John E. McKinley III '65
(Year Awarded--2005)

Hailing from Faison, North Carolina, John McKinley demonstrated his penchant for leadership as a student at Davidson College. A business administration major, John was commissioned as an ROTC officer, was a member of Scabbard and Blade, and received the Distinguished Military Student Award. He was a member of the honor athletic society Sigma Delta Psi, the economics honor society Omicron Delta Epsilon, and Kappa Sigma fraternity.

After graduating from Davidson with a degree in business administration, John earned an MBA at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. According to Business Atlanta magazine, John was a “highly regarded problem-loan workout specialist,” when he worked for C&S Bank. He then joined Bank South as principal operating officer, where he helped turn around the struggling bank, making it profitable within a year. After leaving Bank South, John created McKinley Consulting, where he has continued to provide guidance and expertise to the banking community. To educate consumers and those in the banking industry, John published a book, How to Analyze Your Bank’s Credit Culture, in 1990. Outside of his work, he has served on countless industry, corporate, and community boards. In addition, he has been an active member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, where he has served as an elder. John is devoted to his wife Sue and their twin daughters, Caroline and Leigh Ann.

John has remained loyal to Davidson since he graduated, returning for many reunions. In the 1990s, John began to devote a greater amount of time to Davidson. He was a member of the Georgia regional campaign committee during the Campaign for Davidson. As president of the Atlanta alumni chapter, he brought energy and enthusiasm to chapter events. He served on the Board of Visitors and was elected by Davidson's alumni to represent them on the Board of Trustees, where he served on the Finance and Budget Committee and as the Annual Fund trustee liaison. With John as National Chair of the Annual Fund in 1999-2000, Davidson’s Annual Fund smashed all participation records. When John offered a generous financial challenge to increase young alumni participation in 2003-2004, his efforts led Davidson to its best Annual Fund results in Davidson College history.

Because you offer wise counsel and constant encouragement, because you serve alma mater humbly and with distinction, because your devotion to Davidson sets a high standard for those who follow you, and because Davidson is proud to claim you as her own, the Davidson College Alumni Association honors you, John Elam McKinley III, with the Alumni Service Award on the occasion of your 40th class reunion, April 30, 2005.