2025 Mobley Awards honor outstanding achievement, dedication to UK

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 16, 2025) — The University of Kentucky Office of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement honored staff members and volunteers on Dec. 11 for their contributions to the university at the 2025 Terry B. Mobley Philanthropy Awards luncheon at The Manchester Reserve in Lexington.

The four recipients were selected for advancing the university’s philanthropic mission through their work in development and alumni engagement. Each honoree received a commemorative julep cup, a monetary stipend and recognition on a plaque permanently displayed in the Sturgill Philanthropy Building at the corner of Rose Street and Rose Lane.

“We’re honored to celebrate these four remarkable colleagues,” said Jake Lemon, UK vice president for philanthropy and alumni engagement. “For the past two decades, this award has recognized people whose passion and service embody what UK stands for.”

The Rising Achievement Award is presented to a professional staff member who has UK Philanthropy, UK Alumni Association or college/unit philanthropy or alumni relations tenure of fewer than five years and who demonstrates excellent work performance, significant success and potential of further outstanding achievement and impact as a philanthropy or alumni professional. This year’s Rising Achievement Award recipient is Kayla Thomas.

Thomas is the director of philanthropy for the UK College of Fine Arts, where she leads fundraising efforts for major and principal gifts in support of the college, the UK Art Museum and the Singletary Center for the Arts.

Since joining UK Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement in 2024, Thomas has raised more than $3 million and helped re-engage alumni across the country through intentional outreach and in-person connection. Her work centers on building relationships that advance the college’s mission and sustain its reach in creative communities. She earned her undergraduate degree in English from UK and her MFA in creative writing from Indiana University.

The Professional Achievement Award is presented to a professional staff member who has UK Philanthropy, UK Alumni Association or college/unit philanthropy or alumni relations tenure of five or more years and who consistently demonstrates excellent work performance and has achieved significant success and impact as a philanthropy or alumni professional. This year’s recipient of the Professional Achievement Award is Tressa Neal.

Neal serves as senior director of donor relations for the UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (CAFE), where she leads stewardship strategy, fund administration and donor engagement. She oversees stewardship and event teams to ensure effective gift utilization, coordinated donor communications and meaningful experiences that connect supporters to the college’s mission.

A Louisville, Kentucky, native, Neal began her career with UK Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement in 2014 as a development assistant in the UK J. David Rosenberg College of Law. She joined Martin-Gatton CAFE in 2017 and has since held a series of roles focused on strengthening relationships with alumni, donors and partners. She also develops individualized stewardship plans that align donor intent with the college’s long-term priorities and impact.

The Impact Award is presented annually to a staff member whose efforts during the calendar year led to a momentous, positive, lasting change at the university. This year’s recipient of the Impact Awards is Jonathan Furnish.

Furnish serves as a stewardship officer in the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. He leads stewardship efforts, communication strategies and signature events that foster meaningful connections and encourage continued investment in the college’s mission.

A Cynthiana, Kentucky, native, Furnish has focused his work at UK on strengthening lasting relationships among alumni, donors and friends through thoughtful engagement and sincere relationship-building. His efforts ensure that generosity is recognized and that the stories behind each gift are honored and woven into the university’s ongoing history of impact. He earned his degree from the UK College of Communication and Information in 2012.

The Philanthropy Service Award is presented to a UK senior professional, administrator, faculty member or volunteer who has demonstrated extraordinary support for the philanthropy effort at the university, is a strong advocate for philanthropy and is not a full-time UK Philanthropy or UK Alumni Association professional. This year’s winner of the Philanthropy Service Awards is Jack “Goose” Givens.

Givens is among the most celebrated players in UK basketball history. He led the Wildcats to the 1978 NCAA National Championship and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player after scoring 41 points in the title game against Duke. A three-time first team All-SEC selection and consensus second team All-American, he finished his UK career with 2,038 points, ranking third all-time, and his retired No. 21 jersey hangs in Rupp Arena.

The Lexington native was selected 16th overall by the Atlanta Hawks and later played professionally overseas in Italy, Belgium and Japan. He was inducted into the inaugural UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005 and remains an active ambassador for the university. He currently provides game analysis on the UK Sports Network and appears on “BBN Gameday” and “BBN Tonight.” He is a 1978 graduate of the UK College of Arts & Sciences and is a 2023 recipient of the UK Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award.

Lemon said the honorees distinguished themselves through their creativity, dedication and ability to build lasting relationships with donors and alumni.

“They lead with purpose,” he said. “They invest their talent, time and heart into every relationship, and that commitment has a real impact across the Commonwealth and beyond.”

The awards honor the legacy of Terry B. Mobley, a 1965 graduate who transformed UK’s fundraising operation after joining the university in 1977 as chief development officer. He played a central role in expanding “A Call to Greatness” into a $1 billion campaign — an unprecedented goal for a public institution at the time. Under his leadership, UK ultimately became the first public university in America to raise $1 billion.

The Mobley Awards were established in 2005 to recognize individuals advancing the university’s philanthropic mission. More than seven dozen recipients have been honored since its inception. To read more about the Mobley Awards, visit philanthropy.uky.edu/your-gifts-at-work/mobley-awards.