Board
M at t e r s
A newsletter for current and past members of the K-State Alumni Association Board of Directors “Enhancing our Kansas State University family through lifelong involvement” What an exciting time to be a Wildcat! The campus is experiencing success and growth as we look forward to celebrating our 150th birthday next year. Thank you for your ongoing efforts to support K-State, and I hope you enjoy this edition of Board Matters and our enclosed annual report. I’m also pleased to share that recipients for the 2012-13 Institutional Awards from CASE District VI have been announced. Kansas State University has been recognized with 31 awards this year! The Alumni Association received 10, the KSU
Foundation 10 and general University programs 11. In addition, President Kirk Schulz will receive the CASE Chief Executive Leader Award on Dec. 11 during the annual conference. We are so excited that programs campuswide continue to receive this prestigious recognition for excellence. Warm wishes throughout the holiday season, and I look forward to seeing you at a future event! Go ’Cats! Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86 President and CEO
David Mayes ‘96, K-State Alumni Association
Juniors Priddle, Johnson named 2013 AMBASSADORS
K-State juniors Tyler Johnson (left) and Jordan Priddle were named the 2013 K-State Student Ambassadors on Oct. 27 at the Homecoming football game. Ambassadors receive the official K-State ring from the Alumni Association.
WINTER 2012
Homecoming 2012 activities were capped off by the election of Jordan Priddle and Tyler Johnson to serve as the 2013 K-State Student Ambassadors. Their selection was announced at halftime of the football game against Texas Tech on Oct. 27. As Ambassadors, Priddle and Johnson will visit with prospective students and alumni at Association events throughout Kansas, serve as members of the Student Alumni Board, assist with programming and campus activities and special events sponsored by the university president’s office. Priddle is a junior in family studies and human services from Manhattan, Kan. Johnson is a junior in human resource management and marketing and a native of Parsons, Kan. To read more about the 2013 Ambassadors, visit www.K-State.com/ StudentAmbassadors.
Did You Know?
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he K-State Educational License Plate program now offers affinity plates in three states: Kansas, Texas and Maryland. The Powercat Plate is the No. 1 affinity plate in Kansas, appearing on 4,500 registered vehicles, which is more than double the number of plates sold by the University of Kansas. Since its inception in 1996, more than $1.9 million has been raised for student scholarships and recognition in Kansas. The K-State Alumni Association has been leading efforts with the state legislature since 2010 to simplify the process of purchasing and renewing the official K-State License Plate and beginning Jan. 1, the new process will take effect. Contact Kelly Law ’01 at klaw@k-state.com for additional information.
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Awards & Recognitions
he 2012 Wildcat Pride Award was presented during the fall board meeting to Mr. Ernie Barrett ’51, ’56. The award was established last year to recognize K-State faculty or staff who have been instrumental in advancing the mission of the K-State Alumni Association through support of our programs. Individuals are nominated by members of the staff, and a committee comprised of former and current board members select the recipient. Dr. Barry Flinchbaugh and Dr. Frank Tracz were the inaugural recipients of the award in 2011. Two exceptional members of the K-State faculty were honored Nov. 27 with the Dr. Ron and Rae Iman Outstanding Faculty Awards. Funded through the generosity of former board member Ron Iman ’62, ’70, ’73 and his wife, Rae, the awards program celebrated its sixth year in 2012. Recipients are Dr. T.G. Nagaraja ’79, who was recognized for outstanding research, and Dr. Andrew P. Barkley, the outstanding teaching awardee. The K-State Alumni Fellows Program recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers. The program, which began in 1983, is jointly sponsored by the Dean’s Council, the President’s Office and the Alumni Association. Each year, alumni are selected by their college to return to campus as distinguished guests, mentors, friends and counselors. They are honored in recognition of the ultimate measure of a university — not curricula, facilities or programs, but on the quality of its alumni. Several current members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors have been honored with this prestigious award, including: Dr. Kent Bradley ’88, Jane Brunt ’77, ’80, Bernard Franklin ’76, ’96 and Dan Yunk ’71, ’75, ’87. The 2013 Alumni Fellows to be honored in February are: Dana Peterson ’98, ’00, College of Agriculture Bill Livingston ’65, College of Architecture, Planning and Design Patricia Solis ’94, ’96, College of Arts and Sciences Jim Haymaker ’69, College of Arts and Sciences Barry Robinson ’80, ’81, College of Business Administration Mark Stammer ’99, Division of Continuing Education Curt Brungardt ’97, College of Education Christie Brungardt ’09, College of Education Cindy Wallis-Lage ’85, College of Engineering John Ruffin ’71, Graduate School Elizabeth Purcell-Keith ’74, ’75, ’79, College of Human Ecology Joshua Brungardt ’02, College of Technology and Aviation Terrence McElwain ’78, ’80, College of Veterinary Medicine
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Alumni chosen for Association slate Five alumni have agreed to be slated for service to the K-State Alumni Association Board of Directors. The new member slate will be presented in the March 2013 issue of the K-Stater magazine for ratification by our membership base. The 2013 new member slate consists of: Jada Allerheiligen Hill ’88, Cincinnati, Ohio Steve Johnson ’75, Lawrence, Kan. Mel Kopf ’61, Topeka, Kan. Michelle Swim McGuire ’93, Bentonville, Ark. Sylvia White Robinson ’71, Kansas City, Kan.
