Each year, the University of Montevallo’s National Alumni Association (UMNAA) recognizes an alumnus or alumna whose career and community contributions have reflected positively at the local, state or national level.
The recipient of the 2017 Nathalie Molton Gibbons Alumni Achievement Award is Stephanie Comer Newton of Brentwood, Tennessee.
In 2003, Newton graduated magna cum laude from UM with a degree in mass communication. Beyond her achievements in the classroom, Newton lead an extremely active campus life, serving as president of her senior class, a sister of Alpha Gamma Delta, a Housing & Residence Life assistant and a staff writer for the student newspaper, The Alabamian.
After graduation, Newton began her first job as the communications coordinator for Vanderbilt’s Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development.
In 2006, Newton switched careers to begin the first of many fruitful years in the publishing business. Starting with international Christian publisher Thomas Nelson, Inc., now owned by global publisher HarperCollins, Newton began coordinating media events and promotions for several influential books in the genre.
Throughout the years, she has worked as the publicist for 16 New York Times best-selling books, including “Heaven Is For Real” by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent, “On the Move” by U2’s Bono and “The Reason For My Hope” by Billy Graham.
Now a decade later, Newton currently serves as the marketing director of backlist promotions with HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
Throughout her successful career, Newton has worked to maintain a strong bond with her alma mater through frequent attendance at class representative meetings and helping plan events.
“For the young women studying and working at Montevallo, wondering what type of careers they could one day have, there is no finer example than Stephanie,” wrote classmate Andrew Heaton ’04 in a glowing recommendation.
Newton resides in Brentwood with her husband Allen and their two children, Addison and John Banks.