The 2026 Dr. Frank L. Simonetti
AWARDS CEREMONY
Honoring Distinguished Business Alumni
The annual Dr. Frank L. Simonetti Distinguished Business Alumni Awards is an established tradition originating in 1987. The awards have honored 170 College of Business alumni while raising thousands of dollars for the Dr. Frank L. Simonetti scholarship.
April 17, 2026
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Doors will open at 7 a.m., and breakfast will be available at 7:30 a.m. The program will begin promptly at 8 a.m. in the Martin Ballroom, located in the Jean Hower Taber Student Union.
2026 BUSINESS ALUMNI Simonetti Award recipients
President
JDB Advisory LLC
Bio Coming Soon!
President and CEO
neurovantage
Shon Christy is a marketing entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience and a recognized pioneer in Ohio’s digital marketing landscape. In 2010, he launched Christy Creative, Ohio’s first niche social media marketing firm, helping define the state’s early social media strategy movement. He later founded Shon Christy Social Media and Fractional Social Pro, Ohio’s first niche fractional social media company, and has worked with more than 800 organizations internationally throughout his career. He is also the creator of neurovantage, an innovative biometric and eye-tracking research company inspired by collaboration with The University of Akron College of Business that blends behavioral science with marketing performance insights.
Christy maintains deep involvement with The University of Akron, where he serves on the College of Business Marketing Advisory Board and as Vice Chair of the National Alumni Board of Directors. He is a founding member and past Chair of the Institute for Leadership Advancement, a founding member and past Chairman of the Sigma Nu Alumni Advisory Board, and previously served on the Taylor Institute Board of Advisors. He also helped launch the Greek Alumni Initiative, strengthening alumni engagement and support for current students. In recognition of his leadership and service, Christy was named Sigma Nu (Akron Chapter) Alumni of the Year and received the 2025 Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life Distinguished Alumni Service Award.
Christy has also served in national leadership roles, including four years on the National Board of Directors for Sigma Nu Fraternity as Vice Regent, helping guide strategic initiatives and alumni engagement across the organization.
Beyond the university, Christy has a long history of community leadership and philanthropy. He has served as President of the Rotary Club of Akron and held leadership roles with numerous civic and nonprofit organizations including Leadership Ohio (where he serves as President of the Board of Directors), Jobs for Ohio’s Graduates, United Disability Services, the United Way of Summit County, and the Stow-Munroe Falls Schools Foundation, where his team helped distribute approximately $750,000 in scholarships to local students.
Christy’s work has been featured in Inside Business, Smart Business, the Akron Beacon Journal, and other regional publications. His leadership and community impact have earned numerous honors including the Greater Akron Chamber 30 For the Future Award, the United Way Young Philanthropist Award, the Summit County Board of Developmental Disabilities Community Impact Award, the Stow-Munroe Falls Chamber Business Leader of the Year Award, and recognition as a Weatherhead 100 winner for one of Northeast Ohio’s fastest-growing companies.
Shon resides in Wooster, Ohio, with his fiancée Samira, and together they share a blended family of seven children: Skye, Brielle, Beckett, Brindle, Briet, Trey, and Jaxton.
Retired
Deputy Director 866th Aeronautical Systems Group, United States Air Force
David A. Dilley is retired after an intriguing 33-year career in defense acquisition. During his 28-year tenure with the Department of the Air Force, he led and managed major programs including the T-6 and T-38 pilot training systems and the C-130 airlift system. After completing his Air Force service, he joined Whitney Bradley and Brown Inc., where he contributed his expertise and managed significant technological advancements for the B52 strategic aircraft system.
Over nearly three decades, David held key positions including Director of Manufacturing for multiple aircraft systems programs, T‑38C Development Systems Manager, Program Manager for the $11B C‑130J program, and ultimately Deputy Director of the 866th Aeronautical Systems Group. His work included leading major acquisition strategies, overseeing international cooperative development efforts, guiding lean transformation initiatives, and serving on critical issue resolution teams for the F‑22, T-6, and T‑38 programs. His leadership contributed to significant improvements in fleet reliability, manufacturing efficiency, and program execution.
