By Staff
Staff Reports
Franklin County Times
BIRMINGHAM – Former Russellville residents Paula and Rod Hovater, now of Roswell, Ga., were honored as Samford University Alumni of the Year during homecoming weekend activities last week.
The two Russellville High School graduates were recognized for their professional and civic leadership and support of Samford.
Each received an engraved crystal bowl from Samford president Andrew Westmoreland at a Homecoming gala dinner on Friday, Oct. 24.
They also rode in the Homecoming parade on Saturday morning and were recognized during Samford's afternoon football game against The Citadel.
Paula Smith Hovater, a 1969 Samford graduate, is the daughter of the late Masel and Larry Smith. She owns the successful Atlanta consulting firm, Public Affairs, which specializes in event planning and promotion. She has worked with such organizations as the Atlanta Olympics Committee, the Carter Center, the Atlanta Press Club for its launching of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas' autobiography and others.
Rod Hovater, a 1967 graduate, is the son of the late Jennie Maude and Fred Hovater.
He is client manager for Compuware, a Fortune 1000 mainframe and distribution software company.
He served previously for 28 years managing and directing marketing programs for International Business Machines (IBM) and 10 years as vice president of sales for Computer Associates.
He has been a member of Atlanta's Chick-fil-A Bowl committee for 20 years, and serves currently as a member of the marketing and team selection committee and vice chair of the selection process.
He was named the Samford Business School Alumnus of the Year in 1993.
The Hovaters served as co-presidents of the Samford Alumni Association during 2002-03. They are members of the advisory board of Samford's Brock School of Business.
She serves on the board's external relations committee and he serves on the undergraduate programs committee.
Longtime active members of Embry Hills Church, they have two sons, Russ Hovater and Clay Hovater, and four grandchildren.