Each year, the UMKC Alumni Association and the campus celebrate the outstanding achievements of UMKC graduates at the Alumni Awards Luncheon. The luncheon was held April 20, 2017. This year, the association recognized two School of Law alumni for their contributions to the legal community. Proceeds from the Alumni Awards event benefit UMKC students through supporting both endowed and immediate aid.
Troy L. Nash (J.D. ’97) was the recipient of the Defying the Odds Award. Growing up in a single family home and on public assistance, Nash worked odd jobs to help his mother make ends meet. The family bounced from home to home, forcing him to adapt to ever-changing circumstances. He sought out education and with the help of scholarships and loans, he earned an undergraduate degree from Wesley College and then a J.D. from UMKC. With a long track record of public service to Missouri and the city, Nash became the first African-American real estate executive to become principal and shareholder in a top 10 commercial real estate firm in the Kansas City area at Newmark Grubb Zimmer, led by Hugh Zimmer.
Nancy B. Firestone (J.D. ’77) received the School-Based Alumni Achievement Award for the School of Law. Firestone is a federal judge and serves on the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. She was the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the United States Department of Justice and is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University.