Author: Kathy Dean

MOBILE, Ala. – University of Mobile President Lonnie Burnett was surprised with the 2024 Alumni of the Year award in a ceremony Feb. 1 that also recognized alumnus Ronald Moore as the 2024 recipient of the Samuel Boykin Medal of Excellence.

In recognition of Burnett’s lifelong dedication to the university and the unique role he has played as a student, alumnus, professor, dean, senior administrator and, since 2019, as president, the name of the award that will be given each year is the “Dr. Lonnie Burnett Alumnus of the Year Award.”

Director of Alumni Relations Haley Haney said the Alumni Council recommended Burnett be honored in recognition of his outstanding leadership in the various roles he has served his alma mater since graduating in 1979.

Burnett said, “Being an alumnus here is something I’m proud of. This is a special place.”

Burnett plans to retire as UM president on May 30. After graduating from UM, he taught history for 25 years in the Mobile County Public School System. Upon his retirement from the MCPSS, he joined the University of Mobile faculty as a professor of history, eventually serving as executive dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, associate vice president, and president. 

Along the way, he compiled an impressive scholarly research record that includes two books published through the University of Alabama Press. He continues to be active in the community, where he has served as a member of the Saraland City School Board since 2011 and was named to the 2017 All-State School Board by the Alabama Association of School Boards.

His wife, Lynne, and daughter, Lauren Wetzel, are also UM graduates.

For information about the University of Mobile Alumni Association and the Alumni Council, visit umobile.edu/alumni.

Pictured from left are Erin Harris, alumni council chair; Dr. Lonnie Burnett, Haley Haney, Charlie Brown, alumni council.

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About the University of Mobile

The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered university with a vision of “Higher Education for a Higher Purpose,” founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions in an environment where they are known. Located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, on a campus of over 880 acres, the university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs.The University of Mobile was founded in 1961 and is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention.

For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.

MOBILE, Ala. – The University of Mobile awarded the 2024 Samuel Boykin Medal of Excellence to 2002 alumnus Ronald G. Moore in a ceremony held Feb. 1 in Lyon Chapel on the university campus.

Also during the ceremony, the university presented the alumni of the year award to outgoing university president Dr. Lonnie Burnett, a 1979 graduate who also served as a professor, dean and senior administrator during his 20-year tenure with the university. The award was named in his honor, and the Dr. Lonnie Burnett Alumni of the Year Award will be presented annually to an outstanding alumnus.

Moore serves as a member of the UM Board of Trustees and is a principal market specialist with Alabama Power Company.

“The University of Mobile is a very special place to me. It is with gratitude and humility that I accept this honor. This award means I can be recognized and associated with a man that pursued excellence in academics and in his professional career,” Moore said.

The Samuel Boykin Medal of Excellence was established in 2019 to honor the life of the late Samuel M. Boykin, the first African American graduate of the University of Mobile. The award recognizes outstanding African American graduates of UM who reflect the ideals of virtuosity, faith and charity that Boykin exemplified through his career, family and community.

Past medal of excellence recipients are 2004 alumnus Ira Bates Jr., 2011 alumnus Treii Pace, and 2002 alumna Dr. Tracey Henry. 

Moore has been married for 22 years to his college sweetheart, Shay Moore. They have three children: Blake, Brooke and Briley. Blake is a freshman at UM.

“We’re happy about our son being here because we want the Christian component to be a part of his education. We also knew that he would get the skills he needs to be successful in his professional career. Once he visited the campus and saw how beautiful it was, and he met the faculty and staff, he knew this was where he wanted to go to school,” Moore said in a video posted on the University of Mobile YouTube channel. Watch the video here.

In addition to his MBA from the University of Mobile, Moore holds a Bachelor of Arts in marketing from Talladega College. He is active in the Christian Business Men’s Connection, Mobile Law Enforcement Foundation, Mobile Chamber – Growth Alliance Task Force, and Jubilee Youth Service & Leadership Academy.

Moore said he knew his University of Mobile experience would be different from his first class in the MBA program – business law.

“The professor was a local attorney, and he began every class with a prayer – which is and was very countercultural,” Moore said.

“I developed lifelong relationships with my classmates, the faculty and staff. There was a Christian component to the education I received at UM, which is one of the reasons my experience was so unique.”

Pictured from left are UM President Lonnie Burnett, Ronald Moore, Alumni Director Haley Haney.

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About the University of Mobile

The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered university with a vision of “Higher Education for a Higher Purpose,” founded to honor God by equipping students for their future professions in an environment where they are known. Located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, on a campus of over 880 acres, the university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs.The University of Mobile was founded in 1961 and is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention.

For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.

MOBILE, Ala. – Lyon Chapel holds a special place in the hearts of University of Mobile students and alumni. For 1997 alumni Alison and Adam Creel, it is “a little heavenly haven” where they grew together in their faith.

“We spent countless hours on the front steps of the chapel reading our Bibles, praying together and discussing our future together,” recalls Alison. “On particularly hard days, we knew we could find one another along the front or back stoop of that dear old church. We knew God would meet us there.”

