Alumni Achievement Award

The University of Illinois Alumni Association bestows the Alumni Achievement Award on alumni of the University of Illinois at Springfield. Recipients of the award are chosen in consideration of the following criteria:

1. graduate of the campus as either Sangamon State University or University of Illinois at Springfield;

2. exemplary career achievement and accomplishment in his or her chosen business, profession or life's work;

3. demonstrated commitment to his or her community through service projects and/or volunteerism; must be a person of such stature, demonstrated ability and renown that alumni, students, faculty and staff of the University of Illinois will take pride in and be inspired by his or her accomplishments.
   

2009 Recipient

Gordon Heddell, MA ’75 PAA

Gordon Heddell, Inspector General of the United States Department of Defense, is serving at a time of two wars, when military resources and Pentagon spending are at their highest levels in history. Prior to his current position, Heddell was the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Labor. He began his government service in 1966 as a chief warrant officer in the Army. Following various military tours of duty, Heddell served for 29 years in the Secret Service, where he held numerous law enforcement, management and leadership positions. He began as a special agent and progressed to nationwide administrative operations. Later, Heddell assumed executive positions in the Vice Presidential Protective Division, where his responsibilities included leading the physical protection of the vice president and his residence.

Heddell’s strength and integrity as a leader have lead to high-level Inspector General appointments by three U.S. presidents. In addition to dozens of outstanding performance ratings and numerous letters of commendation, he was the 1997 recipient of the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award for outstanding government service. Heddell’s service to his country, his commitment to public service and his clarity of purpose reflect extraordinarily well upon the University.

Previous Recipients

2008
Raju L. Indukuri, MA '92 CMB
Entrepreneur and founder of Reachnet International

2007
Cheryl Alters Jamison, MA ’77 PAA
Author, teacher and entrepreneur

2006
John D. Blackburn MA '79 EHS
Chief Executive Officer; COUNTRY Insurance and
Financial Services Company

2005
Donna Sollenberger '71 LAS, MA '74 LAS. President and CEO of the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics.

2003
Phillip T. Zeni Sr. '72 Executive Vice President, COO of Orban/CRL, San Leandro, Calif.

2002
Randy Schilling, MA '89 CBA
President, CEO and founder of Quilogy, St. Louis, Mo.

2001
LeRoy Walker Jr., MA '81 PAA
Owner/operator of 15 McDonald's Restaurants
Vice President of Events, National Black McDonald's Operator's Association

2000
Linda Renee Baker '85 EHS, MA '87 EHS
Humanitarian, volunteer, public servant
Secretary of the Illinois Department of Human Services

1999
Richard G. Austin '73 LAS
Deputy Director of Aeronautics, State of Illinois
Former Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration

Prior to 1999, the UIS campus awarded the Outstanding Alumni Award. Recipients include:

1998
Philip C. Bradley '72 CBM
President and CEO, Family Health Network

1997
W. Robert Felker '74 PAA
Senior Vice President, First National Bank of Chicago
President and CEO, First Chicago Futures, Inc.

1996
Richard L. Adorjan '88 CBM
Director of Public Affairs, Illinois Department of Transportation

Bill Lambrecht MA '73 LAS
Washington Bureau Reporter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Two-time Raymond Clapper Award winner

Julie Barrow MA '81 PAA
Director, Office of Federal Planning
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region IX

Karen Hasara '72 EHS, MA '92 EHS
Mayor, Springfield, Ill.