A celebrated public finance lawyer, an executive vice president in healthcare communications and an Emmy award–winning producer were recognized as outstanding alumni at the WVU Reed College of Media’s Spring Honors Ceremony.
Each year, the College seeks nominations and presents alumni awards, including those that recognize philanthropic support; service to the College; and demonstrated success within the first 10 years post-graduation. The 2022–23 awardees include Samme Gee (BSJ, 1975), Chad Hyett (BSJ, 2001) and Morgan Allison (BSJ, 2014).
“We are grateful for alumni who inspire our students and elevate our College’s profile as leaders in their fields,” said Dean Diana Martinelli. “It was an honor to formally recognize Samme, Chad and Morgan for their achievements.”
Gee received the Friend of the College Award, which was established in honor of the late Professor Emeritus Paul A. Atkins to recognize individuals for their exemplary support and commitment to the school. Gee is a member of the Public Finance Practice Group at law firm Jackson Kelly, where she focuses on municipal bonds and related governmental financings, governmental agency representation, corporate trust and legislative services. She is a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers (NABL) and is listed in Woodward/White's Best Lawyers in America. She has also been named in the Best Lawyers in America Business Edition "Women in Law," West Virginia Super Lawyers, and Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers. Gee has served on the College’s Visiting Committee for more than a decade and often gives of her time and treasure, particularly supporting the College on WVU’s Day of Giving each year.
Hyett was the recipient of the Commitment to Service Award, established in honor of Dr. R. Ivan Pinnell for his more than two decades of service to the College. He is currently the executive vice president at MCS Healthcare. For more than 20 years, Hyett has built industry-first communications programs for respected healthcare organizations worldwide. Before MCS, he held senior positions at international public relations firms, including Porter Novelli and Fleishman-Hillard. Hyett has served on the College’s visiting committee since 2016, and for the past 10 years has worked regularly with adjunct instructor Chuck Harman’s senior capstone students, providing mentorship and real-world insights to help them create meaningful strategic communication campaigns.
Allison received the Young Alumna Award, which recognizes media and communications professionals who have demonstrated an ability to excel in their field within 10 years of graduating. She is a four-time Emmy Award–winning producer at Bleacher Report (BR) where she focuses on covering the NBA, NFL, MLB and NCAA Basketball Tournament for all BR digital and social platforms. Allison started her career in sports television at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she harnessed skills of video editing, script writing and highlight producing before taking on a new role with Turner Sports in Atlanta, Georgia, working in graphics production for Inside the NBA as well as live NBA on TNT remote game coverage.
For a full list of alumni awardees or to make nominations, which are accepted year-round, visit mediacollege.wvu.edu/alumni-awards.