Triad Business Journal Names Three N.C. A&T Alumni to ’40 Under 40’ List

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Jan. 27, 2023) – The Triad Business Journal has named three North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alumni to its 2023 class of 40 Under 40 award winners – Alana V. Allen ’07, Bryle Henderson Hatch ’08, ’10, ’18, Ph.D., and Oliver M. Thomas ’06, Ph.D., M.Div.

All honorees are accomplished leaders older than 21 and younger than 40 who are leaving an indelible mark not just in their workplaces but also across the region. In addition to their professional achievements, they are active in many local nonprofits and civic causes, addressing issues ranging from education to poverty to social injustice to bolstering the quality of life in the Triad.

Allen earned a B.S. in journalism and mass communications with a concentration in public relations from N.C. A&T, where she is director of alumni communications director of alumni communications under the Division of University Advancement.

Allen also is also founder and executive director of I Am A Queen, a youth development nonprofit based in the Greensboro-High Point area of North Carolina. For 14 years, she has cultivated a thriving year-round mentorship program for girls ages 10-18 that focuses on building their self-esteem and leadership skills. She has 16 years of experience in communications and her career includes three years of service as a public relations officer and deputy press secretary for North Carolina’s first female governor, Beverly E. Perdue.

Hatch earned a B.A. in speech communication, master’s degree in adult and higher education and a doctorate in leadership studies from A&T. He also completed post-baccalaureate studies in public communication at American University in Washington, D.C., and post-graduate studies at Hood Theological Seminary.

Hatch is an inclusive engagement professional with experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion, workforce development, and educational programming and has worked in several leadership roles within educational and government settings. He serves as the director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services where he leads initiatives for creating and sustaining a strong and inclusive work environment for the 15,000 employees of the agency. His past professional experiences include serving as executive director for community engagement at A&T and executive director of Thrive High Point, a multi-million-dollar initiative to support diversity and inclusion in local entrepreneurship. He is active in several community and civic organizations, serving on the boards of directors for the North Carolina Conference on Community and Justice, Trailblazers Impact Foundation, Motivational Foundation Inc., and the International Society of Furniture Designers.

Thomas earned a B.A. in political science from A&T, Ph.D. in educational Studies with a cultural foundations concentration from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and M.Div. from Wake Forest University School of Divinity.

Thomas is director of external affairs in the Chancellor’s Office and a former adjunct instructor at A&T. In his work, he strives to promote A&T so that representatives and leaders have a greater understanding of the university’s values and impact. A member of the 2023 Class of Leadership Greensboro, he also serves as a member of the Civic Engagement Coalition, February One Planning Committee, University Awards and Convocation Planning Committee, GuilfordWorks Workforce Development Board, and North Carolina Office of Strategic Partnerships Advisory Group. He is the author of “Toward a Pedagogy of Critical Liberative Theological Consciousness: Cultivating Students As Agents of Social Change.”

All 40 Under 40 honorees will be recognized during a ceremony Thursday, Feb. 23, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center at High Point University.