhaven, partner, Parker, Hudson, Rainer & Dobbs LL