UNCP Announces 2026 Alumni Award Recipients
UNC Pembroke will honor four distinguished alumni whose professional achievements, leadership and service exemplify the university’s enduring Brave spirit during the 58th Annual Alumni Awards & Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony on Oct. 23.
The 2026 Alumni Award recipients are John Lowery, Meritorious Service Award; Lydia Locklear Canty and Amber Holland, Young Alumnae of the Year Award; and Col. Chad Mixon, Distinguished Alumni of the Year.
"It is always an honor the UNCP Alumni Association Board of Directors and me to announce our Alumni Award recipients,” said Dr. Rebekah Revels, director of Alumni Affairs. “We are excited to celebrate this year’s honorees during Homecoming alongside the Athletic Hall of Fame inductees. Together, these remarkable individuals represent the excellence, dedication and pride that define the UNCP legacy and inspire future generations of Braves."
The recipients will be formally recognized during UNCP Homecoming which will be held Oct. 21-24.
Meritorious Service Award — John Lowery, ’03, ‘09
Lowery was sworn in for his second term as chairman of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina in January 2025 and serves as the North Carolina House District 47. He has used his experience in tribal and state government to advance initiatives benefiting the Lumbee people.
During his tenure as chairman, Lowery has overseen the establishment of tribal departments focused on agriculture and natural resources, health and human services and economic development and tourism. Under his leadership, the tribe has secured significant public and private funding for the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center, additional federal housing funds and the largest proposed budget in tribal government history.
Most recently, Lowery helped lead the effort for full federal recognition of the Lumbee Tribe, culminating in the signing of the Lumbee Fairness Act into law. Lowery earned bachelor's and master's degrees from UNCP and a Master of Public Administration from UNC Chapel Hill.
Young Alumnae of the Year — Amber Holland, ’07, ’12, and Lydia Locklear Canty, ‘14
Holland is an enrolled citizen of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and a founding partner of Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC. A two-time UNCP graduate, she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in social studies education in 2007 and 2012, respectively.
Before pursuing law, Holland spent nearly a decade as a high school social studies teacher in Robeson and Wake counties. She earned her Juris Doctor and an Indian Law Certificate from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2020.
Holland is licensed to practice law in New Mexico and the District of Columbia, where her work focuses on tribal governance, economic development, policy, cultural preservation and federal and state compliance. A former Miss Indian North Carolina, she remains active in Native American community organizations and is a traditional powwow dancer. Her honors include the Wilma Mankiller Fellow designation from the National Congress of American Indians and the Mary Beth and W. Richard West Jr. Award for Excellence in Indian Law.
Canty is a Lumbee citizen and founding partner of Current Tribal Law & Policy, PLLC, a Native-women-owned law firm serving tribal governments, tribally owned entities and tribal partners.
A 2014 UNCP graduate, Canty earned a bachelor's degree in American Indian Studies before earning her Juris Doctor and Certificate in Indigenous Law from Michigan State University College of Law in 2017. She previously served as deputy tribal attorney for the Catawba Nation and clerked for Justice Anita Earls of the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Canty serves on the UNCP Board of Visitors and is active with the Native American Bar Association of DC and the Pre-Law Summer Institute. She is passionate about strengthening tribal sovereignty and providing legal services to tribal citizens, including through pro bono work and legal aid clinics in tribal communities. A native of the Union Chapel community, Canty is the daughter of Janice Locklear and Dr. Curt Locklear Jr.
Distinguished Alumni of the Year — Col. Chad Mixon, ‘00
Mixon graduated from UNCP in 2000 and was commissioned as a Distinguished Military Graduate through the Campbell University Army ROTC Program. His military career began in 1993 as an infantryman with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg.
During more than 33 years of military service, Mixon held leadership positions with the 82nd Airborne Division, U.S. Army Forces Command, U.S. Special Operations Command and other major Army organizations. He also served as professor of military science at the University of South Carolina and commanded a battalion in the 82nd Airborne Division.
From 2024 to 2026, Mixon served as garrison commander of Fort Bragg, overseeing one of the Army's largest and most complex installations. His operational deployments included Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and Afghanistan. His military decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Meritorious Service Medal.
Mixon holds a bachelor's degree from UNCP, a master's degree from North Dakota State University and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.