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Bonnie Hathcock has been named Lee University’s Honorary Alumnus of the Year. She was recognized for this honor during the Chancellor’s Choice Concert and a special dinner during Lee’s Homecoming earlier this month.

Named One of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Human Resources, Hathcock has 37 years of corporate experience in Fortune 100 and 200 Companies around the United States. She started her corporate career at Xerox Corporation and has since served as vice president of human resources at Siemens Rolm Corporation, vice president of human resources at U.S. Airways, and senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Humana Inc., where she was also a member of the executive committee.

“Bonnie Hathcock did not attend Lee, but we wish she had,” said Dr. Mark Walker, president of the university. “She demonstrates all of the qualities and the characteristics of what we believe a Lee graduate is.”

In 2007, Hathcock was named HR Executive of the Year by HR Executive Magazine, and in 2010, she was inducted as a Fellow into the National Academy of Human Resources.

Hathcock has also been a member of numerous boards, including the WTCI Public Television in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the National Business Aviation Association and the Human Resources National Policy in Washington, D.C., and the United Way of Metro Louisville and the Fund for the Arts of Metro Louisville in Kentucky.

In 2017, she published a memoir, “Lilac Dreams: My Journey from a Sewer Drain to the Boardroom.”

She received her Master of Business Administration from Nova University and her Bachelor of Science in business education from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. She also completed post-graduate studies at Stanford University’s School of Business Executive Human Resources Program. Hathcock has been honored as a distinguished alumnus at both Nova and Shippensburg.

“All of us at Lee are so pleased that Bonnie would accept this award,” said Dr. Brad Moffett, vice president for university relations at Lee. “Bonnie’s professional career, dedication to service, and her heart for the kingdom of God has distinguished her as an outstanding person, and Lee is honored to call her our Honorary Alum of the Year.”

Now retired, Hathcock is an active member of the Lee and Cleveland communities. She resides in Cleveland with her husband, 1952 Lee alum Lindsay Levoy (Lee), and their dog.