Charlotte Alumnus Awarded Highest Honor University Can Confer
Throughout the quarter-century since his graduation, Demond T. Martin ’97, has achieved national stature as a savvy investment manager and committed philanthropist. At this year’s Spring Commencement, he was commended for his philanthropic contributions and community service with an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree.
The honor, the highest the University can award, “reflects upon the extraordinary contributions of a very special individual, and this one is very, very, very well-deserved,” said Dontá Wilson ’97, chief retail and small business banking officer for Truist and a member of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees, the University’s governing body that grants the honor on behalf of the institution.
At the commencement ceremony, Martin expounded upon his life journey, telling the audience of overcoming hardships: being fearful of losing his life to violence and witnessing family members struggle with alcohol and drug addictions, and watching poor Black and Brown people mistreated in crowded ERs and underfunded schools.