Harwell named National Alumni Association president

“Joey is a highly respected businessman and a leader serving his family, church and community. His commitment and passion for the university has led us to him. We look forward to working with Joey as we strive to meet the needs of our alumni around the world,” said Meador.

Harwell is director of private equity services at Lattimore Black Morgan and Cain (LBMC). He will serve as president of Lipscomb’s more than 33,000-member alumni association until 2011. A 1981 Lipscomb graduate, Harwell said he looks forward to working with his alma mater.

“Through the years, I have come to realize and appreciate more and more that much of what I know I learned at Lipscomb from the professors there,” said Harwell. “I feel a lot of gratitude to the university and look forward to this opportunity to give back to a place that has given me so much.”

During his tenure as NAA president, Harwell said he hopes to “continue to strengthen Lipscomb’s relationships with alumni and to continue to get the message out to alumni about the great things happening at the university and about its future plans.”

“I also want to encourage alumni to be ambassadors for Lipscomb in their communities. Alumni play a key role in an educational institution’s success. It’s a two-way benefit. As they strengthen the university, the value of their education in the marketplace grows,” he said.

A certified public accountant, Harwell has more than 25 years of financial and general management experience, primarily in the manufacturing, distribution and healthcare industries. Currently, Harwell serves as the leader of LBMC’s private equity services practice, which is focused on serving venture capital and private equity firms and their investee companies. A graduate of Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, he has served in a variety of financial and executive roles in private equity investee companies, practiced with Arthur Young in the firm’s consulting services group, and with KPMG in the audit department.

Harwell and his wife Bari (Craig), a 1984 Lipscomb graduate, have two children, Craig and Meredith, who are juniors at David Lipscomb High School.