Three UNT G. Brint Ryan College of Business alumni were honored this spring at the college’s annual Ascend Gala. Each year, the gala recognizes both students and alumni for their outstanding achievements, innovation and leadership.

Steve Willard (’80, BBA) and Randy Wright (’81, MS) were both inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame, the most prestigious honor conferred by the college. Hall of Fame recipients are vetted and selected for their professional achievements that have merited the honor and praise of their peers and colleagues.

As a UNT marketing graduate, Willard has had a career full of successes, including opening the first Infiniti Car Dealership in Dallas, helping to raise $10 million for the George W. Bush for President campaign, developing one of the first customer-friendly approaches to bill collection while working for ETAN Industries, and starting three companies for business process outsourcing: ATS Cloud, ETAN Tolling Solutions, and Advanced TeleSolutions. As a retiree, Willard now uses his time and talents to serve on the college’s Dean’s Advisory Board—heading its Corporate Partnerships Program and raising nearly half-a-million dollars for the college, to date.

Wright earned his master’s degree in accounting from UNT, while also teaching cost accounting for two years. Since graduation, he served in public accounting for 42 years and was a partner for 34 years. He is a retired partner of both Deloitte and BDO, and is currently an Executive Consultant to BDO, while continuing to serve selected clients and assisting with firm management. He has been an advocate for hiring UNT students at both firms and is a popular speaker to accounting student organizations.

I addition to Willard and Wright, Jordan Thurston (’16) was also honored with the college’s Rising Star award. The Rising Star award recognizes a recent alum that has shown exceptional growth in their profession, as well as a strong potential for future successes.

Thurston received his bachelor’s degree in organizational behavior and human resource management from UNT just seven years ago, and has since quickly climbed the corporate ladder in Compliance, Risk, and Governance—going from Assistant Vice President to Senior Vice President in just four years within the financial industry. He also gives back to the university by mentoring students and serving as a guest speaker.