The Columbus State University Alumni Association will bestow its top alumni awards during an awards dinner on Thursday, Oct. 24. The event is part of its annual Homecoming Week activities.

The annual awards dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Elizabeth Bradley Turner Center on the university’s Main Campus. Individual tickets and tables of eight are available for purchase.

This year’s honorees include:

Tim Money ’86, Thomas Y. Whitley Distinguished Alumnus Award

After beginning his career with the Exxon Corporation, Tim Money ’86 founded The Money Advisor Group in 2001 to serve families' and small businesses' retirement planning and investment management needs. In 2024, Atlanta-based BIP Wealth acquired his firm, and he retained the title of president. He chairs the CSU Foundation Board and previously served on the Honors College Advisory Board. A 1986 graduate with a bachelor of business administration degree in marketing, he received the university’s Alumni Service Award in 2016.

Since 1980, the Thomas Y. Whitley Distinguished Alumnus Award has recognized graduates who live up to the high standards set by its namesake and Columbus State’s first president. It is considered the university’s most prestigious alumni award.

Meg & Frank Schley, Frank D. Brown Achievement & Leadership Excellence Award

The Schleys have advocated on the university’s behalf for decades—particularly its arts programs.

Meg Schley, a retired CPA with Ernst & Young, currently chairs the Joyce & Henry Schwob School of Music’s Board of Advisors and its signature annual scholarship fundraising event, GUSTO!. Frank Schley, who retired after working on programming control systems for military jet engines at Pratt & Whitney Aircrafts, has served on the CSU Foundation Board since 2013, focusing much of his tenure on guiding its investment strategy.

They further demonstrate their love of the arts by supporting and serving the Springer Opera House, the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, the Bo Bartlett Center, Funding Future Artists, Patrons of Music, and, especially, the Schwob School of Music’s Dr. Mary Wheatland Schley Music Scholarship for Viola. The Schleys established the scholarship in memory of Frank’s mother, Mary, who was also a CSU Foundation Board member for many years.

The Frank D. Brown Achievement & Leadership Excellence Award is presented only when extraordinary achievement or service merits it. Named for Columbus State’s third president, it recognizes a graduate or member of the community who has made exceptional contributions to educational excellence at Columbus State or whose achievements have brought honor and distinction to the university. 

Jon Ingram ’11, Young Alumni Award

As director of corporate relations for Atlanta’s Woodruff Arts Center, Jon Ingram ’11 is a catalyst for the region’s arts programs. In his role, he raises more than $2.2 million annually for the center’s three renowned artistic institutions—the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and High Museum of Art. They attract more than 800,000 patrons annually, including more than 170,000 students and teachers. Ingram, who earned a bachelor's in English, is a 2024 LEAD Atlanta graduate, a 2022 Cobb County Chamber of Commerce Next Generation Award recipient, and a current Cobb Chamber of Commerce and The Center for Family Resources board member.

The Young Alumni Award honors alumni who have graduated in the last 15 years. It recognizes their commitment to excellence through their post-collegiate efforts and their significant or ongoing commitment to extraordinary work, research, volunteerism or service to their alma mater.

Twiyla Toombs ’05, Alumni Service Award

Twilya Toombs ’05 has remained engaged with her alma mater years after earning her master of education in school counseling. Her service to the CSU Alumni Association includes progressive roles and responsibilities spanning a decade and culminating in serving as its president. Professionally, she is a school counselor and a past Rome (Georgia) High School Golden Apple Award recipient. She remains active in her local community through work with the Alpha Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.

The Alumni Service Award honors alumni for rendering outstanding volunteer service to the CSU Alumni Association or the entire university.

The Hon. Tom Kirkbride ’01, ’05, Distinguished Alumnus in Military/Public Service

As an Army veteran, former federal air marshal and current municipal court judge, two-time graduate Tom Kirkbride ’01, ’05 models public service. After a military career as an explosive ordinance disposal technician, he served in the Federal Air Marshal Service for more than two decades—rising to the rank of supervisory air marshal. Not stopping there, he began his third career in the legal profession. After graduating from John Marshall Law School in 2018, he established a law practice and was appointed last year as the chief municipal judge for Morrow, Georgia. He serves as an adjunct instructor in Columbus State’s Command College, where students benefit from his expertise and the knowledge he gained through the bachelor’s in criminal justice and master’s in public administration degrees he earned at CSU. He has also served on the CSU Alumni Association board since 2019.

The award recognizes alumni who, as active-duty military service personnel, military veterans or public service professionals, bring distinction to the university through their local, statewide, regional or national service.

Jay Entlich, Faculty/Staff Appreciation Award

With an overall record of 331-73-31, Head Women’s Soccer Coach Jay Entlich began his 21st season this fall as one of Columbus State’s most-tenured and winningest athletics coaches. Additionally, he is the Peach Belt Conference’s winningest coach and the 8th-winning coach in the NCAA Division II. He’s led the team to a record 14 Peach Belt Conference regular-season championships and nine conference titles. Under his leadership, the Lady Cougars have appeared in 15 NCAA tournaments, seven national quarterfinals, the 2016 semifinals, and the 2022 Final Four. In addition to the team’s competitive success—noted by their climb this fall from 23rd in preseason polls to 4th  nationally—his players are consistently among the university’s top-ranked student-athletes academically. He frequently partners with the Alumni Association to host alumni team members, including the team’s most recent 20th-anniversary reunion.

This award highlights current employees' contributions to the Alumni Association. Nominations for this award are only accepted from board members.

Special Recognitions

On occasion, the CSU Alumni Association bestows honorary alumni status on individuals who significantly support the university. This year, that includes Ross White, a first-timer on the Miracle Riders’ 2024 effort to fund a NICU simulation lab. White joins past Miracle Riders who, since 2021, have been granted honorary alumni status for their long-term efforts to support the School of Nursing’s pediatric nursing program. 

The CSU Alumni Association has bestowed alumni awards since 1980, beginning with the Whitley Distinguished Alumnus Award. Over time, it has added more awards to its annual efforts to honor the university's graduates.