Alumni Notes
and master’s degrees in accountancy from Auburn. They are now certified public ac- countants working in Birmingham, making their parents proud. Tony Chimera (’91, management) started four years ago as the chief talent officer and was recently promoted to chief administrative officer for Westfield Specialty, a commercial property and casualty insurance company. His responsibilities now cover human re- sources, real estate, marketing, distribution and underwriting operations. He credits Dr. William Holley’s mentoring as the reason he pursued a career in human resources. Brian Collier (’95, information systems man- agement) juggled married life, raising a newborn and commuting from Montgomery while earning his degree. He credits Harbert with launching his career in healthcare IT, which has included roles in consulting, data- base management, and healthcare analytics. Brian currently serves as a project analyst leader, conducting healthcare analysis for a company based in Dallas. Darryl Cox (’98, international business) has served on the board of his former fraterni- ty, Sigma Pi Alpha Delta Chapter, for the last three years as a mentor for the next generation. He is the senior vice president of enterprise sales for the largest data cen- ter owner and operator in North America. In this role, he helps some of the most ad- vanced enterprise clients meet their arti- ficial intelligence, real estate, cooling and information technology power demands. The intersection of technology, land, and power in this rapidly evolving sector, which has transformed from a cottage industry into a daily focus on Wall Street has been the most exciting development of his career. Darby Duncan (’97, finance) is managing di- rector at Merrill Private Wealth as well as senior partner for the Valdes Group (Val- des, Shimberg, and Duncan). The team was recently honored by Forbes magazine, ranking as the number one private wealth team in Florida and number nine nation- ally. “It was my time at Auburn that made me realize how much I loved the financial
industry.” Darby began his career in banking with Barnett Bank and over the years has advanced from managing banking centers to working in premier investments to leading the wealth management banking division for the Tampa Bay region. Today, at Merrill Private Wealth, he works with high-net- worth families in the $10 million+ range, and his team manages more than $13 billion in client assets. His son, Hayden, recently graduated from Auburn and is set to join the team at Merrill Private Wealth. His daughter, Hannah, also an Auburn gradu- ate, is a PICU nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa. Tim Fitzpatrick (’97, accounting, '99, MAcc) is the vice president of accounting at Stone River Company in Birmingham, Alabama. Most of his career has been in real estate and private equity. “The Harbert College of Busi- ness and School of Accountancy provided a strong education in accounting principles, which enabled me to pass the CPA exam, and helped develop the analytical skills required in my career.” Tim is proud to have two daughters that call Auburn University home. His oldest daughter, Marion, graduated in 2025 while his youngest daughter, Lily, is a sophomore studying pre-business. Don Harrison (’97, accounting) was appoint- ed by President Donald Trump in 2025 as acting administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor. “It’s a privilege to help uphold and advance our nation’s labor standards on behalf of America’s workers.” The words of the Au- burn Creed serve as a personal motivator for him in his work. He and his wife, Ginny (’02, AU), just celebrated their 22 nd wedding anniversary and are excited that their old- est daughter, Caroline, is following in their footsteps by attending Auburn. Artemas Holloway (’99, business adminis- tration) serves as a full-time supply chain technology and logistics instructor at In- gram State Technical College, while also teaching as an adjunct instructor at Ath- ens State University and Chattahoochee Technical College. Artemas has also taken on expanded responsibilities in curriculum
development for logistics certification train- ing and actively serves on an advisory board whose goal is to align educational programs with workforce needs. He recently complet- ed his doctoral studies in curriculum and instruction at Southeastern University. “I continue to seek new challenges to elevate my teaching impact and industry influence in logistics, supply chain management, and workforce development.” Mat Hultquist (’94, accounting, ’95, MAcc) is two decades into owning and running The Hultquist Firm, Certified Public Accountant, Professional Corporation, in Greenville, South Carolina. As president he employs 23 people, with plans to grow and add more. From his days at Auburn, he recalls that one professor in particular, Dr. Charles Price, was the best teacher he’s ever had. The way he challenged his students to truly use their minds and think critically about solutions to problems is something that Mat has carried with him. Erica Hunter (’96, accounting) has recently been promoted to internal audit manager for Capital City Bank Group, Inc. She is also a Certified Internal Auditor and Certified Sarbanes-Oxley Professional, as well as a board member for Grady Help Agency, a nonprofit that provides support to those in need. “I spearhead audit teams and devel- op innovative risk management strategies, drawing daily on the technical skills and leadership principles I first cultivated at Au- burn.” She credits the rigorous coursework and mentorship she received at Harbert for empowering her to progress in her career. Matt Olsen (’98, international business) was recently reelected to a fourth three-year term on the Koniag, Inc. Board of Directors. Ko- niag is one of the 13 original corporations formed under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. It is a for-profit corporation with over 4,000 shareholders and generates nearly $1 billion in revenue annually. In addition to his work with Koniag, Olsen enjoys growing and managing his own com- pany, Kodiak Ventures, which he founded in 2003. Kodiak Ventures is a development, investment, management, and brokerage
Harbert Magazine 55
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