College of Business alumni to be honored at the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards

The University of North Texas Alumni Association will honor six outstanding alumni at the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards dinner on November 9. The awards showcase the caliber of the university’s alumni and celebrate the depth and breadth of their professional accomplishments and service to the community.

Three of the six awards will be given to College of Business alumni, including Don Millican ('74), the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award, Emily Mauzy (ʼ06, ʼ06 M.S.), the 2017 Distinguished Young Alumni Award winner, and Jim Fincher (ʼ69), the ULYS Knight Spirit Award winner. 

Distinguished Alumni Awards  First presented in 1965, this is the most prestigious award given by the UNT Alumni Association. It recognizes alumni for distinguished professional achievement that has merited the honor and praise of peers and colleagues. These individuals have made significant contributions to society, supported the university and served their fellow man; thus reflecting UNT extraordinarily.

  • Don Millican (ʼ74), will receive the 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award for his service and dedication to the UNT community. Millican is a CPA and CFO for George B. Kaiser in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is a retired partner with Ernst & Young. He spends as much time as he can championing UNT’s accounting program. Millican and his wife established the Don and Donna Millican Endowed Chair in Accounting, which attracts nationally recognized scholars to UNT’s accounting department, and he is a founding member of the Diamond Eagles Excellence Fund.

Distinguished Young Alumni Award – Created in 2011 in the image of the Distinguished Alumni Award, this award recognizes young alumni under the age of 40 for distinguished professional achievement that has merited the honor and praise of peers and colleagues. These individuals have made significant contributions to society, supported the university and served their fellow man; thus reflecting UNT extraordinarily.

  • Emily Mauzy (ʼ06, ʼ06 M.S.), will receive the 2017 Distinguished Young Alumni Award for her outstanding UNT spirit and industry work. Mauzy is a CPA and assistant vice president of corporate taxes for General Motors Financial in Fort Worth. She established the Emily Mauzy Accounting Scholarship in 2010, hoping to help students like herself succeed at UNT. This pairs well with her volunteering as a mentor for Fort Worth ISD students and as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children in foster care. Mauzy received the Outstanding Tax Student Award in 2006 and was selected as the Keynote Speaker for her College of Business graduation ceremony in 2006.

Ulys Knight Spirit Award – Presented since 1975, this award is given to any individual or group that has made noteworthy efforts to sustain spirit among the UNT family.

  • Jim Fincher (ʼ69), will receive the ULYS Knight Spirit Award for his enthusiastic spirit and contributions to UNT. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in Texas and Louisiana. He retired in January 2013 as Vice-President and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Burch, Fincher and Company, a Texas Professional Corporation of Certified Public Accountants after 38 years at that position. Fincher serves as the treasurer and chair of the budget committee for the UNT Foundation Board of Directors. He has been active in the UNT Alumni Association, serving on the Board for many years, including a term as president. He is a devoted fan of UNT Athletics. He is a Club Seat football season ticket holder at Apogee Stadium. He has attended all home games played at the stadium. He is a member of the Mean Green Scholarship Society and contributes annually to help fund a student-athlete’s scholarship. He encourages others to support all UNT athletic programs.

The 52nd annual 2017 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards dinner will be held on November 9 in UNT's Apogee Stadium HUB Club. This Distinguished Alumni Achievement Awards coincide with the university's homecoming weekend.