Constituent Leadership Award

This award is presented to alumni who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership and/or special efforts in the organization, management and support of a Constituent Alumni Association.

2012 Recipients

John L. Carrato ’79 eng, ms ’80 eng provided exemplary service for 12 years on the Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association (CEEAA) Board of Directors, creating engagement with the association and bringing attention to its efforts. Carrato, now president and CEO of Alfred Benesch & Co., first served the CEEAA as vice president, a role in which he reviewed and updated the organization’s bylaws. As president, Carrato created new subcommittees to facilitate board member engagement in key areas such as awards programs, outreach to students and alumni/faculty interaction. When the department began a capital campaign for a student center, Carrato helped bring it to fruition after encouraging the board to lead by example – as a result of 100 percent participation by board members, a conference room in the new center was named after the alumni board and its supporters. In challenging board members to raise sponsorship funds for the department’s alumni awards dinner in Chicago, Carrato raised the annual event’s profile. He continued to reach out to CEE alumni by directing alumni board funds to help cover the cost of the departmental newsletter, in which Carrato encouraged CEE alumni to strengthen their engagement as volunteers, donors and Alumni Association members. At his workplace, he has hosted UI faculty and offered to match employee donations to CEE from his personal checkbook.

In 1998, Greg Oltman ’72 aces played a key role in creating a green industry partnership with both the College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences and the campus, as well as contributed to numerous events and initiatives. Oltman organized the first gathering of alumni in the green industry, which quickly led to other regional and statewide meetings and resulted in a proactive partnership. After joining the ACES alumni board in 2000, he contributed to the reinvigoration of “Salute to Ag Day,” branding for the “ACES in Places” alumni event series, international outreach and the internal transition of the horticultural department. As board president, he helped develop a strategic plan to leverage collaboration among the college, the UI Alumni Association and other University partners. He is a charter donor to the ACES Alumni Association Endowment, which he helped to establish and promote, and an active member of the Illinois Connection legislative advocacy network. He also has served on numerous committees and advisory boards for the college. Oltman was also instrumental in developing and implementing the landscaping plan for the McFarland Bell Tower, now a South Quad landmark, for which he invested hundreds of volunteer hours recruiting and managing a team of 15 alumni, securing plant materials and overseeing the installation of the tree groves and four gardens.

 

Previous Recipients

2011

Jennifer Sterling ’89 eng, ms ’90 eng

2010

Frederick V. Chin ’75 eng, mba ’77
Bruce A. Miller ’89 bus, ms ’90 media

2009

Diane Katz Gottlieb ’66 LAS
Marcia Stoll, MSW ’85

2008

Richard E. Furkert '70 ENG, MS '72 ENG
Kent Schien '81 ENG

2007

Jane A. Hays ’76 LAS, JD ’79 LAW
Brian T. Heery ’95 LAS 

2006

Donald J. Heimburger ’69 MEDIA
Laurence J. Pearlman, AM ’89 LIR

2005

Harold E. D’ Orazio ENG
Gary R. Halford ’60 ENG, MS ’61 ENG, PHD ’66 ENG

2003-2004

Daniel Hang ’41 ENG, MS ’49 ENG
Starr Hull ’64 ACES

2002

William H. Collins ’60 ENG, MS ’61 ENG
Phyllis Wilken ’71 LAS, AM ’74 LAS

2001

Karen Layng ’84 LAS, JD ’87 LAW
Sherman Rosen ’50 LAS, AM ’52 LIR

2000

Gail McClain ’55 LAS 
Duane Strunk ’63 ACES

1999

Scott Anderson, MS ’36 ENG, PHD ’40 ENG
Howard S. Engle ’72 BUS   

1998

Gerald J. Moyar, MS ’58 ENG, PHD ’60 ENG
Linda Soltwedel ’66 ACES
Norbert Soltwedel ’65 ACES, MS ’67 ACES

1997

Norman A. Goldberg ’39 FAA, MMUS ’42 FAA
Katherine W. Walker ’52 LAS

1996

William N. Coffee ’64 MEDIA
Ned R. Siegel ’72 LAS, MS ’73 LAS

1995

John G. Huftalin ’60 ACES
William H. Wright ’64 VM, DVM ’66

1994

D. Michael Fox ’65 BUS 
Porter J. Womeldorff ’54 ENG

1993

Fern Hodge Armstrong ’52 FAA
Virginia Seidel ’38 ACES

1992

Jimmy R. Howe ’61 ED
James S. Spencer, EDD ’66  

1991

Roger K. Heath ’60 ENG
John “Jack” F. Rundquist ’46 ACES, MS ’47 ACES

1990

Ralph J. Henneman ’49 ENG
Joseph A. Zalar Jr. ’60 LAS, MD ’63 MEDIA  

1989

Scott Anderson, MS ’36 ENG, PHD ’40 ENG
William D. Hull ’65 BUS, MS ’67 MEDIA, PHD ’72 MEDIA

1988

Lowell E. Ackmann ’44 ENG
Louis A. Bacon ’43 ENG

1987

Helen Davies ’41 ACES
Jim Davies ’43 ACES

1986

Alan W. Hausserman ’68 LAS
Ernest L. Hoffman Jr., AM ’54 LIR

1985

Frederic B. Hoppin ’41 ACES

1984

Mildred Mies Hanley ’33 ACES  
Glen Wensch ’46 ENG, MS ’47 ENG, PHD ’49 ENG