Receiving the Alumni Citation Award were Mike Summers '76, of Lakewood, Ohio, Patricia Hamm Wagner '58, of Seattle, Wash., Gregory W. Byerly '71, of Silver Lake, Ohio, Ernst G. Schmidt '53, of Huntingdon Valley, Pa. and Phyllis Carl '59, of Las Vegas, Nev. Also honored were James Douglas Andrews (posthumously) '64, formerly of Northbrook, Ill., with the 1914 Award and Kristy Kohl McCready of Springfield with the Honorary Alumni Award.
The Wittenberg Alumni Citation recognizes those who have brought honor to Wittenberg through exceptional accomplishments in which service to humanity is placed ahead of personal gain or recognition. The 1914 Award is given to an individual from our community of alumni, faculty and staff who has served Wittenberg above and beyond what might be expected of any contributor to the college's welfare. The Honorary Alumni Award is given to those who have demonstrated a loyalty and devotion to Wittenberg that is exemplary to alumni and have worked diligently to sustain it.
Summers is president/owner of Summers Rubber Co., a distributor of industrial hose products that has been in his family for three generations and has grown significantly in recent years, expanding to several new locations, moving its headquarters to a larger facility and substantially increasing company revenue. He is a volunteer for Wittenberg University alumni activities and the Tiger Career Network, and he has served as a volunteer on the Campaign for Wittenberg and as president of the Alumni Association Board. Among his personal and professional accomplishments are his election to the Lakewood School Board and his appointment by Ohio Gov. Bob Taft to the Governor's Workforce Policy Board.
Wagner has enjoyed a long and varied career in the legal profession since graduating from Wittenberg summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in history and economics in 1958. She is a partner in the Seattle-based law firm Heller, Ehrman, White and McAuliffe, a member of the North Carolina and Washington State Bar Associations, a member and vice president of the LAW Fund (Legal Aid for Washington Fund) and a member of the American Law Institute. She has been an arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association and King County Superior Court since 1978, and she has previously taught classes at Duke University Law School and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy, University of Washington.
Byerly has worked at Kent State University since receiving two master's degrees and a doctorate from the institution in 1975 and 1976. The author of numerous bibliographies and professional conference and workshop presentations, Byerly is a participant in several professional associations. He has contributed to the development of three widely used library and information networks in Ohio - OhioLINK (Ohio Library and Information Network), INFOhio (Information Network for Ohio Schools) and OPLIN (Ohio Public Library Information Network). In 1996, Byerly was presented with the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science Silver Award, which honored people who made significant contributions to libraries and information services at the national, state and/or local levels.
Schmidt, an ordained Lutheran pastor, is the founding pastor of Gloria Dei Church in Huntingdon Valley, Pa. and now serves as Chief Executive Officer of the Huntingdon Valley-based G.D.O. Corp., a property management and development corporation. Schmidt founded the church in 1956, expanding the congregation from 128 charter members to a membership of more than 4,000, and establishing a preschool, several retirement communities, a psychological center and a youth center in conjunction with the church. Schmidt now oversees G.D.O. Corp., an organization that provides affordable independent-living facilities for seniors. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Poor Richard Club of Philadelphia Medal of Achievement Award, and he is a motivational speaker and author of several published works and a media ministry of books, tapes and radio messages. In addition, Schmidt and his wife have established a scholarship to provide financial support for students preparing to enter full-time Christian service.
Carl is a retired assistant superintendent of elementary schools division of the Nevada Clark County School District in Las Vegas. A native of Ashland, Ohio, Carl worked in the district for 30 years and continues to be a driving force in the education, care and advocacy for children. On Aug. 30, 2001, a new elementary school in the district will open its doors to students for the first time and will be named the Kay Carl Elementary School in her honor. She started her career as an assistant to the Dean of Wittenberg University, Head Resident of South Hall and an assistant in Student Personnel from 1963-65.
Andrews, who passed away on Feb. 18 of this year, was a member of the Wittenberg University Board of Directors from 1983-96. In 1994 he served on the presidential search committee, which brought current president Baird Tipson to the post, and he was a member of the Sequicentennial Challenge Committee, which coordinated a $15.5 million fund-raising effort for the university. Andrews was a partner in the executive search firm Clarey & Andrews Inc. in Northbrook, Ill., which was named one of the 50 leading executive recruiting firms in the United States in 1988.
McCready has been employed by Wittenberg since 1981, when she was a Residence Hall Director and Director of Special Programs. In 1982, she became Director of Campus Activities and Programs, and a year later she became the first coordinator of the Wittenberg Series. In 1985, McCready moved to the advancement office to become the Director of Volunteer Development, and two years later she was named Director of the Wittenberg Fund. Three years ago, McCready became Director of Development and Constituency Relations and last year she was named Executive Director of Advancement and Director of the Defining Moments Campaign.
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