Three UNT G. Brint Ryan College of Business alumni will be honored this spring at the college’s annual gala. The gala, scheduled for April 26, will recognize both students and alumni for their outstanding achievements, innovation and leadership.

Mr. Samuel P. Golden and Mr. Jim McNatt will both be inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame, the most prestigious honor conferred by the college. Hall of Fame recipients are vetted and selected for their professional achievements that have merited the honor and praise of their peers and colleagues.

“We are delighted to honor Sam and Jim for their ongoing commitments and achievements to both the university and the community. We are proud to have such exemplary role models for our students and it is a privilege to celebrate them and the distinction they represent,” said Dean Marilyn Wiley.

Samuel Golden earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UNT and has built a thriving career with 34 years of executive leadership experience in the financial services industry. He is the founder of Alvarez & Marsal Financial Industry Advisory Services, LLC (A&M) and currently serves as a Managing Director and Senior Advisor for the practice. Serving as the CEO or Co-CEO of the business prior to transitioning to his current position in 2017, Golden focuses on guiding financial institutions through complex and challenging economic periods. Before joining A&M, Golden served in a variety of leadership roles with the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which charters and regulates all national banks and federal savings associations. In addition to these professional achievements, Golden has been honored with the university’s Distinguished Alumnus Award (2013), is Chair-elect of the UNT Foundation Board of Directors, is a member of the Chilton Society, a lifetime member of the 1890 Society and a lifetime member of the UNT Alumni Association. He has been an avid supporter of UNT athletics, the National Merit Scholars and Martial Eagles throughout the years. He serves as Chair of the Finance Council at Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church and a Director of the Fort Bend Education Foundation and the Gulf Coast Medical Foundation, all located in the Greater Houston area.  Golden is also a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.  Sam and Valerie, his wife of 42 years, have three adult children and five precious grandchildren.

Jim McNatt, a graduate of the college in 1966, has been actively involved in the community for decades. The McNatt family has been in the automobile industry since 1931. In 1961 they purchased the Oldsmobile-Cadillac-GMC dealership in Denton, Texas and Jim then transferred to UNT. In 1980, they had their first expansion with the purchase of the Chevrolet dealership in Denton and since then opened or purchased ten automobile dealerships. McNatt recently sold his final dealerships and joined his brother Al in McNatt Properties LLC, a real estate construction and apartment management business. In selling his dealerships, Jim has dedicated a large portion of his time to giving back and getting more involved with UNT. He has been an influential supporter of logistics within the college, naming the Jim McNatt Institute for Logistics Research and enabling the research arm of the college to thrive. He has also been heavily involved in other roles for the university including the President’s Leadership Board, the G. Brint Ryan College of Business Advisory Board, the Kuehne Speaker Series Board of Directors, National Merit Scholars, the UNT Foundation Board and the UNT Alumni Association. McNatt has also been a recipient of the highest university honor, the Wings of Eagle Award, as well as the Distinguished Alumnus Award.

I addition to Golden and McNatt, Mr. Brandt Self will also be honored with the college’s Rising Star award. The Rising Star award serves to recognize a recent alum that has shown exceptional growth in their profession, as well as a strong potential for future successes.

Brandt Self graduated from UNT in 2009 with his master’s in taxation and immediately began working for CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP (CLA). Since starting with CLA, Self has worked his way to become principal of Agribusiness and Cooperative where he leads the firm’s Agribusiness Group for Texas and the surrounding states, and dedicates the majority of his time serving farmers, ranchers and processors. His work involves identifying opportunities through tax research, planning and compliance for privately owned businesses and their owners. In addition to being a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Texas, Self is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Fort Worth Chapter of TSCPA and the Texas Southwestern Cattle Raiser’s Association. He also currently serves on the UNT Accounting Advisory Board and spends countless hours on UNT campus recruiting accounting students to CLA and speaking at various student organizations, such as BAP, ALPFA, NABA, and PASS.

The annual gala will be hosted at the Monroe Pearson in Denton and is a private, invite-only event.