Distinguished Alumni
2006 Theron L. Bowman
Dr. Theron L. Bowman is Arlington police chief. He has been with the Arlington Police Department since 1983, working his way through the ranks to become chief in 1999. Since 1990 he has served on the faculty of three local universities, teaching sociology, criminology and criminal justice classes. He has received a Proclamation of Achievement from both the Texas Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2005 he was elected to chair the Texas Intelligence Council and this year began his service as a CALEA commissioner. He received three UT Arlington degrees: a bachelor’s in biology in 1983, a master’s in public administration in 1991 and a doctorate in urban and public administration in 1997.
2005 David M. Kunkle
David M. Kunkle is Dallas police chief. He began his law enforcement career in 1972 as a patrol officer with the Dallas Police Department. He received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UT Arlington in 1976 and later became the youngest captain in DPD history. In 1982, he was named police chief in Grand Prairie and, in 1985, became chief of police in Arlington. He received his master’s degree in public administration from UT Arlington in 1994. Five years later, he became a deputy city manager in Arlington in charge of the city’s administration group.
2004 John Suggs
John Suggs has served as executive director of the Presbyterian Night Shelter of Tarrant County since 1991. He has worked 30 years in the social services field, with a special interest in extremely troubled people, particularly the homeless. He earned his bachelor’s degree from East Texas State University and in 1974 received his master’s degree in urban studies from UTA. He spent 15 years as an administrator with the Texas Department of Human Services and also worked as assistant director for the Head Start Program before joining the Presbyterian Night Shelter. The facility is the largest homeless shelter in Tarrant County, serving an average of 370 men, women and children nightly.
2003 Susan McAvoy
In 2003, Susan McAvoy was administrative assistant to US Congressman Martin Frost, working on projects to benefit low-income, disenfranchised, and disabled Texans across the 24th Congressional District. She began her career with Rep. Frost in the mid 1980s, as an intern in his Grand Prairie office, then as a caseworker and field representative in his Dallas office. In 1992, she became Frost’s legislative assistant in Washington, DC. Later, she became his press secretary, then legislative director. McAvoy serves as press secretary to Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, as a Presidential appointee during the Clinton Administration. She returned to Frost’s service as senior policy advisor during his term as chair of the House Democratic Caucus. McAvoy holds a master of arts in urban affairs and a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Texas at Arlington.
2002 Robert Babbitt
Robert T. Babbitt earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UTA in 1976 followed by a Ph.D. in administration in 1984. In 2002, he was president and CEO of McDonald Transit Associates, Inc. of Fort Worth. He began his career as a management intern with City Transit Service of Fort Worth in 1977. Since then he has worked with the Abilene Transit System, the Fort Worth Transportation Authority and the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Nashville, Tenn. He began at McDonald Transit in 1981 as a vice president. With more than 25 years in the business, Dr. Babbitt has been responsible for the overall operations of several transit systems, including system planning and design, maintenance management, fiscal reporting, insurance procurement, capital purchases, facility planning and grant preparation and administration.
2001 David Gattis
In 2001, David Gattis was assistant city manager for the city of Benbrook, Texas, where he was in charge of community development. He wrote a comprehensive plan for the city that won a Texas Chapter American Planning Association Award as the best in the state, in 1991.
Gattis won the City Planners Association of Texas Distinguished Service Award, in 1995, the APA Division Achievement Award, in 1990, and Texas APA Outstanding Serice awards, in 1983, 1985 and 1995.
Certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners, Gattis is a past chairman of the Environmental Planning Division of the APA, immediate past president of the Texas APA, and a fellow and past president of the Texas Academy of Science.
Gattis holds a master of arts in urban affairs from UTA.
2000 George Campbell
In 2000, George Campbell was executive director of the University of Texas at Arlington Office of Development, after retiring as city manager of Arlington, Texas, a position he held from 1991-1999. Previously, he was Arlington’s acting city manager.
Campbell, who has 30 years experience in city management, has served on numerous boards and was president of several, including the North Texas City Management Association and UTA Alumni Association. The American Society for Public Administration named Campbell Public Administrator of the Year, in 1998. Friends and colleagues endowed a scholarship in his name at UTA, in 1999.
Campbell, an Arlington native, holds a master of arts in urban affairs from UTA.
1999 Frank Moss
In 1999, Frank Moss was a city council member for the city of Fort Worth. He also owned his own real estate development company. Previously, he was executive director of the Fort Worth Economic Development Corportion. He had been active in historical preservation through such organizations as the Black Historical and Genealogical Society. He had also served on a number of organizations devoted to community revitalization. He served as president of The University of Texas at Arlington Alumni Association in 1994, after more than 10 years of service as a board member.
Moss holds a master of arts in urban affairs from UTA and a bachelor of fine arts from Texas Wesleyan University.
1998 Curtis Hawk
In 1998, Curtis Hawk was city manager of Southlake, Texas, where he served for more than 10 years. At that time, Hawk had 25 years of experience in urban affairs, including five years as assistant city manager of Abilene, Texas, and two years as personnel director for the city of Sherman.
Hawk’ s professional affiliations include membership in the Texas City Management Association, North Texas City Management Association, and International City/County Management Association. He served as SUPA’s representative to the University of Texas at Arlington Alumni Association Board of Directors for several years. He holds both a master of arts in urban affairs and a bachelor of arts in government from UTA.
1997 Nancy Grant
In 1997, Nancy Grant was chair of the Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies at the University of Akron, Ohio, where she had served as a professor since 1983. She served as acting dean of UA’s University College from 1989-90 and as associate dean of its Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences from 1993-97. Her public-service activities include course development work for the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and curriculum development for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Grant holds a PhD in Public and Urban Administration and an MA in political science from UTA. She earned a BA in history from the University of Dallas.
1996 Levi Davis
In 1996, Levi Davis was an assistant city manager for the city of Dallas, a position he also held from 1980 to 1986. From 1986 to 1990, Davis held executive positions in financial advisory services. After 1990, he also served as an adjunct professor for The University of Texas at Arlington and Dallas Baptist University. From 1973 to 1980, Davis assisted the Dallas city manager by directing the Office of Human Development and the Action Center. By 1996, he had served on more than 20 Dallas-area boards of directors, including those of North Texas Public Broadcasting and the Dallas Symphony.
Davis holds a master of arts in urban affairs from UTA and a bachelor of science in education and history from Texas Christian University.
1995 Tom Scott
In 1995, Tom Scott was the assistant vice chancellor for governmental relations for the University of Texas System. Before joining the UT System, Scott worked for 10 years in the office of former Texas Lt. Governor Bill Hobby, completing that tenure as Hobby’s executive assistant. Previously, he served as a chief examiner in the Governor’s Budget Office during the administrations of Governor Preston Smith and Governor Dolph Briscoe.
Scott’s professional expertise is in the area of state government finance, particularly higher education finance. He holds a master of arts in urban affairs and a bachelor of science in economics from The University of Texas at Arlington.
1993 Naomi Lede
In 1993, Naomi Ledé served as chair of the Division of Transportation Studies in the Texas Southern University School of Technology and as executive director of the TSU Center for Transportation Training and Research. Previously, she was vice president for institutional advancement in the Transportation Studies Department, and, before that, dean of the Center for Urban Programs. Dr. Ledé holds a doctorate in multicultural studies from the University of Houston, a master of arts in urban affairs from The University of Texas at Arlington, a master of arts in sociology, social psychology and political science from TSU, and a bachelor of arts in social science and English from Mary Allen College.