Every year, the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences awards outstanding departmental alumni with its Outstanding A&E Alumnus of the Year and Outstanding Young Professional Awards.  This year's awardees, Billy Kniffen, Alvaro Bellini, and Brent Jameson have all distinguished themselves in their post-collegiate careers, and A&E is proud to honor them with these awards during Homecoming 2007.

2007 Outstanding A&E Alumnus of the Year Award

Billy Kniffen

Billy Kniffen has been a County Extension Agent—Agriculture and Natural Resources for the Texas Cooperative Extension for 24 years.  He has served Nueces, San Saba, DeWitt, Hays and Menard Counties.  He has been in Menard County since October 2001.  He received his BS in Animal Science from Abilene Christian College in 1971 and his MS in Agriculture Education from Tarleton State University.

He has served on the Texas Master Naturalist State Advisory Committee, the Texas Forest Service Oak Wilt Committee, the Texas State 4-H Horse Committee, various committees of the Texas Section Society for Range Management and Extension’s Rainwater Task Force.  He has also served as a state director of the Native Prairie Association of Texas, Texas County Agriculture Agents Association and is a national director for the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association.

He has developed and taught the Master Gardener “Rainwater Specialist” course, helped develop the Texas Master Naturalist program and has co-authored several Extension publications.  He spoke at the National Rainwater Conference in Hawaii in August 2007 and is coordinator of its national professional’s accreditation program.  He also practices what he preaches.  He lives in a home solely dependent on rainwater for all inside and outside water needs and has installed numerous collection systems across the state of Texas.

He has received the Texas A&M University Board of Regents “Fellow Service Award,” Extension’s Superior Service award, County Agents and Extension Specialists Association’s Distinguished Service Awards and various industry and association awards.

Billy’s wife, Mary (Stephenson) Kniffen graduated from ACU in 1973.  She teaches special education and PE at the Menard ISD.  They have 3 children.  Kirk, the oldest, coaches tennis in Katy.  He and his wife, Tiffany, have three girls ages 10, 7 and 4.  Their daughter, Wendy Loher, played tennis at Mesa State University and is now married to Ryan, who manages a sky diving operation.  Wendy works for an investment company in San Antonio.  The other son, Kyle, went into the Marines after high school and is now married to Jessica and they live in Phoenix where he manages a sports store.

Billy is an elder at the Menard Church of Christ and has taught high school and adult classes over the last 30 years.  He is also active in numerous local civic organizations and business groups.

2007 Outstanding Young Professional Award

Alvaro Bellini, Co-Recipient

Originally from Sao Jose do Rio Preto Sao Paolo, Brazil, Alvaro Bellini arrived at ACU in the fall of 1995 after beginning his university program in agricultural sciences at Sao Paolo State University.  While a student in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at ACU, he conducted agronomic research on wild oats under Dr. Glenn Davis and served as a research technician in the Southwest Peanut Flavor Lab, sponsored by JLA, under Dr. Foy Mills.  He was inducted into the Honor Society of Delta Tau Alpha, was named to Who’s Who and was an A&E scholarship recipient.  He also competed and placed in soils and computer applications competitions at the NACTA Judging Conference as a student.  He graduated with a double major in range and agronomy and agribusiness in December 1998.  He spent time in the U.S. before and after his graduation engaged in language study and investigating various educational and business opportunities.

Studying in the U.S. and traveling to various parts of the world provided Bellini the tools to observe the world food chain.  Upon returning to Brazil, he administered his family’s farm where they raised coffee, oranges, rice and corn.  Today they raise sugar cane and cattle in the states of Sao Paolo and Mato Grosso do Sul.  Additionally, he has owned several businesses in Brazil as a director and partner.  These include Clube do Fazendeiro, the largest agribusiness-oriented internet site in Brazil eventually purchased by a Mexican company, ALGI, an international agribusiness consulting firm, as well as an international trading company.  This summer he was named partner and president of JLA:Brazil, a company providing technical support for the international food and beverage industry with specific expertise in peanuts and tree nuts.  With this appointment, it reconnected him to his work as a student technician at the Southwest Peanut Flavor Lab and with Dr. Mills.

Brent Jameson, Co-Recipient

Brent Jameson was born and raised in West Texas on a ranch 50 miles north of San Angelo in a small ranching community called Silver.  While attending ACU he was active in the Aggie Club and the Honor Society of Delta Tau Alpha serving as a national officer for two years.  He also was a member of the men’s social club Frater Sodalis, participated in Spring Break Campaigns, was teaching assistant for Dr. Foy Mills and participated in various internships including one with the Texas Department of Agriculture.

After graduating from ACU in 1998 with a BS in Agribusiness and a BBA in Human Resource Management, he and his wife Sandy moved to Amarillo where Brent managed the HR Department for Sears Methodist Retirement Community while Sandy worked towards her Masters in Religion from ACU.  In 2000, Brent and Sandy moved to Plano where Brent managed the HR Department for MDT/Solectron and Sandy became the Children’s Minster for Pitman Creek Church of Christ.  When MDT/Solectron closed in 2004, Brent was hired by his current employer, J-W Operating Company, where he is the Corporate HR Manager.  In his current position, Brent has developed an HR Department for a fast growing oil and gas company with over 1,700 employees across 14 states.  His passion for people and business has allowed him to make a positive impact in the world of business and the lives of his employees and their families.

In 2004, Brent and Sandy were blessed with the birth of their son Pierce and again in 2005 with their daughter Auburn.  Along with the birth of their children, Brent and Sandy were instrumental in the birth of a new church where Sandy serves as Children’s Minister.  They are both actively involved in leading a small group, the children’s ministry program and other functions within their church.  God has richly blessed Brent and his family.