Posted on February 11, 2025 by Wendy Frost
If awards were given out for Mr. and Ms. UTSA alumni, then one alumnus couple would easily be top contenders--Yvonne, '09, EMBA '18 and Drew Addison, '17.
Yvonne and Drew Addison
Beyond managing flourishing careers and raising their two sons, they’ve devoted their time to giving back to the university that gave both of them their professional start. After participating in several Alumni Association events, Yvonne was asked to fill an empty seat on the Alumni Association Board of Directors. That initial ask led to two terms on the board as well as serving as vice president and president.
“As president I noticed our bylaws identifed chapter alumni councils, but none existed at the time,” said Yvonne, who received her undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering. “I worked to establish the first alumni council in engineering. We set up a playbook for how to structure these alumni councils.”
Looking to engage with fellow alumni while following his professional passions, Drew has continued Yvonne’s work in building affinity councils within the Alumni Association. He is the past chair of the UTSA Construction Science Management Council and the incoming president of the Alvarez Business Alumni Council.
“We wanted to engage with alumni in areas where they have the greatest affinity and get them involved,” said Drew, who received his degree in management. “It’s been amazing. Our biggest push right now is recruitment and bringing more people onto the boards.”
The Addisons also spread their love for all things UTSA through the Birds Up podcast, which they created and co-host for the Alumni Association. Featuring conversations with alumni and special guests, they’ve recorded over 70 episodes and have about 18,000 downloads.
“We get to meet some wonderful people and tell their stories,” said Yvonne, who is a member of the UTSA Development Board. “We’re excited to just continue moving that project forward.”
Beyond the social aspects, the Addisons are also grateful for the business connections and support that they received from UTSA and other alumni. As CEO and president of Addison Prime, Yvonne received support from UTSA’s Small Business Development Center as well as called upon the skills she received in her Executive MBA to launch her business. The company, which provides project management and general contracting services for the commercial construction industry, was founded in 2020.
Prior to starting this business, Yvonne had over a decade of hands-on engineering, project management and leadership experience, getting her start working at StandardAero for almost nine years. “The EMBA program encouraged me to dive headfirst into the idea of starting my own business and led to the foundation of my company,” said Yvonne, who is a board member of Girls Inc. “They gave me the tools and the knowledge to be successful.”
Drew credits the UTSA alumni job board with the start of his career. Working previously in sales, when he moved to San Antonio, he utilized Yvonne’s contacts to find a data entry position. He quickly moved through the ranks while working and attending school full time at UTSA. Now, he is partner and vice president of surety at Acrisure, which is a global enterprise specializing in risk management and insurance solutions.
“My loyalty to the company remains because they were so good to me early on,” said Drew, who is a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. “I know it sounds cliché, but I love what I do. I’m so blessed to be able to work at this company, in this industry.”
As the Addisons have grown professionally, they are also excited to see UTSA coming into its own as well. “I can feel the pride of UTSA growing within the alumni,” said Drew. “With the recent athletic successes, being able to turn on ESPN and see them reporting on UTSA has been incredible. We’ve come a long way in such a short time.”
Looking to continue championing the growth of the university, they are both grateful for their UTSA experiences. “We love UTSA, and the time that we’ve given volunteering. There’s more than one way to give to UTSA, and it’s not just monetarily,” said Drew.
“I’ve developed so many friendships from my time at UTSA both as a student and alumnus,” said Yvonne. “I just couldn’t imagine these people not being a part of our lives. I cherish the opportunity to continue my service to UTSA and the Alvarez College of Business.”
— Wendy Frost
