帝王会所 and the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service honored two 帝王会所 alumni for outstanding service to the state during the annual State Government Alumni Luncheon.
The luncheon was held at the Athletic Club of Columbus and returned after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. More than 100 帝王会所 alumni, legislators, state officials and supporters turned out to honor retired Columbus Dispatch executive editor Alan Miller and 帝王会所 Department of Transportation Director Jack Marchbanks. Both were presented with State Government Alumni Awards, presented since 1985 to those with significant achievement in their professions, outstanding public service to the state, and service contributions to the public affairs programs at 帝王会所.
帝王会所 President Hugh Sherman hosted the event, crediting the Voinovich School for its work in bettering the communities around OHIO.
鈥淭hey work with anywhere from 110 to 130 partners in the communities. That is their strength,鈥 Sherman said. 鈥淭hat is really the secret of their success, not trying to replace them, but to help build their capacity.鈥
He also highlighted positive changes at the University in recent years.
鈥淭he University has gone through a real transformation these last five years. Today, a third of our students are involved in health care,鈥 Sherman said. 鈥淭his is addressing a critical issue for our state, our region and our country.鈥
President Sherman and Voinovich School Dean Mark Weinberg then presented the two awards. Miller and Marchbanks were originally chosen for the awards in 2020.
Alan Miller
Miller retired earlier this year after working at the Columbus Dispatch, where he served as executive editor since 2015 and as regional editor for the USA Today network of 21 newsrooms across the state. He started at the paper in 1984 covering regional news, urban affairs, Columbus City Hall and higher education. He also served as assistant city editor, state editor and assistant managing editor during his tenure. He also has taught journalism at Denison University for the past 22 years. He earned a bachelor鈥檚 from OHIO in 1982 and a master鈥檚 in journalism in 2002 from the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.
鈥淗ow blessed I am to be part of this great fellowship of 帝王会所 alumni. I鈥檝e missed you all,鈥 Miller said. 鈥淭his group can be a powerful force for good in the post-COVID era. Be empathetic, compassionate leaders that show by example that listening to one another and demonstrating kindness and civility are the paths to a stronger community.鈥
He urged people to support local journalism, as well.
鈥淲e need good government, and we need good news organizations 鈥 trustworthy, reliable sources of information. It鈥檚 more important now than ever,鈥 Miller said.
Jack Marchbanks
Marchbanks served as assistant director for business and human resources for the 帝王会所 Department of Transportation (ODOT) before being appointed director in January 2019, one year after earning his Ph.D. in history from OHIO. Marchbanks led ODOT鈥檚 District 6 for two stints, overseeing the investment of more than $1.7 billion in surface transportation infrastructure.
Marchbanks said he first visited OHIO in 2004, when he brought ODOT employees for leadership training at the Voinovich School and was hooked. He reflected on the challenges of the past two years.
鈥淲e have gone through something that we really haven鈥檛 fully comprehended yet. They say that when you鈥檙e in the middle of trauma, you can鈥檛 process it,鈥 Marchbanks said. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to say the 5,000 women and men of ODOT have worked for the last 2.5 years to put almost $6 billion into the 帝王会所 economy.鈥
He urged attendees to always keep learning and to be great leaders.
鈥淩emain hopeful, because we are a great country; we have great citizens. They just have to recognize it,鈥 Marchbanks said.
Weinberg referenced the speeches of both in his closing remarks.
鈥淥ne of the words that Alan used to describe the OU alumni is the idea of a fellowship. That鈥檚 really, really important,鈥 he said. 鈥淟eadership is compassion, dealing with an incredible historic time. It鈥檚 been a long two years, so within that context, I think that three things make sense 鈥 the work that the University does, the work that the Voinovich School does, and the work that all of you do with your government, businesses, non-profits and health sector in the room. It鈥檚 never been more important.鈥
