Alumni Awards

ALUMNI AWARDS

REP. TORY MARIE BLEW ’16 | Young Alumni Award

Rep. Tory Marie Blew, a Great Bend native, exemplifies how a degree from Fort Hays State University can shape one’s life. During her time at FHSU, Blew was a member of numerous on-campus organizations like Delta Zeta and the Student Government Association. She was a VIP ambassador for the Office of the President and served as an orientation leader for more than two years.

Her involvement on the Fort Hays State campus evolved into an interest in local politics. In her senior year of college, Blew ran for a seat in the 112th district in the Kansas House of Representatives and won.

Since, Blew received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education, became a teacher, and is a DECA (formerly, Distributive Education Clubs of America) advisor in a rural school district. She was the youngest Kansas

legislator from 2017 to 2020. In 2022, Blew ran for reelection to extend her term and said, “Before going away for college, I always knew I’d return to my hometown. I love this community and cherish the relationships I have with my constituents – and I will continue to fight for issues important to our district throughout my next term.”

Blew maintains a close relationship with 105th district representative Brenda Landwehr. Landwehr describes Blew as “a bright spot. Always upbeat. She works hard, and she’s fun.”

Blew resides in her hometown of Great Bend and serves as a board member for the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development while working full-time as a human resources director for Pryor Automatic Fire and Sprinkler. She also continues to work for her local Delta Zeta sorority chapter.

When she isn’t working on her many professional endeavors, Blew can be found cooking, on the golf course, or with her husband, Justin, remodeling their first home.

BRANDON PENNY ’13 | Young Alumni Award

Confident, clever, and creative are just a few words to describe Brandon Penny, a 2013 FHSU alumnus originally from Burlington, Colorado. Penny has translated his eye for design into a lasting career in New York City, where he has been designing for Saks Fifth Avenue since 2018 and was recently promoted to senior designer. His work regularly appears to millions of people in emails, direct mail pieces, catalogs, store signage, website content, social media, and more.

Penny joined the art and design program at FHSU to earn his Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design. Penny was a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), and his creative side extended to the performing arts, where he was a member of the Fringe Theatre Company, performing in plays and musicals and designing the show posters and programs as the theatre advertising and publicity director.

Following graduation from FHSU in 2013, Penny moved to Brooklyn, N.Y., which led to several opportunities and culminated into his current role with Saks Fifth Avenue.

At Saks, Penny’s work includes high-profile category jewelry and owning business growth via redesigned loyalty program collateral.

In his nomination letter, Vincent Bowhay mentioned, “Brandon’s attention to detail and design are superb, and he brings a level of positivity to everything he does, which I believe makes him most worthy of this distinguished award.” Angel Han, Saks senior design manager, and Brandon’s direct manager echoed Bowhay’s sentiments, saying, “Brandon Penny is a true gem, and I am so lucky to have him on the design team. The energy, passion, and enthusiasm he brings make Saks a better place for everyone.”

Penny is the son of Susanne and the late Norman Penny and brother of Christopher and Danielle.

You can view Brandon’s work by visiting behance.net/brandonpenny.

DONALD J. RICHARDSON ’67, ’67, ’71 | Alumni Achievement Award

Donald J. Richardson, a 1967 and 1971 FHSU alumnus, has shared his love of the written language with his students for more than fifty years as a professor at Phoenix College in Arizona.

Richardson, a La Crosse native began cultivating his love of learning during his high school days. One of his high school instructors, Ray Newton, praised Richardson’s academic success saying, “I doubt that any other FHSU graduate has such an extensive publication record of both scholarly-academic publications as well as novels.”

Richardson received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Communication in 1967 and subsequently earned his Master of Arts degree in English in 1971. His education at Fort Hays State University set the foundation for him to pursue a Ph.D. at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona, where he would ultimately take up a professorship at Phoenix College.

In addition to his lifelong commitment to learning, Richardson is a prolific writer with more than 39 completed Shakespeare Editions, among other publications. He has been inducted into the Phoenix College Hall of Fame, has

received the Phoenix Chapter President’s Award a handful of times, and has been nominated several times for the Phoenix College Outstanding Teacher of the Year.

Though he’s an Arizona transplant, Richardson has remained a proud Fort Hays State Tiger, a fact he’s made known among his thousands of students and acquaintances.

A nimble 74-year-old, Richardson shows no interest in retiring anytime soon. He continues to write, publish, and educate future generations of students while working on many community betterment projects. In his free time, Richardson sings in both choirs and barbershop quartets, volunteers for Duet and the United Methodist Church Outreach Mission Program, and regularly donates blood.

