MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Four outstanding alumni from Middle Tennessee State University were celebrated Thursday, Oct. 1, when the Jennings A. Jones College of Business presented its annual Leadership Awards.

The 2026 recipients — Jessica Sartain, Michael Mangold, Lisa Mitchell and Brian Kidd — were recognized during a ceremony held at Stones River Country Club in Murfreesboro, led by Jones College Dean Joyce Heames, Aubrey Harwell Jr., holder of the Jennings A. Jones Chair of Excellence in Free Enterprise, an event sponsor, and Yolanda Greene, Rutherford County community bank president for event co-sponsor and presenter First Horizon. 

Also attending the ceremony was MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee.

Heames said the purpose of the awards is “to honor outstanding leadership, achievements, and community impact,” with Harwell Jr. adding that the annual awards recognize “outstanding individuals … who strengthen free enterprise, create opportunity, and inspire the next generation of leaders.”

• Jessica Sartain was presented with the Young Professional of the Year Award. Sartain is the controller for Navista, a subsidiary of Cardinal Health, where she oversees accounting operations, financial reporting, internal controls, and strategic growth initiatives.

She began her career with EY, spending eight years in auditing and financial reporting, which included a two-year international rotation in the firm’s United Kingdom Capital Markets group. Sartain earned both her bachelor’s degree and Master of Accountancy from MTSU. Dedicated to community impact, she serves on the Board of Directors and the Finance Committee of The Next Door Recovery, which supports faith-based addiction recovery services for women.

• Michael Mangold was presented with the Jones College Exemplar Award. Mangold is a principal consultant at Bullseye Compliance with over 20 years of experience driving technology transformation, enterprise infrastructure, and cybersecurity across the healthcare and retail sectors.

He previously served as CIO for Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance, vice president and CIO for National Seating & Mobility, and vice president of enterprise infrastructure and CISO for Tractor Supply Co.

Mangold holds a master’s degree in computer information systems from Middle Tennessee State University and maintains CISM and CCSP certifications. Active in community and industry leadership, he serves on SCISM and Caves on MTSU’s Information Systems and Analytics Advisory Board and is a past president of the Cloud Security Alliance Nashville Chapter.

• Lisa Puckett Mitchell was recognized as the recipient of the Joe M. Rodgers Spirit of America Award. Mitchell, who was unable to attend the ceremony but shared video remarks, is the executive director of the Jennings and Rebecca Jones Foundation, bringing 25 years of corporate leadership experience as a former vice president of administration and finance, regional sales director, and general manager.

She previously directed Read To Succeed for seven years and served as an adjunct instructor in MTSU’s Jones College of Business for over two decades. A two-time MTSU graduate and Leadership Rutherford alumna, Mitchell actively supports gifted-education initiatives statewide and serves as a community connector, leveraging her network to foster collaboration, recruit board leadership, and strengthen local nonprofits.

• Brian Kidd was presented with the Jennings A. Jones Champion of Free Enterprise Award. A certified public accountant, Kidd is senior vice president and chief financial officer for National HealthCare Corp.

Across 18 years of progressive leadership at NHC, he has held key executive roles, including principal accounting officer and controller, following a decade in public accounting. Kidd directs NHC’s global financial strategy, including financial reporting, revenue cycle management, treasury operations, tax compliance, and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) oversight.

He earned his B.S. in accounting from MTSU and actively serves on the boards of the MTSU Foundation, MTSU Accounting Advisory Board, Murfreesboro Water Resources Board, First National Bank of Middle Tennessee, Providence Christian Academy, and the One Hundred Club of Rutherford County.

— Jimmy Hart ([email protected])