The University of West Georgia’s National Alumni Association is pleased to announce 10 alumni will join its Board of Directors, and three will continue their service for a subsequent term. These UWG graduates will serve a three-year term from July 2022 through June 2025.
The new and continuing members bring the board to more than 40 members, representing classes from 1944 to 2020, with members spanning each decade.
“We are thrilled to welcome these fellow alumni who represent various generations, industries and talents to the board of directors,” said Allyson Bretch ’14, UWG’s executive director of alumni and constituent engagement. “I am excited about the association’s work as we partner with each of our board members to create meaningful and engaging experiences for our 73,000-member association and enhance current students’ experiences.”
New members include Amy Anderson ’91, Heather Collings ’09 ’10, Katie Curtis ’17, Drew Hopson ’17, Jessica Howe ’19 ’20, Jasmine Jones ’13, Nick Kuglar ’08 ’09, Bradford Mattox ’12, Zachary Rogers ’99 ’07 and Mandela Wise ’10. Continuing members are Ashlyn Arp ’15, Ashley Bush ’11 and Michael McDowell ’14 ’17. These board members were unanimously approved at the association’s annual meeting during Alumni Weekend earlier this year and began their three-year terms July 1, 2022.
Led by current Board Chair Brad Mock ’12 ’15, UWG’s National Alumni Association aims to foster relationships between a network of more than 73,000 alumni worldwide and the university through local, national, and international events and programming. The association operates in support of UWG’s mission while creating opportunities for meaningful engagement and to increase awareness, pride, participation, and philanthropic commitment to UWG.
New Board Members
Amy Anderson ’91 is a teacher at Coosa High School in Floyd County Schools. She teaches Advanced Placement English as well as dual enrollment for Georgia Northwestern Technical College. She previously served as chairman of the Greek alumni reunion committee and served four years on the alumni advisory board for Kappa Delta Sorority. Anderson loves the community at UWG and wants to help other alumni become more involved. She earned her bachelor’s degree from UWG in mass communications.
Heather Collings ’09 ’10 is an owner and chief financial officer for Collings Baseball, operating D-BAT Baseball and Softball Academies throughout the West Georgia region. She is a two-time recipient of an UWG Alumni Award, receiving the Thriving Under 30 Award in 2016 and the Thelma Harman Turner Alumni Loyalty Award in 2022. Through a corporate partnership with UWG Athletics, Collings has also been involved with A Day, UWG’s annual fundraising drive, and has mentored more than 20 students through Sport Management internships. Collings is a double alumna from UWG, earning bachelor’s degrees in management and marketing and an MBA.
Katie Curtis ’17 is the newly named public affairs specialist for AAA, The Auto Club Group. Curtis hopes to put her event planning, marketing and fundraising skills to use while building connections as a board member. She was Student Government Association vice president as an undergraduate and has been involved with other local non-profits. Curtis graduated from UWG with a bachelor of arts in English.
Drew Hopson ’17 is on the sales team at Logik.io. Hopson currently serves as a mentor for iMentor Chicago, is the president of the Chicago Alumni Association of Phi Kappa Psi and advises the Illinois Tech chapter of Triangle Fraternity. He lives in Chicago and is excited to work with his fellow board members to expand UWG alumni engagement beyond Carrollton and the metro Atlanta area. Hopson graduated in 2017 with a master’s of professional counseling.
Jessica Howe ’19 ’20 is a hedge analyst at Southwire. As a recent graduate, she hopes to bring a fresh perspective to the alumni board as we engage our newest alumni. Howe is the co-chair of the West Georgia/East Alabama UWG Alumni Chapter. She enjoys making connections with fellow UWG alumni at Southwire and in the Carrollton community. Howe is a double graduate from UWG with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and an MBA.
Jasmine Jones ’13 is a project manager at Accenture. Through her corporate career, she has developed strong communication and organizational skills that she plans to use as an active member of the Alumni Board. As a student, she fell in love with the community at UWG and is now excited to help with mentorship and connecting current UWG students with alumni. Jones graduated with her bachelor’s degree in mass communications.
Nick Kuglar ’08 ’09 is an agency owner for GEICO in Newnan. He is a member of the A Day to Give West fundraising drive steering team, which helps to raise annual support for UWG. Kuglar looks forward to helping build connections in the Newnan area. He has helped to create and lead sessions for this summer’s Wolves Virtual Lunch & Learn Series to connect recent and upcoming graduates with alumni who can help launch their careers and prepare them for their professional track. Kuglar is a double alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and an MBA.
Bradford Mattox ’12 is a mortgage banker for BankSouth Mortgage. He is a lead for the Atlanta Metro area Alumni Chapter and considers himself a brand ambassador for the university. Mattox is a former student-athlete who played baseball for the Wolves from 2009-11. As a new board member, Mattox is excited to help other alumni connect with UWG and to mentor current students. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from UWG.
Zachary Rogers ’99 ’07 is director of payroll operations for North America at The Coca-Cola Company. He and his wife recently invested in an annual scholarship to help students in UWG’s Richards College of Business to study abroad. He has volunteer service with Haralson County Chamber of Commerce, West Georgia Technical College, Sewell Mill Inc. and his local church. He hopes to use his years of leadership in accounting, finance, and entrepreneurship to add value to the alumni and student experience. Rogers is a double alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an MBA.
Mandela Wise ’10 is a marketing and communication specialist for the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office. As a former student-athlete, Wise played for the Wolves Football team. He aims to serve the university that aided in his growth as a scholar and citizen, and he looks forward to networking and connecting with alumni from different generations. Wise earned his bachelor’s degree in art from UWG.
Applications for future board service will be open this fall. For more information about the UWG Alumni Association or the Board of Directors, please visit the association’s website.
