Alumni News
1980s
Stephen L. Bailey, BBA ’83, assumed new leadership position as, president and CEO and interim chief financial officer of emerging technologies and mineral resources development company, HXPN, Inc.
John Beall, BBA ’85, joined TMGcore, Inc., as the chief financial officer. Headquartered in Plano, TMGcore manufactures and designs mobile data centers that have leading-edge, high-performance computing solutions for virtually any environment.
Scott Wilson, BBA ’89, was named vice president of Global Advisory Services and Business Development Directors of Unisys Corp. Prior to joining Unisys Corp., Wilson was a managing director in the Resources Operating Group working with clients on re-imagining operating models and how they intersect with digital transformation.
1990s
Holli C. Ladhani, BBA ’92, was elected to Marathon Oil Corporation’s Board of Directors to serve on the committee for Audit and Finance and Health, Environmental, Safety and Corporate Responsibility. Prior to her time at Marathon, she served as president and CEO of Select Energy, which provides end-to-end water and chemical solutions to oilfield operators.
Nipul Patel, BBA ’94, was appointed to lead Well Fargo’s Real Estate Banking within its Commercial Real Estate group as of July 2021. Patel will oversee balance sheet lending for office, multifamily, mixed-use, industrial and retail properties, including construction financing, acquisition financing and permanent financing.
Brian White, BBA ’96, was appointed to the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) Board of Directors, a nonprofit association that promotes advanced technologies for the automation of homes and buildings. White is currently the director of digital marketing for Rheem, a manufacturing company based out of Atlanta.
Chip Gaines, BBA ’98, and his wife, Joanna, launched the Magnolia Network and app on the Discovery+ streaming service in July. Content includes an original series of workshops covering a range of topics, including design, cooking, home decor, gardening and more.
Jeff Cummins, MBA ’99, earned his sixth Five Star Wealth Manager Award. As a CFP, he started his comprehensive financial planning practice in 2002 and specializes in consulting business owners, physicians and workers nearing retirement.
Ace Roman, BBA ’99, was promoted to chief financial officer and new executive committee member at Granite Properties. As a previous director of finance, he will continue leading financial strategy and manage capital, corporate, finance and portfolio management. Over the past year, Roman secured financial negotiations totaling $570 million in Dallas, Southern California and Atlanta.
2000s
Jerry Gannaway, MBA ’01, recently retired from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics as the F-35 program manager for Singapore. Gannaway has been selected to participate in a nine-month program called Leadership Clarksville in Tennessee.
Sarah Kennedy Ellis, BBA ’04, joined the board of directors at Ansira, an independent global marketing technology and services firm that provides strategic planning for clients. Ellis is VP at Google’s Global Growth and Demand division and a member of the Hankamer School of Business Advisory Board.
2010s
Laura Lea, MBA ’13, was appointed new vice president of Transwestern Real Estate Services in Dallas. As a new addition to the Healthcare Advisor Team, Lea aids clients concerning site selection, lease negotiations and transaction management.
Amira Lewally, BBA ’15, was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Hollywood & Entertainment. Lewally serves as a supervising producer at A&E Networks, producing works such as “The Secret Origins of Hip Hop” and “Biography: TLC.”
Giampetro Ippolito, BBA ’16, MBA ’20, was hired as the new administrative services and finance director for the City of Greenville starting in September 2021. He previously worked in physician recruiting, operations and revenue cycle management at Envision Healthcare.
Caleb Mann, BBA ’17, was hired as head of projects at ICON Technology, a construction company that utilizes 3D printing, robotics, software and advanced materials in their engineering and homebuilding efforts.
Elmo Lopez, Jr., MBA ’18, received the President’s Community Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding civic leaders who advance the welfare of the Laredo community. Lopez serves as the CEO at Gateway Community Health Center.
Faculty
Dan Jennings, former Entrepreneurship professor, passed away in November 2021. Jennings taught at the Hankamer School of Business from 1984 to 1997 alongside Baylor President Linda Livingstone and former HSB Dean Terry Maness, among many others.