Abilene Christian University presented its two highest alumni honors at the annual Alumni Day Luncheon, Sunday, March 29, to John Warner, M.D., CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president at Ohio State, and to Tim Holt, vice president of post production for Dude Perfect.
Tim Holt, Young Alumnus of the Year
This award recognizes professional achievement and/or distinguished service to Abilene Christian University. To be eligible, a recipient must not be over 40 years of age at the time of selection.
Tim Holt (’15) produces videos that bring smiles to the faces of millions of viewers around the world, and he’s grateful his faith can play a starring role in his life’s calling.
The son of two ACU alumni, Holt arrived in Abilene and quickly showcased the skills that would eventually put his work on display to millions. He participated in the Los Angeles Film Studies Center and won multiple awards in ACU’s annual FilmFest competition, including best picture and best director during his senior year. He earned a bachelor’s degree in digital entertainment technology with a minor in digital media in 2015 and began working for the Dude Perfect sports and comedy group just months after graduation.
Dude Perfect, which rose to prominence in part thanks to viral videos of increasingly elaborate trick shots and world-record attempts, now boasts more than 61 million YouTube subscribers who tune in to enjoy the content Holt helps film and edit. Regardless of their soaring popularity, members of the group maintain that their purpose is “about giving back, spreading joy, and glorifying Jesus Christ.” For Holt, this integration of faith and work is part of why he calls this opportunity the privilege of a lifetime. “I am really blessed because we are all actively striving to live out our faith,” he said.
Holt continues to give back to his alma mater, serving as a FilmFest judge and sharing his faith and experiences with students as a Chapel speaker and Young Alumni Forum panelist. He and his wife, D’Ann, have a five-year-old daughter, Everly, and live in Prosper, Texas.
John Warner, M.D., Outstanding Alumnus of the Year
This award honors timely recognition of lifetime achievement that brings honor to the university through personal and professional excellence and service to the university, church or community.
Throughout his career as a cardiologist and a leader of renowned institutions that train doctors, John Warner, M.D. (’87), has made a real difference in the world of medicine that will be felt for generations to come.
Warner arrived at ACU as an accomplished distance runner, and he lettered in track and field for the Wildcats as part of several NCAA Division II national championship teams. After graduating from ACU with a Bachelor of Science in biology, he attended Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and completed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, followed by a fellowship in cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology at Duke University Medical Center. Warner eventually returned to UT Southwestern in Dallas, where he served as a cardiologist and an institutional leader for 20 years, helping oversee planning and construction of the William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. He eventually became executive vice president for health affairs and CEO of the UT Southwestern Health System.
In 2023, Warner became CEO of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president at Ohio State. In this role, he leads an expansive organization encompassing six hospitals, a network of outpatient care and research facilities, and the College of Medicine. Under his leadership, the medical center is completing $3 billion in capital projects to advance its mission to improve health in Ohio and across the world through innovations and transformation in research, education, patient care and community engagement.
Warner served as president of the American Heart Association from 2017-18 and has been on its board of directors since 2014. He is married to fellow ACU alum, Lisa (Fielder ’89). They have two grown children and live in New Albany, Ohio.
– Wendy Kilmer and Jonathan Smith
March 31, 2026
