Averett University honored four distinguished individuals with special awards during the Homecoming 2026 festivities. The Averett Alumni Association, in collaboration with President Dr. Tatia Daniels Granger, hosted a reception on the morning of Saturday, October 10, at the President’s Office to recognize the honorees. The quartet was also acknowledged during the Homecoming football game held at Frank R. Campbell Stadium later that afternoon.
This year, the Alumni Association bestowed a Distinguished Alumni Award, Recent Distinguished Alumni Award, the Frank Campbell Service Award and the Mary Jo Davis Outstanding Alumni Award.
Distinguished Alumni Award: Ann Reed Cassada
Averett’s Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes graduates for their service or accomplishments in their personal or professional lives. This year’s recipient is Ann Reed Cassada, ’79. Ann Cassada is a lifelong educator, community leader, mentor and servant whose life and career reflect a deep commitment to serving others. For more than 39 years, Ann dedicated herself to public education. Her career included serving as a classroom teacher, building-level administrator and senior-level educational leader. She served nine years as secondary director and six years as assistant superintendent for support services in Pittsylvania County Schools.
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Though Cassada was unable to be present at the ceremony, she was represented by her daughter, Hannah Bennett.
Recent Distinguished Alumni Award: Rebecca Clifton
This year’s recipient of the Recent Distinguished Alumni Award is Rebecca Clifton, ’22. Since graduating from Averett in 2022, Rebecca has distinguished herself through her career in nursing. She currently serves as a labor and delivery charge nurse, a leadership role in which she is entrusted not only with providing exceptional patient care, but also with supporting her colleagues, coordinating care and guiding a clinical team through situations that can be complex, demanding and deeply personal. Her work requires clinical knowledge, sound judgment and technical expertise. But it also requires something that cannot always be measured by credentials or titles: the ability to bring compassion, confidence and reassurance to patients and families during some of the most significant moments of their lives.
Frank Campbell Service Award: Linda Hutson Green
This year’s Frank Campbell Service Award recipient is Linda Hutson Green, ’85. Green graduated from Averett in 1985 with a bachelor of science in accounting, business administration and management sciences with a minor in computer science. She has a degree from Danville Community College and holds an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University.
Green is an active Averett alumna, coming back to campus many times for the Alumni Career Fair and has served on the Averett University Board of Trustees. She has three children and is also an outstanding alumna of Danville Community College.
Green currently serves as executive director of the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance (SVRA). She brings extensive federal, state and local experience. Green utilizes federal, state and local resources to support regional economic development, having helped create over 30 new industries and over 31 expansions, over 10,000 jobs and over $100 billion in investment over the past six years.
Her diverse career includes roles as district director for U.S. Congressman Robert Hurt, director at the Center for Innovative Technology and executive director of the Virginia Research and Technology Advisory Commission. She also served as president of the Dan River Business Development Center and as a quality engineer at Goodyear.
The Frank Campbell Service Award recognizes alumni for a specific service for Averett or for serving in the manner shown by Averett President Emeritus Dr. Frank Campbell.
Mary Jo Davis Outstanding Alumni Award: Dan Hayes
The Mary Jo Davis Outstanding Alumni Award recipient for 2026 is Dan Hayes, ’92. Hayes graduated with a bachelor of science in business administration and aviation management with a minor in theatre arts in 1992. He was active in the Baptist Student Union, The Averett Theatre Players and was a resident assistant.
Dan was a flight instructor from 1991-1994, the director of student activities from 1992-1994 and later returned as the director of alumni relations and friend development from 2008-2022. Dan also worked as tourism coordinator in Pulaski County, director of summer programs for Christchurch School and at Healogics, and was heavily involved in Boy Scouts of America, The Arc of Southside and Riverview Rotary.
For the last two and a half years, Dan has served as the executive director of The Community Foundation of the Dan River Region. Dan is known in Danville and the Averett family as Mr. Averett.
The Hayes are an Averett legacy family as well: Dan’s wife, Kim Cullinan Hayes, is in the Class of 1992 and won this same award in 2023. Dan and Kim’s son Steven is Class of 2023 and daughter, Erin, is Class of 2025.
The Mary Jo Davis Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes graduates who have contributed to Averett and the community at large in the way Mary Jo Davis ’55 did. Davis retired from Averett in 1999 after 34 years of service to the university. Her career began as alumni director before transitioning into the Dean of Students Office in the 1970s.
For a full list of Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, please click HERE.
For a full list of Recent Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, please click HERE.
For a full list of Frank Campbell Service Award recipients, please click HERE.
For a full list of Mary Jo Davis Outstanding Alumni Award recipients, please click HERE.
