The Office of Alumni Engagement is excited to host Alumni Awards Weekend and recognize two distinct and deserving groups of alumni for their accomplishments since graduating.
The Office of Alumni Engagement will recognize four distinguished alumni for their leadership, accomplishments and service and the 2023 Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Award recipients during this year’s Alumni Awards Weekend on Friday, March 24 and Saturday, March 25.
The Distinguished Alumni will be recognized at the Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony on Friday, March 24. They are:
Chris Bell ’92
Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award
This award is presented to an alumnus who has distinguished himself in a profession and in the community and brought honor to Elon.
A business management graduate, Bell currently serves as the as regional president for Truist Financial Corporation in North Carolina’s Triangle region. He has served his community well in many capacities and is previously a member of the Elon Alumni Board, including one term as president, and a regional committee member for the Elon LEADS campaign.
Kathie Niven ’89
Distinguished Alumna of the Year Award
Awarded to an alumna who has distinguished herself in a profession and in the community and brought honor to Elon.
An English major and Communications minor, Niven serves as chief executive officer of Biscuitville, Inc. In 2014, she led the rebranding of Biscuitville, which included the addition of FRESH SOUTHERN® to its name; remodeling, relocating or rebuilding 100% of its restaurants; and a re-energized commitment to sourcing locally. Always generous with her time for her alma mater, Niven has served on the Elon Alumni Board and the President’s Advisory Council.
Rich ’87 P’17 and Laurie P’17 Johnson
Distinguished Service to Elon Award
Awarded to an organization, business, foundation or individual who has demonstrated outstanding service that promotes the advance of Elon.
A mass communications major, Rich Johnson spent his entire career in the banking industry and retired in 2022 as senior vice president and chief consumer lending officer at MainStreet Bank.
Laurie earned her bachelor’s degree from American University and her MBA at George Washington University, joining Accenture in 1989 and recently retired as managing director. Proud parents of Elon alumna Grace Johnson ‘17, the Johnsons have been among Elon’s most active and impactful volunteers, always answering the call to serve Elon.
LaToya Faustin ’04 G’10
Distinguished Alumni Service Award
This award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding service that promotes the advancement of Elon.
A corporate communications major, Leadership Fellow and double Elon graduate (B.S. in communications in 2004 and MBA in 2010), Faustin serves as executive director of She Built This City, providing industry disruptive programming that sparks interest and builds pathways to lucrative careers in the skilled trades for youth, women and marginalized communities.
Equally committed to community service beyond the scope of her work, Faustin serves on the Neighborhood Revitalization Committee for Habitat for Humanity Charlotte.
The Office of Alumni Engagement and the Young Alumni Council have announced the 2023 Top 10 Under 10 Alumni Award recipients, who will be celebrated during a Saturday, March 25 ceremony in the Snow Family Grand Atrium.
These 10 accomplished alumni from the past decade have achieved professional success, continuously work to better their communities and serve as loyal alumni role models. They are:
David Campbell ‘13
Senior Manager – Americas Tax Technology & Transformation, EY
Campbell graduated from Elon with dual degrees in accounting and finance. Following graduation, he completed his CPA and began work with EY where he had previously interned.
In September he stepped into his current role as a senior manager in the Americas Tax Technology & Transformation group with a focus on the firm’s global Sustainability Tax solutions strategy. Additionally, he leads EY’s campus recruiting efforts at Elon.
Sydel Curry-Lee ‘17
Vinter & Partner, Domaine Curry
Sydel Curry-Lee ’17 was member of the Women’s Volleyball team where she was named team MVP in 2016. Curry-Lee earned her degree in psychology and following graduation partnered with sister-in-law, Ayesha Curry, to produce their own wine label, Domaine Curry.
In addition to her work as an entrepreneur, she is also a mental health advocate and content creator.
Dr. Marissa Mastrocola ’13
Orthopedic Surgery Resident, UMass Memorial Medical Center
Dr. Marissa Mastrocola graduated from Elon with her degree in exercise science and went on to receive her MD from the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School in 2019.
She has contributed to five medical journal publications and has most recently focused on the topic of obesity education and orthopedic sports medicine.
Alivia Mattioli-Hodge ’15
Senior Manager of Partnerships, Penske Entertainment
Mattioli-Hodge earned her degree in sport and event management from Elon in 2015. Beginning her career at Pocono Raceway, Alivia contributed to her family’s multi-generational family business as promoters of NASCAR racing in the Northeast.
Entering her eighth year with Penske Entertainment, Mattioli-Hodge has focused on cultivating partnerships and programming for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis 500 Mile Race and INDYCAR.
Marisa Moody ’15
Brand & ESG Impact Strategy Director, Publicis One Touch
Moody, a Communications Fellow and strategic communications major, moved to Germany three years after graduating to join the staff of Publicis Groupe.
Earlier this year, Moody transitioned to her current role with Publicis One Touch, where she is working to reposition the sustainability and environmental, social and corporate governance communications strategy for the personal care brand Nivea.
Claudia Rodriguez ’17
Technology Recruiter, Proven Recruiting
Rodriguez earned her degree in psychology and following graduation, pursued her master’s degree in higher education from NC State University in 2019 and began building her career as a technology recruiter.
After working with Proven Recruiting for two years, she joined the team at MyCase and quickly rose through the ranks to become a People Business Partner in fall 2022.
Holly Tamburello ‘17
Senior Analyst, NERA Economic Consulting
Tamburello earned dual degrees in international economics and finance at Elon. Following graduation, she joined the Antitrust division of NERA Economic Consulting as Senior Analyst.
In her role, Tamburello has worked with clients across a variety of industries, guiding them through mergers, consumer protection, litigation and private arbitration.
Jordan Thompson ’14 L’17
Legal Counsel at TikTok
Thompson is a double alumnus of Elon; he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science while playing on the football team and went on to earn his juris doctor three years later.
Currently, he serves as legal counsel in TikTok’s Monetization and Corporate legal group and advises on a plethora of business in the fast-growing entertainment platform.
David Williams ’13
Senior Security Engineer, Amazon Web Services
Williams graduated from Elon with a degree in computer information systems while playing on the football team. After four years working at JPMorgan Chase, he joined Amazon Web Services where he has steadily risen through the ranks with a focus on cloud security.
Williams earned a masters degree in cybersecurity from New York University in 2016 and an MBA from the College of William & Mary in 2022.
Doug Williams ’13
News Anchor & Reporter, CBS New York
Williams earned his degree in journalism with a specialization in broadcast news and went on to build his own Emmy-nominated talk show at SNY in New York.
He left SNY after seven years in late 2021 and spent a year doing national and local talk radio for CBS Sports and Sirius XM. In early February of this year, he returned to TV news as a morning anchor at WCBS in New York.
For more information about this year’s awards, please contact Hannah Hattori, assistant director of alumni engagement—Special Events, at hhattori@elon.edu.
