McKee, Wallace, Moore and Harness represent decades of combined service shaped by Texas Tech mentorship and relational leadership.
The School of Financial Planning at Texas Tech announced its 2026 award recipients, honoring four alumni whose careers demonstrate the program's core mission: preparing skilled professionals who serve clients and advance the financial planning profession with integrity.
The awards will be presented during the school's 40th Anniversary Celebration and Opportunity Days Awards Dinner on Sept. 23.
Dallas McKee
Dallas McKee received the Distinguished Alumni Award, selected by the Personal Financial Planning Alumni Advisory Board through a nomination
process and confirmed by faculty. The honor recognizes graduates whose careers and
character reflect the very best of the program.
For over two decades, McKee has served as a steadfast leader in financial planning. As director of financial planning with Lifeway Financial Corporation and a shareholder in the firm, he works directly with clients on all aspects of their financial plans while driving innovation in planning solutions. He has served as president of the FPA Dallas/Fort Worth chapter and previously as a member of the Texas Tech Personal Financial Planning Alumni Advisory Board, giving his time and expertise to advance the profession and support the next generation of planners.
McKee exemplifies the excellence, integrity, and dedication the school strives to instill in every student who walks through its doors.
Madison J. Wallace
Madison J. Wallace was named the recipient of the Young Guns Award, recognizing emerging professionals making an immediate impact in the field. Wallace
graduated in 2017 with a degree in personal financial planning and has spent nearly
a decade at Bent Oak Capital, advancing from intern to wealth advisor. She leads strategic
initiatives for the firm, sits on the investment committee, and manages internship
and externship programs.
"What has meant the most to me is hearing clients say they feel a genuine difference in the level of care and service they receive from our firm," Wallace said. "Financial planning is deeply personal work, and it is a privilege to walk alongside clients through important decisions and life transitions."
Wallace credits the school's networking opportunities and mentorship with shaping her career path. "You do not start building your professional network after graduation," she said. "You are building it now."
Dennis J. Moore
Dennis J. Moore, a 2004 graduate, received the Dr. A. William "Bill" Gustafson Distinguished
Leadership Award. Moore was recently appointed chief executive officer of the Financial Planning Association,
the leading membership organization for Certified Financial Planner professionals.
Moore previously served as COO and interim CEO, and brought two decades of leadership
experience within FPA at both the chapter and national levels. He was FPA president
in 2022 and an adjunct professor of financial planning at Texas Tech, where he is
pursuing his Ph.D. in personal financial planning.
Nathan Harness
Nathan Harness received the Excellence in Financial Planning Education Award. A Ph.D. holder in financial planning, Harness spent his entire career in academia
and practice, building a financial planning program within the Texas A&M system before
joining Bent Oak Capital as a wealth consultant. His career reflects the integration
of rigorous education, authentic client service, and relational leadership.
Harness points to his Texas Tech foundation as essential to his trajectory. "I wouldn't be in this industry or an academic without Texas Tech," he said. "They taught me to be an entrepreneur, someone who could build something with it. The knowledge wasn't just theoretical; it was applied."
When asked what shaped him most at Texas Tech, Harness highlighted the human side of financial planning. "Drs. Gordon and Vicki Hampton and Dr. Bill Gustafson were some of my biggest career motivators," he said. "To see my professors and colleagues rally around me as though I was their own showed me the human side of financial planning and took me deeper into this discipline, because financial planning isn't just technical. It's relational."
About Opportunity Days
Opportunity Days is the School of Financial Planning's signature event, drawing alumni, students, industry professionals, and financial planning firms across Texas and beyond. The 40th Anniversary Celebration will coincide with this year's event, celebrating four decades of impact on the profession and the communities that graduates serve. The Awards Dinner recognizes exceptional alumni whose careers embody the values central to the school's mission: service, integrity, continuous learning, and professional excellence.
The school, housed in the College of Health & Human Sciences at Texas Tech, has established itself as a leading financial planning program in the nation, preparing graduates to build meaningful careers serving individuals and families through comprehensive financial planning.