The SMU Cox School of Business honored four alumni at its annual Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Young Alumni Awards Luncheon on Friday, Sept. 25. The event, typically held close to May commencement, was postponed this year because of the pandemic.

Kelly H. Compton, BBA ’79, and William “Bill” A. Hall, BBA ’67, MBA ’68, were honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award. The 2020 Outstanding Young Alumni honors went to Mark A. Lau, BBA ’06, and Courtney N. Naudo, BBA ’01. Lau, who could not attend in person, participated virtually via Zoom.

To allow for social distancing, the alumni awards were presented off-campus during a small event at the Beeman Hotel’s Grand Ballroom. The location allowed for a celebration with family and close friends. All four honorees gave heartfelt speeches expressing their gratitude for the opportunities they had received, the lifelong friends they had made and the potential to make a positive difference in the world they had gained because of their Cox School experiences. Award nominations are submitted to the SMU Cox Alumni Association for consideration by a selection committee annually.

Distinguished Alumni Awards

Distinguished Alumni Kelly Compton

Kelly H. Compton, BBA ’79

Distinguished Alumna Compton serves as executive director for The Hoglund Foundation. Since its founding in 1989, the nonprofit has contributed more than $57 million in grants to more than 575 agencies focused on education and family support in Dallas. Prior to joining The Hoglund Foundation, Compton served as vice president of commercial lending with NationsBank Texas and its predecessors. Since 2016, she has served on the board of directors for Atmos Energy Corporation, the nation’s largest fully regulated natural gas-only distribution company.

Distinguished Alumni Bill Hall

William “Bill” A. Hall, BBA ’67, MBA ’68

Distinguished Alumnus Hall retired as president of the nonprofit Hall Family Foundation just a few days before the awards event. The foundation was created by Joyce Hall (no relation to Bill), founder of Hallmark Cards Inc., and his wife, Elizabeth. For more than 75 years, the Hall Family Foundation has supported programs and initiatives to help people and enhance quality of life in the Kansas City area. From 2014 to 2018 alone, the Hall Family Foundation contributed $150 million to community causes.

Outstanding Young Alumni Honors

Distinguished Alumni Mark Lau

Mark A. Lau, BBA ’06

Outstanding Young Alumnus Lau serves as global brand director for EKIN & Athlete Marketing at Nike. EKIN (Nike spelled backward) is a special outreach team that consists of passionate Nike employees who evangelize the brand to stores and athletes through personal and grassroots connections. Lau has been a part of the Nike family for 13 years, since shortly after completing his BBA. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Distinguished Alumni Courtney Naudo

Courtney N. Naudo, BBA ’01

Outstanding Young Alumna Naudo is the Walmart International Vice President of International Technology. She joined the Walmart team in July, after serving as a principal/partner with Deloitte Consulting. Prior to joining Deloitte in 2005, she worked at Booz Allen Hamilton and Arthur Andersen. Naudo lives in Rogers, Arkansas.