Four alumni join Jewell Board of Trustees
07/10/2025
The William Jewell College Board of Trustees announces the appointment of four alumni to the Board. Shane Davolt, Tyler Griffin and Sarah Hon are new members, with Susan Chambers rejoining the Board.
Bill Gautreaux, a 1985 alumnus and managing partner of MLP Holdings, serves as board chair, and the newly appointed vice chair is David Warm, executive director of the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) and the parent of a Jewell alumna. “William Jewell College is taking bold, proactive steps to redefine its future while staying rooted in its tradition of excellence and personalized liberal arts education,” said Gautreaux. “These new members have demonstrated a capacity for personal transformation built on their undergraduate experience that brings fresh perspective to the College and our Reimagine Jewell initiative.” See the full list of William Jewell College trustees at jewell.edu/trustees.
Susan Chambers, a 1990 Jewell graduate, completed a one-year term as Jewell’s interim president in June and will continue her service by taking a seat on the Board. She was a Trustee from 2010 to 2019, including a two-year term as chair.
Now principal of Chambers Consulting, Chambers retired in 2015 as executive vice president and chief people officer for Walmart Inc., responsible for managing, attracting and retaining a private, global workforce of more than two million Walmart associates. She was named to Fortune magazine’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business five years in a row. She started her career with a 14-year stint at Hallmark Cards.
Chambers currently serves on the boards for Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City Symphony, Berlin Packaging, Thaden School (Bentonville, Arkansas) and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation where she was the interim CEO. In 2021, she completed six years of service on the Arkansas State Board of Education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in systems and data processing, a distinguished alumna Citation for Achievement and an honorary doctorate, all from William Jewell College.
Shane Davolt, Jewell Class of 1993, has been the owner of G.M. Peters Agency since 1999, providing insurance and risk management services in the Liberty area. The agency is a Bukaty Companies partner where Davolt was named president of the Property and Casualty Division in 2023, serving clients primarily in Missouri and Kansas.
Davolt has held numerous professional and civic leadership roles, including president of the Liberty Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors and Liberty Hospital Foundation, Missouri Employers Mutual Advisory Council, Missouri Association of Insurance Agents Board of Directors, Liberty Schools Building Pride Campaign, longtime coach of competitive basketball and softball teams, Jewell President’s Advisory Council, Cardinal Athletic Council and Jewell Alumni Board of Governors.
He was a business administration and management major and participated in the Oxford Overseas Study Course with active roles in Phi Gamma Delta, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, J Club and Student Senate. As a Cardinal quarterback, Davolt was a program leader in multiple categories and an NAIA national record-holder. He is a member of the Jewell Athletic Hall of Fame and a long-time supporter of the football program. A native of Bolivar, Davolt also is a Bolivar High School Hall of Fame inductee for his professional and personal achievements.
M. Tyler Griffin, a 2001 Jewell graduate, is a healthcare information technology executive who advises health systems on strategic initiatives that drive clinical and operational transformation. Since 2023, he has served as a strategic advisor for Healthlink Advisors, working with hospital executive teams across the country on large-scale healthcare IT initiatives.
Previously, Griffin spent 21 years at Cerner Corporation (now Oracle Health), where he led the company’s $1.4 billion professional services business. He oversaw consulting, sales, engagement strategy and delivery outcomes for clients across the world.
Griffin received Jewell’s highest alumni honor, the Citation for Achievement, in 2022. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and holds an MBA from the Bloch School of Management at the University of Missouri–Kansas City.
While at Jewell, Griffin majored in business administration and psychology, studied at Harlaxton College in England and was active in campus life, serving as the president of Interfraternity Council and a member of Kappa Alpha Order, Pryor Leadership Studies, First-Year Student Mentors and College Union Activities. He has continued to support the College through service on the President’s Advisory Council and Achievement Day committees as well as serving on KA’s National Advisory Board.
Sarah J. Hon, DO, MBA, a 1988 Jewell alumna, is a clinical professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She also serves as a neurologist and the vice president of the Neurosciences Service Line at The University of Kansas Health System. Hon joined the KUMC faculty in 2022 after practicing 24 years at Meritas Health Neurology where she was managing partner and held several executive leadership roles at North Kansas City Hospital.
Hon is also the chair of Neurology, division of the Department of Specialty Medicine at Kansas City University where she has been teaching medical students and residents for more than 20 years. She has had the honor of teaching or mentoring countless pre-medical and medical students, residents, fellows and early career physicians.
She is Board Certified in Neurology, Epilepsy and Headache Medicine. Her professional affiliations include the American Academy of Neurology, where she serves on the Board of Directors and in leadership roles on several committees; American Medical Association; president of Kansas City Medical Society Board of Directors; and president of the Kansas City Clinical Neuroscience Society.
Hon earned her medical degree from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and completed her residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center. She also holds an MBA from Rockhurst University and is a Jewell Citation for Achievement recipient for her distinguished career. Hon graduated with honors in biology from Jewell where she was active in honor societies, chapel choir and concert choir and continues to support STEM and performing arts. While at Jewell, she was honored to be a student in Dean Wilder's voice studio and continues singing classical music, having performed in the Kansas City Symphony Chorus and Musica Vocale.