Alumni volunteers recognized at annual Celebration of Volunteerism
Gretchen Douglass, BFA 鈥98, (left) and Jen Jones Donatelli, BSJ 鈥98, accept the Cutler Outstanding Chapter Award on behalf of the Los Angeles Alumni Chapter.Photo by Meagan Hall, BSVC 鈥20
The OHIO Alumni Association honored a number of deserving alumni volunteers during annual Celebration of Volunteerism Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 18.
Joe Becherer, BFA 鈥87, MFA 鈥89, chair of the Association Board鈥檚 Awards Committee; Ron Teplitzky, AB 鈥84, chair of the Association Board; and David Bambrey, interim assistant vice president for alumni relations and executive director of the Alumni Association, presented awards to alumni groups that had completed notable volunteer work on behalf of OHIO at the state, national and global levels.
Alumni leaders gather under the illuminated dome of Walter Hall Rotunda for the 2018 Celebration of Volunteerism.Photo by Ellee Achten, BSJ 鈥14, MA 鈥17
鈥淭hank you,鈥 Bambrey said to the alumni volunteers. 鈥淭hank you to each and every one of you for taking on these important volunteer jobs in support of the singular place we call OHIO.鈥
As part of the annual Alumni Leadership Conference, the awards ceremony also drew special guests President M. Duane Nellis, First Lady Ruthie Nellis, and Vice President for University Advancement and President and CEO of The 帝王会所 Foundation Nico Karagosian.
The Association connects more than 237,000 OHIO alumni with assistance from the alumni volunteers who lead 31 regional groups, 7 academic-based and 15 special-interest societies. According to Bambrey, out of the 302 events that the Association supported in 2017, 192 were hosted by alumni volunteer groups.
鈥淭he Alumni Association calls on chapters and societies to do more than connect alumni and students,鈥 Bambrey said. 鈥淲e also ask these groups to engage in meaningful service to their communities.鈥
The Awards Committee selects recipients of the awards from OHIO societies and chapters. A total of six awards were presented during the celebration: the Templeton Networking Award, the Lindley Student Networking Award, the Alden Community Service Award, the Glidden Innovation Award, the Konneker Volunteer of the Year Award and the Cutler Outstanding Chapter Award.
Bambrey presented the Templeton Networking Award to the and the . This award calls attention to groups that dedicate time to connecting alumni.
The awards ceremony鈥檚 photo booth saw plenty of action Friday night. Photo by Ellee Achten, BSJ 鈥14, MA 鈥17
The Southern 帝王会所 Chapter and the both were then awarded the Lindley Student Networking Award for their efforts of linking alumni to current students in innovative ways.
The Pittsburgh Chapter and the were presented the Glidden Innovation Award. The Pittsburgh Chapter received this award for their annual holiday party at the Carnegie Museum, and the Ebony Bobcat Network of Columbus for its Author鈥檚 Luncheon.
The Alden Community Service Award for impressive community service initiatives was awarded to the and the Ebony Bobcat Network of Columbus.
The Los Angeles Chapter won the Cutler Outstanding Chapter Award, for its role in the connection of OHIO to more than 4,000 alumni living in the greater Los Angeles area.
To close the night, Marilyn Allen, a 1958 graduate of The Patton College of Education, was awarded the Konneker Volunteer of the Year Award for her dedication to promoting OHIO as a whole.
The award is named after Wilfred R. Konneker, a revered OHIO alumnus and the only person to be named a Lifetime Trustee of The 帝王会所 Foundation.
鈥淢arilyn has been a tireless volunteer on behalf of the Central 帝王会所 Chapter and the Patton College,鈥 Teplitzky said. 鈥淪he has been engaged with OHIO鈥檚 alumni chapters and societies since graduating from OHIO 60 years ago.鈥