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Published on 07/19/21

UGA Alumni Association unveils the 2021 Class of 40 Under 40

By Danielle Bezila

The University of Georgia Alumni Association has unveiled the 40 Under 40 Class of 2021. This program celebrates the personal, professional and philanthropic achievements of successful UGA graduates under the age of 40. The honorees will be recognized during the 11th annual 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon Sept. 10 in the Tate Student Center on campus. 

This year’s outstanding group of young alumni includes a Major League Soccer communications director, United States Air Force commander, 11Alive News anchor, White House senior policy advisor and an award-winning writer.  

“We are excited to unveil this year’s class of 40 Under 40 and welcome them back home to Athens for the awards luncheon in September,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, executive director of alumni relations. “I continue to be amazed by the excellence of our young alumni. These outstanding individuals exemplify leadership in their industries and communities.” 

Nominations for 40 Under 40 were open from February to April, and more than 400 nominations were received for this year’s class. Honorees must have attended UGA and uphold the Pillars of the Arch, which are wisdom, justice and moderation. Additional criteria are available on the UGA Alumni Association website.  

“This year’s honorees highlight the transformational work UGA graduates are doing early in their careers,” said Meredith Gurley Johnson, executive director of alumni relations. “Among this year’s class are individuals who are solving some of the greatest challenges facing our country and the world. During a particularly challenging year, we are especially proud to call them members of the Bulldog family.”  

Tracey D. Troutman
Tracey D. Troutman

Among the honorees is Tracey D. Troutman, who earned a bachelor's degree in avian biology in 2007 and a master's degree in agricultural leadership in 2008 from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Troutman is director of the Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity at the United States Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in Washington, D.C.

The full 2021 Class of 40 Under 40, including their graduation year(s) from UGA, city, title and employer, are:   

  • Angela Alfano (ABJ '10, AB '10), New York, New York, senior director of corporate communications, Major League Soccer 
  • Jennifer Bellamy (ABJ '08), Atlanta, anchor, 11Alive News 
  • Lauren D. Bellamy (AB '04, JD '07), Atlanta, senior associate general counsel, Grady Health System 
  • Greg Bluestein (AB '04, ABJ '04), Dunwoody, Georgia, political reporter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution 
  • Marie Greene Broder (AB '06, ABJ '06, JD '10), Griffin, Georgia, district attorney, Griffin Judicial Circuit 
  • Gayle Cabrera (BBA '06), Cary, North Carolina, market president, SVP, Truist 
  • Mario Cambardella (BLA '06, MEPD '11, MLA '13), Chamblee, Georgia, founder/CEO, ServeScape 
  • Shontel Cargill (BS '10), Johns Creek, Georgia, assistant clinic director, Thriveworks 
  • Rebecca Chancey (BS '04), Atlanta, Georgia, lieutenant commander, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Public Health Service 
  • Carter Coe (MFR '11), Atlanta, managing partner, Chinook Forest Partners 
  • Harin J. Contractor (AB '04, AB '04), Washington, D.C., senior policy advisor, National Economic Council at the White House 
  • Tunisia Finch Cornelius (BS '04), Atlanta, doctor, Divine Dermatology & Aesthetics 
  • William Flowers Crozer (JD '12), Washington, D.C., vice president, BGR Group 
  • Jennifer A. Crozier (BS '06), Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, assistant professor and director of breast cancer research, Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center 
  • David A. Dy (BS '03), Tuscola, Texas, commander, 7 Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, United States Air Force 
  • Keith Giddens (MACC '04), Charlotte, North Carolina, market managing partner for Charlotte, Dixon Hughes Goodman 
  • Eric Gray (BSED '04), Atlanta, executive director, Catalyst Sports Inc. 
  • Cody Hall (AB '15), Dawsonville, Georgia, director of communications, Office of the Governor 
  • John Hyer (PHARMD '12), Murphy, North Carolina, CEO and owner, King’s Pharmacy 
  • Whitney Ingram (BS '11, PHD '16), Albuquerque, New Mexico, R&D S&E electronics engineer, Sandia National Laboratories 
  • Ryan Loke (AB '16), Atlanta, deputy chief operating officer, Office of the Governor 
  • Josh Mackey (AB '05), Atlanta, partner/founder, Capital City Public Affairs 
  • Ana Maria Martinez (BBA '04), Decatur, Georgia, president/staff attorney, Georgia Latino Law Foundation/DeKalb State Court 
  • Willie Mazyck (BSED '04, MED '06, MBA '14), Atlanta, senior vice president of talent development, XPO Logistics, Inc. 
  • Anna Wrigley Miller (AB '14), Watkinsville, Georgia, general government division manager, Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget 
  • E. Heath Milligan (BSFCS '05), Marietta, Georgia, principal, Macallan Real Estate 
  • David W. Okun (AB '12, AB '12), Alexandria, Virginia, country officer, U.S. Department of State 
  • Jitendra Pant (PHD '18), Ann Arbor, Michigan, scientific research fellow, University of Michigan 
  • Biren Patel (MBA '12), Macon, Georgia, founder and president, Biren Patel Engineering LLC 
  • Doug Reineke (AB '05), Atlanta, director of state development & advocacy, CareSource 
  • Victoria Sanchez (AB '08, MA '10), Washington, D.C., special assistant, U.S. Department of State 
  • Terrel Sanders (BS '05), Accra, Ghana, lieutenant commander, lab director, Infectious Diseases, Global Health Engagement, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3 Ghana Detachment 
  • Josh Sandler (BBA '09), Nairobi, Kenya, co-founder and CEO, Lori Systems 
  • Hilary Shipley (BSFCS '04), Savannah, Georgia, principal, Colliers International Savannah 
  • Bowen Reichert Shoemaker (ABJ '06), Macon, Georgia, assistant united states attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office 
  • Cara Winston Simmons (AB '03, MED '07, PHD '18), Athens, director and adjunct faculty, University of Georgia 
  • Daniel W. Stewart (BSFCS '05), Augusta, Georgia, president and COO, Wier / Stewart 
  • Brittany Thoms (ABJ '04), Watkinsville, Georgia, president, co-founder, See.Spark.Go 
  • Tracey D. Troutman (BSA '07, MAL '08), Washington, D.C., director, Office of Outreach, Diversity and Equal Opportunity, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service 
  • Raquel D. Willis (ABJ '13), Brooklyn, New York, writer, activist 

The UGA Alumni Association supports the academic excellence, best interests and traditions of Georgia’s flagship university by inspiring engagement through relevant programming, enhanced connections and effective communications. For more information, see alumni.uga.edu. 

Danielle Bezila is a communications coordinator with the University of Georgia Office of Communications for Development and Alumni Relations.

Authors:
Danielle Bezila
Experts/Sources:
Suzanne Griffeth
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