Student reflects on Association internship Each year several students have to the opportunity to work for the K-State Alumni Association through internships or as student workers. Students work side-by-side with the Alumni Association staff to learn more about their field of interest, whether it be marketing, program and event planning, or management. Emily Worrell This being my last year at K-State, I knew that, while classroom time would be important, firsthand experience in my field would be vital on my resume. An internship at the Alumni Association would give me the opportunity to sharpen my event-planning and nonprofit skills. I had some experience with the Alumni Association and decided to accept another internship in the administration suite, this time under Lynn Beier, assistant to the president and CEO. As an administrative intern for the past four months, I have furthered my knowledge of the duties and work that goes into nonprofits and event planning. From nonprofit management, planning, implementation, evaluation and board development, I was able to take part in every aspect of an event and see it through. I also have a better understanding of the nonprofit work environment, where everyone wears many hats to accomplish the Association’s goals. My daily tasks vary, but I have accumulated a greater knowledge base for database software, expanding my design and presentation skills as well as researching similar nonprofit groups’ ways of governing their organization to see whether we can learn better ways to govern ours. My time at the K-State Alumni Association has been an amazing educational opportunity. I know going forward I will have more than the essential skills taught in a classroom. I will have abilities that will aid me wherever I take my career. — Emily Worrell
WINTER 2012
Well, it has been a wonderful fall in Manhattan, Kansas! Kansas State has recently announced record enrollments. The President and his team continue to work on the 2025 initiative. And our athletic teams continue to make us proud. In addition, the Alumni Association recently held its 10th Dr. Kent Bradley ’88 Chairman, K-State anniversary celebration for our Alumni Association Alumni Center building. Many of Board of Directors you were able to join us in person and enjoy the beautiful event. We celebrated 10 years of this glorious building and our continued efforts to serve the alumni of Kansas State University. In addition, a special treat that evening was a brand-new award from the President and sponsored by former Board Chair, Lee Borck ’70. The Amethyst Award was presented for the first time ever to our very own Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86. It is an honor recognizing outstanding dedication and service to the University and I think we all would agree, she is an outstanding recipient and will set the bar high for any future awardees. While I was presiding over the 10th anniversary celebration, I took the opportunity to mention the Alumni Association Board’s efforts to endow a maintenance fund for our beautiful building to ensure that it will continue to look as good as it does now. In addition, we are planning efforts to endow some program areas so that we can continue as an Association to reach out and serve our alumni as well as support and assist the University where appropriate. These are both exciting goals for us and will keep us moving in a proactive direction for the future. While I mentioned our exciting achievements by our athletic teams across the board, I would ask you to also remember the outstanding academic achievements of our University. All of the colleges have had successes this fall and continue to work hard in our primary purpose of educating today’s youth for the challenges for tomorrow. If you have not recently made contact with your former college or are not up to date on its activities, I would encourage you to take a few moments and reacquaint yourself with the Dean of your college and Department head of the programs you were involved with. While our athletic and alumni achievements are exciting and noteworthy, in this time of waning state and federal support, we should do all that we can to support the efforts of our colleges. Thank you again for your time and your service to our University.
