PiKA Alumni Michael Gibson and Joe Slayton Establish Scholarship Endowments
JONESBORO – Arkansas State University System Foundation, Inc., and the Pi Kappa Alpha (PiKA) Scholarship Board today announce new scholarships honoring A-State alumni and PiKA brothers Michael Gibson of Knoxville, Tenn., and Joe Slayton of Jonesboro.
Michael Gibson
An A-State student in the mid-1960s, Gibson is founder and CEO of Gibson Hospitality Ventures, which owns and manages more than 50 upscale hotels in Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Through a gift commitment of $85,000, he has endowed the scholarship for members of PiKA who are majoring in hospitality and event tourism management in the Neil Griffin College of Business. The scholarship will be known as the Michael Gibson Hospitality Management Endowment Scholarship.
“The scholarship was created to celebrate my creative career in the hospitality industry,” Gibson explained. “My desire is to encourage and share by giving to a student that may have an emotional connection and intends to pursue a career contributing to the hospitality industry.”
Gibson, who was selected Tennessee Hotelier of the Year in 2000 and 2011, is a long-time leader in the Tennessee tourism industry, including service as chairman and president of the Tennessee Hospitality Association, and as chairman of the Governor’s Tourism Conference.
He is an accomplished chief executive officer with more than 40 years of experience in building multimillion-dollar hospitality organizations. Gibson built his company from the ground up, identifying market expansion opportunities in high potential areas then directing construction and management of the properties.
Gibson heads Gibson Hotel Management, Inc., a preferred development, management, investment and operations group recognized by multiple major hotel brands, including Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Wyndham and IHG.
Joe Slayton
Slayton, an A-State student-athlete and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity member in the late 1970s, became president of Alltel Wireless and later the owner of a telecommunications company. He and his daughter, Nicole, own The Coffee Gallery and Club Tan in Jonesboro.
Through a gift commitment of $110,000, he is endowing three scholarships for Pi Kappa Alpha and Alpha Omicron Pi members majoring in accounting or finance in the Griffin College of Business.
The Christi Flynn Slayton Alpha Omicron Pi Endowed Scholarship is named in honor of his late wife. Christi and Nicole were both AOPi’s at A-State.
The other two awards, one for an undergraduate student and one for a graduate student, are the Joe Slayton Pi Kappa Alpha Endowed Scholarship and the Joe Slayton Family Graduate School Pi Kappa Alpha Endowed Scholarship.
"Many of the skills and relationships necessary for my business career were developed here at A-State," Slayton said. “These are lifetime assets, and I'm honored to be able to assist others in pursuing their dreams.”
Slayton was inducted into A-State's Hall of Honor in 2021 and currently sits on the boards of several businesses while actively directing his own charity mission, the Slayton Family Foundation.
A former member of the A-State Alumni Association board of directors and Red Wolves Foundation board of directors, Slayton continues to actively support the Red Wolves. Slayton punted for Arkansas State from 1976-79 and was one of the best in school history at the position. He ranks second all-time at A-State with 9,269 punting yards and third with 239 career punts.
Pi Kappa Alpha Scholarship Support
“Both Mike Gibson and Joe Slayton have made clear their time at A-State and PiKA helped form the foundation for their success and established friendships for life,” commented Tim O. Brown, chair of the PiKA Scholarship Board. “They both wanted to give back to the institutions that gave so much to them.”
The Pi Kappa Alpha Scholarship Board oversees scholarships totaling $1.3 million in endowed funds and awards $50,000 each year for A-State students.
Other scholarships managed by Arkansas State University System Foundation, Inc., and awarded by PiKA Scholarship Board are named in honor of A-State alumni and PiKA brothers Dr. W. W. Nedrow, Tim O. Brown, Dalton and Alec Farmer, Col. John C. Childers, Gerald (Jerry) Smith, Dr. Jason Penry, Paden Neeley, Chris Crye and Chad Niell.
