UMNAA Recognizes Outstanding Alumni at Homecoming Awards Dinner

June 27, 2025

The UM National Alumni Association honored the recipients of its 2025 Homecoming awards on Feb. 14 at its Homecoming Awards Dinner andAnnual Business Meeting in Anna Irvin Dining Hall.

UMNAA Homecoming Award Winners

Willie L. Phillips ’00 received the Distinguished Alumni Award, the UMNAA’s highest annual honor. The Nathalie Molton Gibbons Alumni Achievement Award went to David Howard Thornton ’04 and Julia M. Maloney ’13 was honored with the Nathalie Molton Gibbons Young Achiever’s Award.

Willie L. Phillips

It was here on the bricks that Phillips first discovered his passion for public service — a passion that led him all the way to serving as chair of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from February 2024 to January 2025.

Appointed acting chair of the commission by former President Joe Biden in January 2023, the Fairhope native became the first Black leader to hold the position. As chair, he was the chief administrative officer responsible for regulating interstate electric and natural gas utility services in the United States.

As a student, Phillips was SGA president, a Montevallo Master and president of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from UM in 2000 and a juris doctorate from Howard University School of Law in 2005.

In his acceptance speech, Phillips described his four key elements to success: talent, work ethic, vision and passion.

“I believe to the extent that I’ve had any amount of success in my life is due to those four things,” he said. “I learned those things right here in the center of Alabama at the University Montevallo. Thank you so much for this great honor.”

In 2011, Phillips received the Nathalie Molton Gibbons Young Achiever’s Award. He was also a keynote speaker at Founders’ Day in 2018 and Fall Commencement in 2021.

“Recognizing Willie Phillips with this award is a celebration of his remarkable national impact,” said nominator Dr. Terra Moody Miller ’06. “His career is a beacon, showing that Montevallo’s graduates don’t just reach for the stars; they realign them.”

David Howard Thornton

After earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from UM in 2004, David Howard Thornton went on to launch an impressive career in stage, screen and voiceover work. The Huntsville native is most known for his portrayal of Art the Clown, the silent slasher antagonist in the “Terrifier” horror series. “Terrifier 3,” released Oct. 11, 2024, became a worldwide success earning approximately $90 million at the box office.

Thanks to the success of the series, Art the Clown has evolved into a beloved icon beyond the horror genre, appearing on everything from T-shirts to Halloween decorations. There are even five different Art the Clown Funko Pop vinyl figurines.

Upon accepting his award, Thornton shared recollections of his childhood, including walks on the brick streets with his mother and aunt, and then recounted his own college memories of College Night and Alpha Kappa Lambda. He also opened up about the loss of his mother during his college years, a defining moment that ultimately inspired him to follow his passion for acting.

“When you have those difficult moments in your life, find what brings you happiness,” he said. “Find what makes you happy and pursue that. You never know where it’s going to take you.”

Nominator Leah Luker ’04 said, “What really sets him apart is his grounding in generosity, love and kindness. Our seal at UM is a lamp. David has taken that lamp with him everywhere he’s gone for the past 20 years — a lamp that has been burning brightly from Palmer Hall all the way to Hollywood.”

Julia M. Maloney

Maloney is currently blazing trails as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The Jacksonville native teaches attorneys, agents and support staff about document review programs and protocols, electronic evidence retention and production and latest developments in eLitigation and discovery.

Maloney is a former trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division, where she investigated and prosecuted white collar crimes. She has earned awards for securing over $700 million in fines from pharmaceutical price-fixing conspiracies.

Maloney earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from UM in 2013 and a juris doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2018. She was heavily involved in Montevallo’s music scene, playing in the honor band, the French horn ensemble, the brass quintet, Purple Side’s orchestra and founding UM’s chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota.

“She always goes above and beyond what is asked or required of her,” said nominator Dr. Joe Ardovino, director of bands and professor of music at UM. “In addition to the fact that she was a top-notch student, she is a young lady of great character.”

In 2023, Maloney served as the keynote speaker at the Founders’ Day convocation and was named to the 15 Within 15 Class of 2023. Expressing her gratitude to the UMNAA and her nominators, Maloney said, “I cannot tell you how much this award means to me. My time at Montevallo was incredible, and getting this recognition gave me, above all else, an opportunity to come back home to the bricks.”

UMNAA Recognizes Outstanding Alumni at Homecoming Awards Dinner

June 27, 2025

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