His contributions were recognized with numerous honors, including the Outstanding Manufacturing Civilian Award (1984), Systems Engineering Team of the Year (2004), and two Meritorious Civilian Service Awards (2004, 2007). Throughout his career, David recognized the importance of his Akron education and maintained a relationship with UA. He has served on the University of Akron National Alumni Board (2012-2018) and has been a member of the Department of Economics Advisory Board since 2010, including serving a four-year term as Board Chair.
David grew up in Akron, Ohio, and graduated from Buchtel High School (1968). He attended the United States Coast Guard Academy but completed his undergraduate education at The University of Akron, earning dual Bachelor’s degrees in Economics and Political Science in 1973. He served 2 years as a teaching assistant at the University and later completed his graduate education with an MBA in Production Management from Wright State University (1986). He attended the Defense Systems Management College, Ft. Belvoir VA, and graduated from the Advanced Program Managers Course (1999) and Executive Program Managers Course (2007).
David married his wife, Lessia, in 1995, and they reside in Dayton, OH. They have a daughter, Nichol Simmons. Together, they established the Dilley Family Endowed Scholarship in Economics at The University of Akron to honor their family’s legacy and to support future students. They own a small farm in New Lebanon, OH and have volunteered with Teton Habitat for Humanity. They are active in personal pursuits including RV travel, fitness, home renovation, and community involvement.
City President
Fifth Third Bank
Tracy Dowe is the Akron City President of Fifth Third Bank, N.A. Dowe leads the business development efforts for the Greater Akron region and surrounding markets. Fifth Third Bank, founded in 1858, operates as a major U.S. financial institution with an estimated asset size of $288 billion, making it the 9th largest bank in the U.S.
Tracy joined Fifth Third in 2021 and has brought more than two decades of banking experience to his role. He began his career at the Summit Mall branch of Bank One (now J.P. Morgan Chase) and has continually progressed through roles of increasing responsibility. Prior to joining Fifth Third, he served as Vice President and Commercial Banking Relationship Manager for KeyBank, covering the Greater Akron market and the Mahoning Valley region, with a particular specialty in asset‑based lending. His career also includes five years at Wells Fargo, where he developed a strong foundation in sales generation and client cultivation.
Highly regarded within both the business and civic communities, Tracy serves on the boards of the Akron Community Foundation, United Way of Summit & Medina, Akron Art Museum, Downtown Akron Partnership, Business Volunteers Unlimited, and the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission. Tracy is also a graduate of Leadership Akron’s Signature Class (“Core 34”) and serves as class president.
Tracy holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from The University of Akron, where he was a varsity soccer player and team captain, as well as an MBA with a concentration in Finance from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University. He resides in Seville with his wife, Donna, and they have two children.
Retired
Office Managing Partner, Grant Thornton
Tom is the former Managing Partner of Grant Thornton’s Cleveland office and previously served as a Tax Partner in the firm’s National M&A Tax practice. After a distinguished 40year career in public accounting, he retired from Grant Thornton in July 2022. Shortly thereafter, he joined MelCap Partners, a middle-market investment banking firm in Northeast Ohio, where he serves as a Senior Advisor.
In addition to his role at MelCap, Tom is an active networker and a passionate advocate for developing young professionals and mentoring individuals as they advance their careers.
Within the community, Tom currently serves as Treasurer and Board Member of the Village of St. Edward and as President of the Akron Zips Football Booster Club. His prior service includes Board Member of the First Tee of Cleveland, Chairman of the Board for St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, Treasurer of the Cleveland Baseball Federation, President of the local chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, President of The University of Akron Varsity “A” Club; and Adjunct Professor of Taxation at The University of Akron.
Tom earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting (1982) and Master of Taxation (1991) from The University of Akron.