Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University (APSU) hosted the Distinguished Alumni Awards Lunch on Saturday, October 28th, 2023, at 9:00am in the Morgan University Center Ballroom as part of the University’s Homecoming activities. The event honored 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.”
Carl Henderson
APSU’s Outstanding Alumnus is Carl Henderson (’71). Henderson graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Austin Peay State University 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.
Judge Latrice Westbrooks
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
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.
James and Dottie Mann
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
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 has published 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
Khari Turner is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He graduated from Austin Peay State University 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 State University’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 come 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.
