51³Ô¹ÏÍø

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Honorees' Acceptance Speeches Share Common Thread of "Giving Back"

Dallas (SMU) April 17, 2026 – Friends and family of four 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox School of Business alumni gathered at the Cox School’s Collins Executive Center on April 17 as Cox School Dean Todd Milbourn bestowed honored alumni awards. In alphabetical order, this year’s 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox Distinguished Alumni Award winners are Rob. C. Holmes, MBA ’89 and Kyle Miller, B.B.A. ’01. This year’s Outstanding Young Alumni honorees, also alphabetically, are Alicia Andrews Joseph, MBA ’14 and James Jensen Ruth, B.B.A. ’07.

During thank you speeches, this year’s honorees talked about the value they’ve received from, and shared with, the 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox Community—lifelong connections that have shaped their lives and lives they’ve helped shape. Outstanding Young Alumna Joseph emphasized the value of “taking everything this community gives you and putting it back into the community.” Distinguished Alumnus Miller said, “It’s about giving back . . . People matter most.”

Award nominations are submitted to the 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox Alumni Association for consideration by a selection committee.

Distinguished Alumni 2026

Rob C. Holmes, MBA ’89, is chairman of the Board of Directors and the president and CEO of Texas Capital and its parent company Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. He joined Texas Capital in 2021 after a 31-year career at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Holmes is a founding member and treasurer of the newly created Dallas Economic Club and currently serves on the Texas Stock Exchange (TXSE) Listings Standards and Governance Advisory Council.

Holmes earned a Bachelor of Arts in economics from The University of Texas at Austin and chose to pursue his MBA at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox. His family connections to 51³Ô¹ÏÍørun deep. About 16 relatives spanning five generations of Holmes’ family have attended and supported 51³Ô¹ÏÍøsince 1929.

Kyle Miller, B.B.A. ’01, is the founder and CEO of Silver Hill Energy Partners and its affiliated partnerships as well as a founding investor in several private ventures focused on oil and gas, real estate and financial services. In 2015, the Cox School named Miller an Outstanding Young Alumnus. Currently he serves on the 51³Ô¹ÏÍøBoard of Trustees and its standing committees on Athletics and Academic Affairs. He is also the vice chair of the Cox School Executive Board. An active volunteer and generous benefactor for 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox, Miller, with his wife Katy, supported the recent Cox School building renovation and expansion by establishing the Katy and Kyle Miller Courtyard at the David B. Miller Business Quadrangle.

The Miller family also actively supports philanthropies through the Katy and Kyle Miller Family Foundation. Kyle Miller has strong family connections to SMU: His father, David B. Miller, B.B.A. ’72, MBA ’73, is the current chair of the 51³Ô¹ÏÍøBoard of Trustees, a member of the Cox Executive Board, and the namesake of the Miller Business Quadrangle. Kyle Miller’s uncle, Alan Miller, is also a member of the Cox Executive Board and an MBA ’87 alumnus. Two of Kyle Miller’s grandparents, his mother and a stepbrother are all 51³Ô¹ÏÍøalumni.

Outstanding Young Alumni 2026

Alicia Andrews Joseph, MBA ’14, is the global vice president of marketing for LeadsOnline, a global provider of data, analysis and ballistic tools for law enforcement agencies. Prior to LeadsOnline, Joseph spent a decade with AT&T where she excelled in pivotal roles spanning enterprise advertising, 5G marketing and IoT marketing, supporting over 100 products and 11 verticals. She earned undergraduate degrees in marketing & organization and management at Emory University in Atlanta. In graduate school at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox, she concentrated in marketing and strategy & entrepreneurship to earn her MBA in 2014.

James Jensen Ruth, B.B.A. ’07, is the chief marketing officer for the NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the club since May 2023, he directs marketing efforts across brand, merchandise, social media, creative, content, stadium experience and fan insights. In his first year with the Bucs, Ruth led the relaunch of the team’s beloved Creamsicle jersey in a nod to the club’s 50th season. The relaunch campaign integrated Bucs legends and community stakeholders and reached among the NFL’s best sales results to date for a throwback jersey.

Before the NFL, Ruth spent a decade in soccer. As CMO for Austin FC, he led the marketing efforts from the team’s launch into Major League Soccer through its first two seasons. Ruth graduated magna cum laude in 2007 from 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox, earning a B.B.A. in finance. He earned an MBA from Columbia Business School in 2014.

To Make a Nomination

To be nominated as an 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox Distinguished Alumni, candidates must hold an undergraduate or graduate degree from 51³Ô¹ÏÍøand a position of distinction in the business community; demonstrate outstanding career success; be active civic leaders and community partners; and be involved with 51³Ô¹ÏÍøand the Cox School through activities and contributions. Those recognized as 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox Outstanding Young Alumni must meet the same criteria but can be no more than 40 years of age at the time of the awards luncheon. Nominations for either honor may be sent to 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox Alumni Association, coxalumnirelations@smu.edu.

About 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox

The Cox School of Business at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøMethodist University (51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox) is committed to influencing the way the world conducts business via prolific research that provokes innovation, change and global thought leadership. 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox offers a full range of business education programs, including B.B.A., Full-Time MBA, Working Professional MBA (part-time, in-person and online) and Master of Science degree programs, as well as graduate certificate programs and Executive Education (programming tailored for C-suite leaders and management professionals). In 2020, the Cox School celebrated 100 years of business education at 51³Ô¹ÏÍøand maintains an active alumni network globally. Accredited by the AACSB, 51³Ô¹ÏÍøCox is consistently ranked among the world’s leading business schools.