APSU to host Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony on Oct. 28
By: Payton Baggett October 27, 2023
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University (APSU) will host the Distinguished Alumni Awards Lunch on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 9 a.m. in the Morgan University Center Ballroom as part of the University’s Homecoming activities. The event will honor the 2023 recipients of the APSU Distinguished Alumni Awards.
“The lives and accomplishments of these Governors represent many different aspects of the Austin Peay experience,” APSU President Mike Licari said. “We are excited to recognize their unique abilities and talents.”
APSU’s Outstanding Alumnus is Carl Henderson (’71). Henderson graduated with a bachelor’s
degree from Austin Peay in 1971. Since then, he has given back to the APSU College
of Business, the Candlelight Ball and various APSU athletics programs. He has been
involved with the APSU Legacy Society and the APSU Foundation. He joined HHM CPAs
in 1981 and was made a partner one year later. He specializes in estate and gift planning
for individuals and succession planning for his many corporate clients. He provides
a much-needed service to his business clients, advising them on how to create and
maintain a talent pipeline for leadership roles. Carl often serves as an expert witness
before the U.S. Tax Court and U.S. Bankruptcy Court, drawing on his past career and
current expertise. He is a member of many professional organizations.
APSU’s Outstanding Alumna is Judge Latrice Westbrooks (’94). Court of Appeals Judge
Latrice A. Westbrooks earned a bachelor’s degree from Austin Peay State University
in 1994. She achieved her juris doctorate from the University of Detroit Mercy Law
School. Judge Westbrooks moved to Mississippi and became the first African American
woman to be the assistant district attorney in the Second Circuit Court District for
that state. She then joined Byrd and Associates as a contributing member. In 2001,
she opened her law practice. She then worked as a public defender in Holmes County.
She hosted a radio program from 2010-2012, and in 2013, she became interim communications
director for the city of Jackson. She then joined the city attorney’s office as the
legal counsel for the Jackson Police Department. In 2015, she was appointed as the
municipal judge for the city of Lexington until her election to the Mississippi Court
of Appeals in 2016. She is a member of many professional and community service organizations.
In 2022, she became a fellow with the Mississippi Bar Foundation, the state bar association’s
highest honor.
Suzanne Langford and James and Dottie Mann are being recognized for Outstanding Service.
Suzanne Langford is the Middle Tennessee senior market executive of Planters Bank,
Inc. and a Clarksville native who graduated from the University of Mississippi in
1983. She began her banking career at Commerce Union Bank, now Bank of America. She
worked there for 20 years in accounting and later in the Business Banking Group in
Middle Tennessee of Bank of America. In 2003, she joined Planters Bank and was subsequently
promoted to senior vice president in charge of the Commercial Banking Group in Clarksville,
and later became the Middle Tennessee senior market executive. Suzanne is chair of
the APSU Foundation Investment Committee. She is also a member of several other community
organizations. Suzanne and her husband, Bob, have a history of giving to the APSU
College of Business and various APSU scholarships and funds.
In 2017, APSU alumnus James T. Mann and his wife, Dottie, established the James T.
and Dorothy Mann Endowment to benefit the APSU Center of Excellence for the Creative
Arts (CECA) and the Department of Art + Design. They also created the Wall of Legacy
in the Art + Design Building. James met Dottie while they were both attending Vanderbilt
University. After they graduated and married, they moved to Columbus, Ohio, where
James earned a master’s degree from the Ohio State University in 1966. He received
his commission in the Army Reserve at Fort Bragg in 1964. While serving on active
duty, he was promoted to Captain. He joined the staff of First Federal Bank in 1973,
where he later supported APSU in his role as president and CEO. He has received many
awards and has been involved in community organizations, including the Clarksville-Montgomery
County School System (CMCSS) School Board. Dottie joined the Clarksville Tree Board
in 1993, serving as chair. The Tree Board has supported APSU in many ways, including
the “Plant the Campus Red” service event. Dottie was a founding member of the Woodward
Library Society, serving on the Board of Directors as its first president. She was
later on The Montgomery County Library Board and was chair of the board during her
last term.
Dr. Kelvin Rutledge (’12) and Khari Turner (’19) are both receiving the Outstanding
Young Alumnus Award. Dr. Kelvin Rutledge graduated from APSU in 2012 with bachelor’s
degrees in sociology and political science, as well as an undergraduate certificate
in leadership studies. He received a master’s degree in higher education from Florida
State University in 2014 and his doctorate from the same institution in 2021. Professionally,
he has been the outreach and engagement graduate assistant and assistant director
at the Career Center at Florida State University, the director of experiential programs
at the University of Georgia and the director of career and professional development
at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). He is the associate vice president
for institutional inclusive strategies and change management at SCSU. He has taught
undergraduate courses and had several academic works published. Kelvin has also done
presentations and workshops on topics relating to higher education. He has earned
notable awards, belongs to several professional organizations and has served on committees
and boards throughout his career.
Khari Turner is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He graduated from Austin Peay
in May 2019 and went on to attend graduate school at Columbia University. His professional
experience includes his Marion Street Residency in 2016 in Clarksville; a Chautauqua,
New York Residency in 2019; the Iris Project Residency in Echo Park, California in
2020; the CFHILL Residency in Stockholm, Sweden in 2022 and the 2023 Artists in Residency
in the Everglades (AIRIE) in Florida. His work has been featured in exhibitions and
juried shows, and his artwork has been on the cover of Austin Peay’s Zone 3 literary
journal, InStyle, Forbes and other publications. In his paintings, he says he uses
water “from oceans, lakes, and rivers from places that have either a historical or
personal connection to Black history” and that his work “is constantly evolving, absorbing
water and history as a material, painting to bring the stories of elegance and chaos
that comes with this existence.”
“The 2023 Distinguished Alumni recipients are an impressive group of individuals,” APSU Vice President for Alumni, Engagement and Philanthropy Kris Phillips said. “Once again, we are honoring the best of the best - a variety of innovative, creative and successful members of our campus community. They are exceptional representatives of the APSU fans, friends and alumni who will go on to become Govs for life.”
To support APSU fundraising initiatives, contact the Office of Philanthropy at 931-221-7127.