Richardson lives in Phoenix and has four children.

JOHN L. ALLEN JR. ’89 | Alumni Achievement Award

From the western plains of Kansas to the streets of Rome, John L. Allen Jr., a 1989 FHSU alumnus and Hays native, has crafted a remarkable career that today finds him reporting from the steps of the Vatican.

Allen, a 1983 Thomas More Prep-Marian graduate, came to Fort Hays State University to study philosophy. Following his graduation from FHSU, he attended the University of Kansas, where he graduated in 1992 with a master’s degree in religious studies.

A passion for journalism led Allen to teach journalism at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, where he also supervised the student-run newspaper, The Knight. His journalism skills became nationally known following the death of Pope John Paul II, where his commentary frequently appeared on cable news conglomerate CNN.

He later became the senior Vatican analyst for CNN and regularly lectured on Vatican Issues. Allen wrote numerous Vatican-centered pieces for The Boston Globe as the publication’s

associate editor. Allen used these professional experiences and his education to transition Crux, a website that was started for The Boston Globe, into a fully self-sustained website that offers independent coverage of the Vatican and the Catholic Church.

Allen’s work has appeared in other publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and more. He has authored eleven books about Vatican-related topics, from the Pope to the future of the Catholic Church.

He continues writing, editing, and producing for Crux in Rome with his wife, Elise. Allen dedicated this award to his mother, Laura Ilene Allen, who passed in 1999 after serving as a faculty member in the Department of Nursing at Fort Hays State in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

MIKE MCCARTHY ’89 | Alumni Achievement Award

Mike McCarthy, a 1989 alumnus, ties the success he has enjoyed as an NFL head coach to his first coaching experience at FHSU.

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a father who worked in public safety and a mother who worked for the state, McCarthy and his four siblings grew up working to make their community stronger.

After graduating high school, Mc- Carthy attended Baker University in Baldwin City and played as a tight end. He then moved on to FHSU and joined John Vincent in coaching the Tigers for the 1987 and 1988 seasons as a graduate coaching assistant. At FHSU, McCarthy studied sports administration and coached linebackers until his graduation in 1989. He furthered his education at the University of Pittsburgh, where he worked as a graduate assistant before coaching wide receivers for the 1992 season.

McCarthy joined the Kansas City Chiefs organization in 1993 and remained with the team until he became the quarterbacks coach of the Green Bay Packers in 1999.

From 2000 to 2004, McCarthy worked for the New Orleans Saints. In his first season as offensive coordinator, McCarthy was named NFC Assistant Coach of the Year by USA Today. He then spent 2005 with the San Francisco 49ers as offensive coordinator before returning to Green Bay as head coach.

McCarthy served for more than twelve years as Packers head coach, one of the teams most successful stretches in franchise history. Led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rogers, McCarthy’s Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl in 2011.

In 2020, McCarthy was named head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

McCarthy and his wife, Jessica, have five children. Together, they created the McCarthy Family Foundation which has supported outreach to the American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, among other initiatives.

DR. JUDITH “JUDY” (SIMS) BILLINGS ’65 | Alumni Achievement Award

1965 FHSU alumna Dr. Judith “Judy” (Sims) Billings followed her passion for nursing to educate and serve her community.

Billings first put her dreams into action as an aide at the Smith County Memorial Hospital before attending Fort Hays State to study nursing. After graduating from FHSU, Billings moved to Kearney, Nebraska, where she worked as a nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital.

Billings began educating future nurses in 1968 at St. Francis School of Nursing in Grand Island, Nebraska. After completing her master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, she taught at South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota.

In 1976, Billings continued her professional career at Kearney State College (aka University of Nebraska Kearney), where she served as an instructor and department

chair. During that time, she developed and managed the first bachelor’s degree nursing program west of Lincoln, Nebraska. By the time Billings retired in 2005 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Nursing, she saw the graduation of more than 1,000

Billings’ work has been recognized in a myriad of honors and awards, including the Nebraska Nurses Association Outstanding Achievement in Nursing Award, Kearney State College’s Council of Deans Distinguished Service Award, Nebraska Nurse’s Association Outstanding Nurse Educator Award, the Freedom Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service, and more. She was also invited to Washington, D.C., to participate in a think tank about the future of patient/family council care in communities.

Billings has remained active in community service projects, serves on several guilds and church committees, and regularly volunteers at CHI Good Samaritan Hospital. In her free time, Billings enjoys reading, traveling, sewing, and quilting.

Billings lives in Kearney and has five children.