2015 Annual Alumni Luncheon Highlights the Value of Education

The Fogelman College of Business & Economics (FCBE) hosted its 23rd Alumni Day Luncheon last Thursday to celebrate some of the school's most distinguished graduates and honor their significant support.

David Wedaman, chairman and CEO of ReTrans, Inc., received the Outstanding Alumnus award. Brett Norman, CEO and founder of AgSmarts, Inc., was named Outstanding Young Alumnus. Charles McVean, chairman and CEO of McVean Trading & Investments, LLC, was awarded Distinguished Friend of the College. The keynote speaker for the luncheon was Donald E. Godwin, trial lawyer and lead counsel for Halliburton.

David Wedaman, who graduated in 1980 with a BBA in accounting, was honored as this year's Outstanding Alumnus. He founded ReTrans in 2002, and has since then grown the company to a national level. It currently operates with thirty-five offices across the nation.

Charles McVean, the visionary behind the Peer Power Foundation, was named the Distinguished Friend of the College. Peer Power is a nonprofit organization that recruits and trains high-performing students as tutors and mentors of their peers. Several years ago, Fogelman College and Peer Power partnered together to implement this peer-tutoring platform on a collegiate level.

Brett Norman, a FCBE International MBA graduate, received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. In 2014, Norman co-founded AgSmarts, Inc. which helps agricultural producers of all size and type boost their productivity and profitability.

David Wedaman and Charles McVean were also inducted into the Fogelman College Hall of Fame, which recognizes our Outstanding Alumni and Distinguished Friends.

The luncheon was concluded by the keynote speaker, Donald E. Godwin, a FCBE School of Accountancy alumnus. Godwin is currently the lead trial lawyer for Halliburton in connection with all civil litigation and investigations concerning BP's Macondo well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. He was also the lead counsel for Halliburton in its asbestos and silica litigation. Godwin has been recognized by Chambers USA since 2014 in the area of General Commercial Litigation and he was selected to the Lawdragon 500, a group that recognized the 500 leading lawyers in America. He has also been named one of The Best Lawyers in America since 2012; and, most recently, he was named one the 50 Lions of the Texas Bar, a group that is comprised of the top 50 most notable lawyers in Texas.

"All of the award winners reinforced the importance of integrity, hard work, and a well-rounded education. These are the same values we reinforce at Fogelman College," said Dr. Rajiv Grover, dean of the Fogelman College of Business & Economics. "It is inspiring to hear accounts from individuals who have achieved success by implementing these values in their personal and professional lives."