14th Annual Alumni Gala


Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award

Albert Estrada '83

 

Alumnus of the Year

Jim Bodenstedt '96

 

Distinguished Service

Sam Dawson


The UTSA Alumni Association at The University of Texas at San Antonio today announced its award recipients for 2013. Receiving the Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award will be Albert Estrada '83 (BBA in Finance). Jim Bodenstedt '96 (BBA in Accounting) will receive the Alumnus of the Year, and community business leader Sam Dawson will receive the Distinguished Service Award. The awards will be presented at the 14th annual UTSA Alumni Gala, July 27th at the Grand Hyatt.

Albert Estrada is a 1983 graduate from the UTSA College of Business, earning his BBA in Finance. Albert serves as a Senior Vice President in Commercial Lending with PlainsCapital Bank, where much of his focus has been on providing banking services to healthcare professionals. Mr. Estrada has served on the UTSA Alumni Association board of directors for more than twelve years, serving as Board President from 2002-2004. Mr. Estrada is also a past member of the UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts Advisory Council. For several years, Mr. Estrada has generously sponsored an Alumni Association scholarship for a deserving UTSA student. Mr. Estrada will be the first to receive the Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for his lifetime of service and support to the University and to the Alumni Association. The UTSA Alumni Association established the Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.

Also this year,the UTSA Alumni Association is honoring Jim Bodenstedt, 1996 graduate with a BBA in Accounting,as the Alumnus of the Year . Mr. Bodenstedt is the President a nd CEO of MUY!,one of the largest restaurant private employers in the nation with over 9,000 employees. MUY! includes Taco Bell,Pizza Hut,and Wendy's. Mr. Bodenstedt is chair of the Campaign Leadership Committee for the We Are UTSA-A Top-Tier Campaign that reached its initial financial goal of $120 million two years ahead of schedule. He established the $1M Bodenstedt Chair for the Dean of the College of Business in 2012. In 2009, Mr. Bodenstedt committed $1M to athletic scholarships to help establish the football program. Additionally,Mr. Bodenstedt has been a strong supporter of the UTSA Alumni Association by generously donating to the scholarship fund and to the UTSA Alumni Gala. Mr. Bodenstedt is also a member of the UTSA Development Board and a director of the Roadrunner Foundation supporting UTSA Athletics. The UTSA Alumni Association established the Alumnus of the Year award in 1980 to recognize UTSA alumni who have gained unique distinction through their accomplishments and to focus attention on their achievements. Past recipients of this award include Clay Killinger '83,Nancy Kudla '87,Howard Peak '75 and Ernest Bromley '78,'80.

Receiving the Distinguished Service Award will be Sam Dawson, a San Antonio community and business leader and CEO of Pape-Dawson Engineers. Mr. Dawson serves in leadership roles in many organizations such as the Texas Society for Professional Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, Real Estate Council of San Antonio,the Downtown Rotary Club,the Greater San Antonio Chamber and North San Antonio Chamber. Mr. Dawson and his firm have been generous supporters of UTSA programs,including athletics,the College of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Sciences,President's Associates, and TexPREP. Mr. Dawson has been a member of the UTSA College of

Engineering Advisory Council since 2007 and has served as its chair since 2009. He has also served on the UTSA Development Board since 2009. The UTSA Alumni Association established the Distinguished Service Award in 1997 to recognize and honor those individuals,alumni and others,who have made significant contributions to the UTSA Alumni Association and to UTSA. Past recipients of this award include Doyle Beneby,Steven Q. Lee, Tom Frost and Nelson Wolff.

The UTSA Alumni Association will pay special tribute to each of these honorees on Saturday,July 27th at the 14th Annual UTSA Alumni Gala. Proceeds from the Gala will help support UTSA Alumni Scholars and Alumni programs.


 

Thank you for supporting the UTSA Scholars of the UTSA Alumni Association. Visit us online at utsa.edu/gala for reservations, payments, hotel, live auction & power drawing information. Gift portion benefits the UTSA Alumni Association and its Scholarship Fund. The UTSA Alumni Association is a 501(c) (3) organization. EIN# 74-1977996. Please retain a copy for your records.