Texas Tech University’s Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources recognized eight distinguished alumni on Monday (Apr. 7) at the university’s McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center. 

The 2025 Distinguished Alumni & Outstanding Young Alumni Awards honored graduates who’ve made significant contributions to society, and whose accomplishments and careers have brought distinction to the college and to the professions associated with agriculture, landscapes, and natural resources. 

The recipients of this year’s Davis College Distinguished Alumni Awards were:

Ronald Phillips of Lubbock, Texas (Agricultural Economics |1990) He received bachelor’s degrees in agricultural economics and financial planning from Texas Tech. His law degree is also from Texas Tech. In 2006, he completed a Harvard Management & Leadership in Education Program. Phillips began his career at Texas Tech in 1992 as a graduate assistant and went on to hold several roles, including Associate General Counsel, Chief of Staff, University Counsel, and Chief Compliance Officer. He also taught Agricultural Law and directed a Government & Public Service Internship Program, helping more than 750 students secure internships. A licensed attorney and certified mediator, he is a Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP). Honors include serving as Texas Tech Federal Credit Union’s Chairman of the Board and has been involved in various community and professional organizations, including the City of Lubbock's Water Advisory Commission, Public Transit Authority, Ranching & Heritage Association, and numerous youth organizations including Frenship Youth Football and Baseball.

Joe Imamura of Fairfax, Virginia (Landscape Architecture | 2012) He received his Master of Landscape Architecture from Texas Tech. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree, and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech as well. Imamura currently serves as the Special Delegate of the Architect of the Capitol, representing the Architect on various boards and councils to include his work as a Zoning Commissioner where he influences local planning and land-use decisions across Washington, DC. As a representative on the U.S. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, he sets national preservation policy and works alongside fellow members to promote the environmental, cultural, and economic value of historic resources. Recently, Imamura was appointed to represent the Architect on the Board of Trustees for the National Building Museum. Earlier in his career, he was Regional Chief Architect for the U.S. General Services Administration in New York City. Earlier, Joe led project teams as a landscape architect, shepherding the design and construction of more than 25 national, state, and tribal veteran cemeteries across the U.S. with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Lacee Hoelting of Nazareth, Texas (Agricultural Communications | 2006) She received a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from Texas Tech and a master’s degree in agricultural education from Texas A&M University and a Certificate in Advanced International Affairs from the George Bush School of Government & Public Service. She completed the Texas Agricultural Lifetime Leadership program in 2018, which included a study trip to China. Hoelting currently serves as Executive Director of the FiberMax Center for Discovery in Lubbock where she is responsible for a wide range of activities including event planning, fundraising, exhibit and program development, marketing, and administration, in addition to promoting the museum’s mission of agricultural literacy. In addition to her museum work, she serves as the president of the Lubbock Area Association of Fundraising Professionals and is working towards earning her Certified Fundraising Executive designation. She was honored as the Davis College Outstanding Young Alumna (2020).

Joe Franklin of Christoval, Texas (Range Management | 1982) He received his bachelor’s degree in range management from Texas Tech and a master’s degree in range science from Texas A&M University. In addition, he is a Certified Professional in Rangeland Management and a Certified Range Management Consultant. A seasoned rangeland management expert for more than four decades, Franklin served with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for 32 years, notably as a Rangeland Management Specialist. His extensive expertise includes a broad range of rangeland management practices such as grazing management, brush control, prescribed burning, and forage inventories. In 2014, after his retirement from the NRCS, he transitioned to a private consultancy, focusing on conservation planning, brush management, grazing management, and rangeland health assessments. He is an active member of the Society for Range Management. Honors include the Outstanding Young Range Professional Award. and the 1998 TS-SRM Fellow Award.

Mike Smith of Amarillo, Texas (Animal Production | 1974) He received his bachelor’s degree in animal production from Texas Tech. Smith is the owner of The Smith Group, a commodities brokerage and cattle-feeding business based in Amarillo, Texas. With over 48 years of experience, he has built a sprawling operation consisting of approximately 385,000 acres of ranch and farmland across Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. His operations include cattle-feeding entities capable of managing up to 211,000 head of cattle, making him one of the largest cattle feeding company owners in the U.S. In addition to ranching, Smith co-founded Tejas Trading Co. (2000). In the past he has served on the Texas Cattle Feeders Association Board of Directors, Texas Livestock Marketing Association, and Where Food Comes From, Inc. In addition, he is an executive committee member of the National Finance Credit Corporation of Texas. Over the years, Smith has acquired several ranches, including the LS Ranch, Quien Sabe Ranch, Proctor Ranch, Houghton Ranch, and Swenson Flat Top Ranch.

Kermit Price of Wendell, North Carolina (Agronomy | 2002 & 2009) He received his bachelor’s degree and doctorate in agronomy from Texas Tech. Price currently serves as Vice President and Head of Breeding, Trait Development, Technologies & Operations for Seeds & Traits at BASF Agricultural Solutions. He leads a global team responsible for managing BASF's Seeds & Traits portfolio, from R&D to commercialization, and aligning R&D investments with business priorities. He oversees operations to advance crop solutions across canola, cotton, soybean, and hybrid wheat. His career began in 2000 with Aventis CropScience (later acquired by Bayer), where he worked in cotton breeding and trait development. He contributed to the development of biotech traits for cotton and soybeans, shaping BASF’s product portfolio. In 2015, he moved to North Carolina, where he led product development and integrated crop protection with Seeds & Traits. He took on his current role in 2024, leading a new global organization within Seeds & Traits R&D.  

James Knowlton, Jr. of Oakland, Tennessee (Mechanized Agriculture & Agricultural Engineering | 1986 & 1990) received bachelor’s degrees in agricultural mechanization and agricultural engineering from Texas Tech. Knowlton completed his master’s degree in agricultural engineering from Clemson University. Following three decades with the USDA’s Cotton Program, he retired in 2020 after serving as an Agricultural Engineer and Director of the Standardization & Engineering Division. In that position Knowlton led many developments in the field of cotton fiber measurements, standards and cotton classification. He led developments and achieved international acceptance of multiple physical cotton measurement standards. In addition, Knowlton focused on international promotion of the USDA’s successful cotton classification system, which became the gold standard around the world for testing and grading of cotton. He also promoted the USDA’s Universal Cotton Standards working with many national and international cotton organizations including the National Cotton Council, Cotton Council International, Cotton Inc., and the International Cotton Association.

In addition, Davis College officials recognized one outstanding young alumnus. The recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Young Alumni Award was Caleb Crosswhite of Washington, D.C. (Animal Science & Agricultural Communications | 2011) He received his bachelor’s degree in animal science with a minor in agricultural communications from Texas Tech. His law degree is from George Mason University. Crosswhite currently serves as Chief Counsel to Chairman John Boozman on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. In this role, he oversees a team of attorneys responsible for drafting and reviewing all legislative matters before the committee, managing the confirmation process for presidential nominees, and advising on legal issues affecting laws and policies within the committee's jurisdiction. Crosswhite’s experience includes serving as Senior Advisor and Counsel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Marketing & Regulatory Programs. In addition, he was instrumental in the successful implementation of the first updates to genetically engineered plant regulations in more than 30 years.

CONTACT: Tracee Murph, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 834-7337 or tracee.murph@ttu.edu 

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