Celebrating Bobcat alums who’ve made an outsized impact
The Texas State Alumni Association gathered during Homecoming weekend in October to celebrate the annual awards for Distinguished Alumni, Young Alumni Rising Stars, and Denise M. Trauth Outstanding Leader. At the newly minted Texas State Legends Gala, the university celebrated a notable group of Bobcats who’ve achieved prominence and made a significant impact on the lives of others through their profession, accomplishments, affiliations, and service to society and the university.
Reece Morrison is a former NFL running back, successful entrepreneur, and devoted community leader whose life reflects both professional excellence and personal faith. After starring for the Bobcats, Reece played with the Cleveland Browns and later the Cincinnati Bengals. Following football, he built a thriving business career as founder and CEO of Morrison Wholesale and Morrison Real Estate Development and operated ABA Vending with his wife, Beverley, a 1969 TXST alum.
“When you see that Bobcat, you can relate to it—it's a very neat thing, a lot of camaraderie," Reece says. “We made a lot of friends through our four years as students. One thing I learned is don’t ever give up. You get frustrated, you have a problem out on the field, you really need to keep your eye on the ball and take care of it.”
Diana Finlay Hendricks is a distinguished journalist, author, and communications professional whose career has spanned more than three decades. After earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at TXST, she built an award-winning career as a writer, editor, and photographer while also serving as a strong advocate for Texas music history and culture.
“When I look at the university today, I am so proud of how we've grown,” Diana says. “We’ve grown with intention and with respect for who we are. I travel a lot, and as I travel, when someone asks where I’m from and I say San Marcos, often they will say, ‘Oh, isn’t there a little college there?’ It makes me so proud to be able to say, ‘Yeah, we have 44,000 students now and 20 Ph.D. programs, and our athletic department is going into the Pac-12, and our musical theatre program is internationally ranked.’ Yeah, it's still a little college though. We still have that feeling, but we have so much more, and I couldn’t be more proud.”
William “Bill” Hobson has built a legacy defined by professional excellence, service, and philanthropy. After beginning his career in education, he transitioned to investments and enjoyed a distinguished 38-year tenure with UBS Wealth Management USA, retiring as a senior vice president in 2006. A lifelong supporter of Texas State, Bill has given generously of his time and resources for more than three decades. Bill and his wife, Loma, have created four endowed funds—the William and Loma Hobson Endowed Scholarship, the William and Loma Hobson Endowed Scholarship in Nursing, the William and Loma Hobson Endowment in Agricultural Science Research, and the William and Loma Hobson First-Generation Endowed Scholarship, ensuring opportunities for generations of Bobcats.
Bill Poston is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist with a 30-year career in business, education, and service. He spent a decade at Deloitte Consulting and then went on to found and grow Kalypso, a global innovation consulting firm. He has since launched and led multiple enterprises, including The Launch Box and Muy’Ono Hospitality, which manages award-winning resorts in Belize.
“Being a Bobcat is such an important part of my identity," Bill says. “While I left San Marcos, I really never stopped being a Bobcat. To me, TXST is unique because of the values that we all share. There are a common set of personality traits that I see in graduates from this university—they’re smart, they’re hardworking, and they know how to get important stuff done without taking themselves too seriously. In my mind, Bobcats are the best. We know how to get stuff done and have fun in the process.”
Matthew Priest has quickly established himself as a dynamic leader in finance, entrepreneurship, and business strategy. After earning his degree in finance, he advanced through top-tier investment banking roles at Goldman Sachs and Lazard. He went on to join Kalypso, an innovation management consulting firm, and played a pivotal role in its sale to Rockwell Automation. He later co-founded The Launch Box, a platform designed to help entrepreneurs start, scale, and sell professional service firms. Today, Matthew serves as chief financial officer of B&E Resources, LLC.
Christian Wallace has emerged as one of Texas’s most celebrated young writers, earning national recognition for his storytelling and editorial leadership. His career began at Texas Monthly in 2016, where he rose from fact-checker to senior editor and authored seven cover stories, several of which have been optioned for Hollywood adaptation. His acclaimed limited-series podcast Boomtown, a 12-episode exploration of the Permian Basin oil boom, topped Apple’s documentary charts, amassed more than 5 million downloads, and inspired the Paramount+ series Landman.
Tyler Sibley is a former Bobcat Baseball standout turned rising star in real estate investment and development. He began his career as director of Baseball Operations for TXST Baseball before launching into real estate. He quickly rose through the ranks at Casey Development before joining San Antonio-based Kairoi Residential, where he now leads the company as a principal. He is also founder of San Marcos-based Pursuant Capital Ventures and Pursuant Ventures Development.
Dr. Christine “Chris” Hailey is a distinguished educator, engineer, and academic leader whose career has spanned scientific research, higher education administration, and teaching excellence. At TXST, Hailey championed student success, faculty mentorship, and research excellence. She helped advance the university’s progress toward R1 status and launched the ASPIRE program, an innovative initiative connecting first-year STEM students with faculty mentors and early research opportunities.
