Tennessee Tech Alumni Association
Alumni credit Tennessee Tech for personal and professional success at 2023 Evening of Excellence
The Tennessee Tech University Alumni Association recognized five alumni as outstanding at the annual Evening of Excellence awards dinner during Homecoming weekend.
Lamar Moore (`12 finance and `13 MBA) received the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, which is given to an accomplished Tech graduate age 40 or younger. During his time at Tech, Moore was a member of the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference Championship Golden Eagle football team. He later graduated from Nashville School of Law and served in leadership positions with Bank of America and First Horizon. Today, Moore serves as vice president and senior credit officer within the entertainment division for City National Bank.
“This recognition is not only a testament to my achievements since graduating, but it’s also a reflection of the incredible education, support and athletic opportunities that this institution provided me,” Moore said. “I would like to thank the faculty members, especially those in the College of Business, who played a significant role in shaping my academic and professional career. Their dedication to teaching and their commitment to excellence have been instrumental in preparing me for the challenges in the real world. The knowledge and skills I acquired during my time at this university have been valuable in my career and have set me apart from my peers.”
Moore says his experience playing football taught him discipline, teamwork and perseverance, and the Tech community became invaluable.
“I was a sophomore at Tech when I lost my mom,” he said. “The Tech family – the football team, the professors – wrapped their arms around me. I had that family, that home away from home, there to support me.”
Michael (`19 interdisciplinary studies) and Cigi England (`06 human ecology) received the Outstanding Service Award for their nonprofit which has touched lives across the Upper Cumberland. The Englands established The Exceptional Bean, a coffee shop dedicated to inclusion and employment opportunities for individuals with special needs.
“I was originally here at Tech from 1999 to 2006,” Michael said. “It could best be described as failure to launch. I made poor decisions. I dropped out of Tech – no, I flunked out of Tech. But I re-enrolled in 2019 and earned a degree in interdisciplinary studies. The College of Interdisciplinary Studies was the right place for me. It taught me about human resources and business. I didn’t know it at the time, but we would soon be opening a coffee shop.”
The Englands volunteer with several organizations that assist people with disabilities, and this inspired them to open The Exceptional Bean.
“The one thing we learned from spending time with special needs families is that the world is not built for them,” Michael said. “They can’t go just anywhere. They desperately want to be employed. I looked at work as something I had to do. When I spend time with the employees at the coffee shop, I learn that working is something I get to do.”
Like Michael, Cigi also says Tech was the right fit for her.
“Without Tennessee Tech, I don’t think I would be who I am today,” Cigi said. “I’m from Whitwell, Tenn. I graduated with 83 people and was a first-generation college student. Tech was the place for me. Tech welcomed me. Tech made me who I am today. And I am so grateful to be here.”
David K. Morgan (`74 accounting) received the Outstanding Philanthropy Award. Morgan is a certified public accountant. In 1984, he and others formed Lattimore, Black, Morgan & Cain, PC, now known as LBMC, one of the nation’s top 30 accounting and professional services firms.
Morgan recalls that during his time at Tech, he was assigned to Tech’s accounting department for his work study position.
“That meant I got to know Dr. Joe Thorn, head of the accounting department at the time, Dr. Don Cook, Dr. Jim Barker and Dr. Ed Waters,” Morgan said. “These men were all excellent teachers, and even more, they cared about their students on a personal basis. I not only learned accounting from them, but I learned valuable life lessons as well.”
Since graduating from Tech, Morgan has given back to the university that he says prepared him for success. He has supported students with various contributions to scholarships and international travel and, in 2021, established the David K. Morgan Faculty Fellowship which recognizes and rewards an outstanding faculty member in the accounting department.
“I have always thought it important to support Tech, because this is where my professional education occurred,” Morgan said. “I will always be grateful to Tech for all it has provided to me, and I hope I can continue to provide support that allows future students and faculty members to be successful.”
W. Antoni Sinkfield, Ph.D. (`88 marketing) received the Distinguished Alumnus Award, Tech’s highest alumni honor.
Sinkfield is an ordained itinerant elder in the African American Episcopal Church and the associate dean for community life at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. A recognized scholar, pastor and community leader, Sinkfield is a founding member of Nashville Organized for Action and Hope, a city-wide social action organization fighting for justice for the underserved.
“When I think back to my time at Tech, I am reminded of my journey of being a middle-of-the-road student-athlete with dreams of becoming a professional football player under the leadership of Coach Jim Ragland to becoming the person that I am today,” Sinkfield said. “I owe a debt of gratitude to this remarkable institution which provided me with a foundation upon which I built my life’s work.”
Sinkfield served on the Health Sciences and Behavioral Sciences Institutional Review Board at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and contributed to the President’s Ad Council Faith Advisory Steering Committee on COVID-19 education and vaccines and the Feeding America Faith Advisory Group for the Biden administration.
“These experiences have allowed me to make a difference in the lives of many, and I am grateful for the education and values I gained at Tennessee Tech that enabled me to do so,” Sinkfield said. “Tech provided me with an education that goes beyond the classroom, instilling in me values of humility. I’m deeply touched by this recognition, and I promise to continue striving to make a positive impact on the world guided by the values I learned right here.”
