UNA Pressroom

Homecoming 2022 Award Winners Announced

Aug. 02, 2022



Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@60654a.com, 256.765.4392

FLORENCE, AL – Winners of the 2022 Homecoming awards have been announced by officials at the University of North Alabama. Homecoming is set for Sept. 22-24.

“Homecoming 2022 will mark UNA’s first as a Division I institution,” said Justin “Bishop” Alexander, Alumni Relations Director. “As such, it was vital that our award winners reflect the institution’s rich history as well as its new path forward.”

This year’s winners, who will be recognized at the first-of-its-kind Alumni Celebration on Sept. 23 at the Marriott Shoals Conference Center, are:

  • Lifetime Achievement: Dr. Charles Anderson ’56, of Florence.
  • Alumni of the Year: Dr. Kimberly Greenway ’91 and ’93, of Killen.
  • Friend of the University: Chester McKinney Jr. and Joe McKinney, of Muscle Shoals.
  • Military Service: Col. Juan R. Santiago ’01, of Huntsville.
  • Public Service: Jamie Kiel ’97, of Russellville.
  • Faculty Alumni Service: Dr. Vicki Pierce ’84 and ’96, of Florence.
  • Staff Alumni Service: Melissa Williams ’02 and ’05, of Muscle Shoals.
  • Educator of the Year:
    • K-12: Dr. Jimmy Shaw ’01, of Florence, and
    • Higher Education: Dr. Ann-Marie Irons ’02 and ’10, of Florence.
  • Community Service Award:
    • Larry Softley ’89 and ’08, of Florence, and
    • Melissa DeFoor ’09 and ’17, of Tuscumbia.
  • Young Alumni: Ashley Remkus ’15, of Florence.

Registration for participation in Homecoming, including the Alumni Celebration and the annual parade through downtown Florence, is open. Alumni and friends of the University are encouraged to visit this link for details, ticket purchases, and more about the events scheduled for Sept. 22-24. UNA will play Tarleton State at Braly Stadium at 6 p.m.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: 60654a.com and 60654a.com/unaworks/.