Those memories came flooding back on Christmas Day 2023 when Alison’s father, Pastor Harold Fanning, put his woodworking hobby to the test and created a special present for the couple. Using photos of Lyon Chapel for reference, he constructed a 12-inch-by-14-inch oak model of the historic building that represents the university’s Christ-centered foundation and Alabama Baptist heritage.

“We are a family that loves the University of Mobile,” says Fanning, a past member of UM’s Board of Regents and retired chaplain. “Building a scale model of Lyon Chapel proved to be more challenging than I realized. It is not perfect by any means, but it does serve as a reminder of those precious days at the university.”

Alison says her father’s gift captures the charm and simplicity of the 140-year-old structure that once served as First Baptist Church of St. Stephens, Alabama, before being moved to campus and restored in 1988. The chapel is named in memory of Willie Mae Lewis Lyon, a founding trustee of then-Mobile College.

“I think most UM students have a certain affinity and appreciation for Lyon Chapel. It serves as a standard on campus, reminding students every day to live missionally, stay rooted in faith, and live out a Christian worldview,” Alison says.

A Challenging Project

Fanning comes from a long line of woodworkers – one grandfather was in the logging trade, another was a professional carpenter, and his own father was a woodworker.

But Fanning’s calling was to ministry. He served Alabama Baptist churches for over 40 years before retiring from the pastorate in 2010 and becoming a chaplain for Alacare Hospice and Home Health. Since retiring again in 2019, he has served as interim pastor in numerous churches, currently at New Market Baptist Church in New Market, Alabama. Between retirements, he took up woodworking.

“I enjoy the challenges of working with wood – each piece brings its own set of challenges. For me, overcoming these challenges is part of the lure. Whether you are trying to make a precise cut or figuring out how to join two pieces of wood together, I love the sense of accomplishment when I finally get it right,” Fanning says.

It took Fanning approximately three weeks to build the oak model of Lyon Chapel in the workshop behind the home in Hartselle, Alabama, that he and his wife, Debbie, share.

A Family in Ministry

Since graduating, Alison and Adam have put their University of Mobile experience to work in ministries of their own. Adam graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a religion minor and now serves as business administrator at Whitesburg Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. He is one of the lead pastors on the church ministry staff, oversees the financial health of the church, negotiates contracts and other legal business documents, and manages the church’s human resources department. In addition, he teaches a weekly small group, leads a men’s discipleship group, serves as the pastor liaison for the church’s homeschool ministry, and recently completed a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in church administration.

Alison holds a Bachelor of Arts in public relations and journalism with a music minor. She is a contracted writer and content editor for Lifeway Kids and serves on the Bible Studies for Life team, writing and editing preschool and children’s worship curriculum. She also teaches a second-grade class at Whitesburg Baptist Church.

They have three daughters: Audrey, Anna and Adeline.

A UM Day Reunion

The Creel family will have a chance to meet on the steps of Lyon Chapel again on Feb. 16 when their youngest daughter, Adeline, visits campus for UM Day. During UM Days, prospective students experience the university, tour campus, meet faculty and current students, and learn about academics, campus life, scholarships and more. 

To RSVP for an upcoming UM Day or schedule a campus visit at another convenient time, go to umobile.edu/umday.

Alison says the couple is thrilled that Adeline is visiting their alma mater and considering enrollment.

“We are forever Rams fans, but more than that, we trust UM. We know the quality of education Adeline would receive, the caliber of professors she would study under, and the intensity with which she would be challenged in her faith…it is exciting to think about the prayers SHE would pray on the front steps of Lyon Chapel. Adam and I sat there and prayed for her before we even knew she’d be born to us,” she says.

A Lasting Reminder

More than 25 years later, Alison and Adam still proudly wear their UM jerseys and sport UM license plates on their vehicles. The model of Lyon Chapel is now a family treasure prominently displayed near their living room fireplace.

Seeing it every day brings to mind those long-ago college years – and something more.

“There is just something about it that draws you in,” Alison says. “It’s such a contrast to the modern buildings and fast-paced academic life that surrounds it. It has a way of quieting the chaos of life, reminding you of what’s important and what will last.”

A print of an original watercolor of Lyon Chapel by 2008 alumna Megan Dean Desko is available from the University of Mobile Store as part of The U’s “Mobile Makers” collection highlighting the work of UM alumni. Order a Lyon Chapel print at universityofmobilestore.com.

8"x10" Lyon's Chapel Watercolor Print by Megan Desko Art

About the University of Mobile

The University of Mobile is a Christ-centered university with a vision of “Higher 
Education for a Higher Purpose,” founded to honor God by equipping students for their 
future professions in an environment where they are known. Located 10 miles north of Mobile, Alabama, on a campus of over 880 acres, the university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in over 75 academic programs.The University of Mobile was founded in 1961 and is affiliated with the Alabama Baptist State Convention.

For information about the University of Mobile, areas of study, admissions and more, visit umobile.edu, connect with UM on social media @univofmobile, or call Enrollment Services at 1.800.WIN.RAMS or 251.442.2222.