2017 Annual Alumni Luncheon Highlights the Importance of Hard Work

For release:  December 14, 2017

The Fogelman College of Business & Economics (FCBE) hosted its 25th Alumni Day Luncheon in November to celebrate three of the school's most distinguished graduates. Kenneth A. May, CEO of Topgolf, and Michael E. Kisber, president of FTN Financial, each received the Outstanding Alumnus award. Reginald Porter Jr., the senior vice president of Enterprise Operations for ALSAC, was named Outstanding Young Alumnus.

Kenneth May, a 1983 graduate with a BBA in Real Estate, was honored with the Outstanding Alumnus award. Before joining Topgolf as COO in 2013, he spent 25 years working at FedEx, culminating with his role as CEO for FedEx Kinkos (now FedEx Office). Ken prides himself on having personal relationships with employees and says his greatest passion is the development of successful leaders.

Michael Kisber, who graduated in 1981 with a BBA in Sales, also received the Outstanding Alumnus award. He joined FTN Financial in 1993 as a sales representative. He became senior vice president of sales in 2006, then executive vice president in 2008. In 2011, he was promoted to his current position of president. In his acceptance speech, Michael referred to a time when one of his Fogelman College professors would not allow him to pass a course due to absenteeism, even though his grades on assignments and exams were high enough to pass. He recalled the professor explained that he would not allow him to "just get by" and that he needed to put in hard work to succeed. Kisber credits much of his professional success to this lesson.

Reginald Porter Jr., a 2016 FCBE Executive MBA graduate, received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award. He is responsible for evaluating the ALSAC enterprise in order to facilitate the solidification of the enterprise-wide prioritization strategy. He also leads the organization's Community Citizenship Responsibility activities.

Kenneth May and Michael Kisber were also inducted into the Fogelman College Hall of Fame, which recognizes our Outstanding Alumni and Distinguished Friends.

"All of the award winners stressed the importance of hard work and the significant impact it has had on their lives. Hard work is one of the key characteristics embodied by our faculty here at Fogelman College and a core value that they strive to instill in their students," said Dr. Rajiv Grover, dean of the Fogelman College of Business & Economics. "Fogelman College is committed to student success and this is evident in the achievements of our alumni."