— Dr. Kent R. Bradley ’88 WINTER 2012
K-State Alumni Center celebrates 10 years
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ctober 2012 marked the 10-year anniversary of the grand opening of the K-State Alumni Center. The staff was pleased to host events commemorating this special anniversary and to thank members of our K-State family who made this dream a reality. More than 500 people participated in activities planned for the celebration, including a dessert reception for donors, a pregame at Cat Town prior to the football game versus KU, and a communitywide open house, which took place in coordination with Homecoming Week. A watercolor painting of the center by Manhattan, Kan., artist Ralph Fontenot ’83 also was unveiled during the reception and now hangs outside the center’s Banquet Room, across from the Stolzer Grand Staircase. David Mayes ’96, K-State Alumni Association
Chair’s Corner
TWO GENERATIONS OF BOARD CHAIRS: Kent Bradley ’88, chairman of the K-State Alumni Association Board of Directors, and his mother, Bev Bradley ’53, ride in the Homecoming parade in October.
Tradition Founders fund on way to goal The Association’s annual fund, Tradition Founders, kicked off the 2012-13 campaign Oct. 1. As of Nov. 27, we have received more than 60 percent of the $410,000 goal, and support from our leadership donors is once again strong as 57 individuals have qualified as members of our Founders Circle. Donations of $1,000 or more receive special recognition in the K-Stater magazine, on the Association website and on the Alumni Center kiosk. Tradition Founders donations provide the funds for the Association’s operating budget and make it possible to provide the K-Stater magazine, alumni club activities, watch parties, multicultural programs and to assist with student recruitment. If you have made a donation to this year’s campaign, thank you. If you have not yet had the opportunity, you may do so at any time online at www.K-State.com or by contacting Terin Walters ’05 at twalters@k-state.com.
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K-State Alumni Association
Stay updated on bowl travel plans
University fundraising campaign breaks record
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Shana Janzen ‘01
ive years ago, K-State introduced the All-University Campaign. The program is an internal fundraising effort run by campus faculty and staff volunteers specifically focused on the participation of all employees to support the areas of the university they care about most. The 2012 campaign experienced a record-breaking 42 percent participation, with 2,100 faculty and staff contributing more than $1.3 million. The K-State Alumni Association was recognized as one of four campus units to have 100 percent participation, as all 29 full-time staff members made a gift to the annual fund. We also are pleased to share that President Kirk Schulz has been named the executive leader of the year by our professional organization, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. The award recognizes those who demonstrate the ability to create a vision and inspire others. Schulz will be presented with the award Dec. 11 during a conference in Chicago. Schulz’s visionary leadership since being named president in 2009 has been instrumental Kirk Schulz to the growth and phenomenal success being experienced by your alma mater. Under his leadership, K-State’s enrollment has surpassed 24,000, a graduate-level campus has been opened in Olathe and financial support of university programs is at an all-time high. The university also recorded a record $137 million in research funding for fiscal year 2011-12.
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THE TRADITION CONTINUES ... By the time you receive this issue of Board Matters, K-State football’s postseason bowl destination will have been announced. The Alumni Association staff is proud to coordinate the official university bowl travel packages and will once again work with Premiere Global Sports to ensure a memorable experience for those traveling to the bowl. We also are finalizing details for the pep rally and appreciate the support of K-State Athletics, KSU Foundation and the President’s Office, which cosponsor this exciting event. The bowl travel hot line is 866-373-7379, or you can visit www.k-statesportstravel.com for additional details. Thanks for your ongoing support, and GO ’CATS!
Kudos & Congrats Travis Lenkner ’01, married Erin Delaney on Nov. 17, 2012. Joe Vossen ’08, is now an associate attorney at Pharr Law PLLC in Winston Salem, N.C. Todd Johnson ’94, was named the 2012 K-State Blue Key Alumnus of the Year. Amy Button Renz ’76, ’86, was honored with the inaugural Amethyst Award from Kansas State University on Oct. 5. Created to be the most prestigious award granted by the university, the Amethyst Award honors an individual who has rendered extraordinary lifetime service; who goes above and beyond to serve K-State, its faculty, staff, students and mission; and who possesses a deep responsibility for leadership.