Catawba College

Four alumni of Catawba College will be honored with awards on Saturday during homecoming weekend.

They are:

• Allan Robert Autry, Class of 2008, of Raleigh, recipient of the Young Alumni Award for Career Development.

• Robin Tynes-Miller, Class of 2012, of Charlotte, recipient of the Young Alumni Award for Service.

• John D. Balls, Class of 1970, of Charlotte, recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Career Achievement.

• Marvin T. Moore, Class of 1999 of Concord, recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award for Service.

Given annually by the Catawba Alumni Association, the awards recognize individuals who have served their communities at large and the Catawba community in particular and distinguished themselves at different stages of their professional development.

The alumni awards ceremony and brunch will be from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in Goodman Gymnasium. Tickets are $15 for those older than 6 and free for younger children. Tickets may be purchased online at www.catawba.edu/homecoming.

Autry is a CPA and the youngest tax principal at Johnson Lambert LLP, the fifth-largest accounting firm for the insurance industry in the country.

A native of Fayetteville, Autry majored in accounting while an undergraduate at Catawba and was a member of the golf team. Recognized for his academic success while a student, Autry was a junior marshal and a member of the Philomathean Society.

After graduating, he earned his master of accounting degree, magna cum laude, from N.C. State University’s Poole College of Management.

He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the North Carolina Association of CPAs, and the Insurance Accounting & Systems Association. Autry is a regular presenter at regional and national insurance industry conferences on tax and workplace issues.

Recent talks include “Managing a Multigenerational Work Force: Unleashing Its Potential” and “State Taxes: The Unknown Frontier.”

He also writes articles for clients to help them better understand tax law. His recent works include “The Impact of the Tax Reform Act for Property and Casualty Insurers” for the PIAA Inside Medical Liability publication and “Trump Tax Reform” for the IASA E-Interpreter.

Autry met his wife, the former Meagen Kittle, also a member of the Class of 2008, while both were Catawba students. She is assistant dean of academic affairs at William Peace University and teaching assistant professor at the N.C. State University College of Engineering. The two are parents of Rowan Meadow Autry, and the family lives in Raleigh.

Tynes-Miller is founder and artistic director of Three Bone Theatre and analytics manager for Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.

A native of Black Mountain, Tynes-Miller came to Catawba as a transfer student, majoring in musical theater and earning a bachelor of fine arts degree. While a student, she distinguished herself academically. She was a junior marshal; was inducted into Phi Epsilon; served as Blue Masque president in 2011 and 2012; and was a member of Alpha Psi Omega, the theater arts honor society.

She was improv team captain, an Irene Ryan semifinalist for 2012, and the recipient of the Augustin Daly Award. Popular with her fellow students, she was also a member of the homecoming court.

While a Catawba undergrad, she met fellow theater arts alumna Carmen Bartlett, Class of 2010, and developed a close friendship. The two discussed their shared dream of establishing a small, nonprofit theater in North Carolina and realized that dream when they opened Three Bone Theatre in Charlotte in 2012.

The name of their theater company comes from a Reba McEntire quote: “To succeed in life, you need a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.” Three Bone Theatre was recognized in 2017 by the North Carolina Theatre Conference with its George A. Parides Professional Theatre Company of the Year Award.

She recently married Scott Tynes-Miller, and they live in Charlotte.

Balls, of Charlotte, is a former vice president and chief information officer for AT&T/Lucent Technologies Inc. and a retired educator.

After graduating from Catawba with a degree in business management, Balls earned his master of science degree in finance from Benjamin Franklin University (now George Washington University), an MBA in management and finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and his master’s and doctorate degrees from Gardner-Webb University.

He also graduated from Cornell University’s Executive Leadership Program and from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Executive Program in Technology.

While a student at Catawba, he was honored as Student of the Month and included in “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.” He also served as a junior marshal.

After a long career with AT&T/Lucent Technologies Inc. in New Jersey, where Balls held several strategic positions between 1971 and 2000, he began a career as an educator. He was an instructor in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools between 2000 and 2003, then worked in the Stanly County Schools first as a vice principal at West Stanly High School and then as a high school principal at Stanly Early College between 2006 and 2010.

He joined Gardner-Webb University as director of the Center for Innovative Leadership Development between 2012 and 2016, as coordinator of the doctorate of education in organization leadership program between 2014 and 2016, and as assistant professor in the School of Education between 2013 and 2016.

Balls continues at Gardner-Webb University as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education.

He has numerous publications to his credit and has been honored with awards throughout his career, including the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Honoree Award in 2018 and the North Carolina New Schools Innovator of the Year Award in 2010. He has been on the board of directors for the local Boys & Girls Club and has been a mentor for students and young professionals in ministries at his church.

He is married to Greta Balls.

Moore is principal of Isenberg Elementary School.

While a student at Catawba, Moore was a standout basketball player who earned his degree in physical education. His achievements on the court earned him accolades, including three-time All-Conference Player; four-time champion on a team that won two conference championships and two conference tournaments; All American; Conference Player of the Year; Conference Athlete of the Year; and Conference Hall of Fame member.

He was the only player in conference history to have 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists, and 200 steals. He holds the record as Catawba’s all-time steals leader in a game, a single season and career.

He was Catawba’s assistant men’s basketball coach for 10 years and helped lead the squad to three conference tournament championships and three conference championships. He continues to mentor men’s basketball players.

Moore earned his master’s degree from Gardner-Webb University and is pursuing his doctorate from Wingate University.

In the community, he is active in volunteer organizations including Dream on 3, Food for Thought and Crosby Scholars. He has been honored as a finalist for Rowan County Principal of the Year and as Salisbury Area Community Principal.

Married to Jessica Moore, the couple live in Concord and are parents of daughters Sydni, Maliya and Londyn and son Marvin “M.J.”

Moore is a native of Ahoskie and the son of Helen Hurd.