Awards and Recognition
Homecoming 2009 Award Winners
Ann T. Wilkey
BEAR DOWN AWARD
Ann T. Wilkey is one of the University of Arizona College of Engineering’s most valuable partners. Ann earned a bachelor’s degree with distinction and a master’s in systems engineering from the UA, and was named an Arizona Regent Merit Scholar and a Wilson Foundation Scholar. She also was named to the Dean’s List, women’s freshmen, sophomore, and junior honor societies; and she became a member of Tau Beta Phi, the engineering honor society.
Since then, Ann has held management-level positions including senior manager of the Sensor Processing Engineering Department at Lockheed Martin and most recently as satellite proposal, mission, and payload lead for Sandia National Laboratories. She is the holder of several patents, and has written papers and publications for prestigious journals and presented at conferences.
Ann serves the College and its students in multiple ways, including mentoring students and volunteering as an Engineering Design Day judge for the College since 2004. She stays connected to the Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering (SIE) through her multi-year service on the Department Industry Advisory Council, forges key connections between the College and her employers, and advises the College on preparing its students for the workplace.
Ann established the Non-Metro Student Scholarship in 2006 to support students pursuing a degree in engineering at the UA who are graduates of Arizona high schools in rural areas. Six students have received the scholarship to date, and Ann returns to Tucson to meet each recipient at the College’s annual Scholarship Donor Appreciation Reception.
Ann was awarded a Graduate College Fellowship for Ph.D. work in electrical engineering at the UA, and she has completed numerous Ph.D.-level courses in electrical engineering at the University of New Mexico and Stanford University. She is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and a former member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
Ann’s volunteer service to the UA Women’s Leadership Conference, Arizona State University Sally Ride Science Festival, MathCounts, Radiant Futures for Children, Albuquerque Public Schools, and the development of an orphanage in Chiapas, Mexico, is just a sampling of her altruistic activities.
Mary J. Alexander
DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN AWARD
Mary J. Alexander is a heart-centered leader with keen instincts and a gift for bringing people together, based upon their common bonds. Although Mary is not a nurse, she is an integral part of the University of Arizona College of Nursing. As the chair of the college’s advisory board for the past two years, she has inspired the board to act upon their shared passion: honoring the incredible care that nurses provide, every day, to their patients.
During her tenure, the advisory board created the Fund for Excellence and raised $104,000 to retain and recruit extraordinary faculty to the college. Mary also worked tirelessly to secure funding for capital expansions at the college, created a board-funded annual appeal that raised money to establish an endowment for student scholarships, and acted on the board’s behalf as a vital member of the search committee for the new College of Nursing dean.
Mary’s work ensures prospective students are given the support and encouragement they need to receive an outstanding nursing education at the UA and enhances the college’s reputation as one of the finest in the nation.
In addition to her dedicated volunteer service to many nonprofit organizations, Mary also is a respected Tucson entrepreneur. She is the owner of Mary Alexander Design Studios, a full-service interior design firm specializing in municipal, institutional, commercial, and corporate projects.
Jacob and Lisa Marie Banta Czechowski
DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN AWARD
Many of us take our educations and everyday living for granted, but scores of us rely on people like Lisa Marie Banta Czechowski and Jacob W. “Jake” Czechowski — they serve the special-needs community as stellar teachers, administrators, and as extraordinary volunteers, coaches, and role models.
Lisa, who is visually impaired, won a gold medal as a member of the 2008 Beijing Paralympics goalball team, and Jake is an award-winning inclusion teacher at Ocotillo Ridge Elementary in the Vail (Arizona) School District, athletics coach, and counselor, whose guidance, positive attitude toward and dedication to special-needs students helps them succeed in school and in daily living.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from DeSales University, Lisa worked as a camp counselor and the assistant director of residence life at DeSales. Since 2005, she has worked for the Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired (SAAVI) as the coordinator of rehabilitation services and director of health and wellness.
Jake Czechowski has more than 14 years’ experience working with students with severe and multiple disabilities. Jake earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Northern Arizona University and a master’s in special education from the UA. He is a job coach at SAAVI and a 2008 VUSD Teacher of the Year Award nominee. Lisa and Jake share another passion: sports. As a world-class athlete, Lisa has won medals in goalball, javelin, shot-put, and discus; been named most valuable player, all-tournament team member, and All-American at top athletics events including the Paralympic Games in Athens and Sydney, USABA National Track and Field Championships, and the Pan American Games.
Lisa also participated in the Olympic torch relay for the 2002 winter games in Salt Lake City, and appeared in the Faces in the Crowd section of the October 2002 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine. After winning a silver medal in goalball at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Lisa helped her team win the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games gold medal.
Jake assists Lisa in training, volunteers as an instructor at the Elite Sports Education Camp in Milwaukee, and officiates at the ASDB annual goalball tournament. He also is an inclusion specialist at Camp J, group leader at the USABA Sports Festival in Colorado Springs, and official and coach for Special Olympics of Phoenix and Flagstaff. Together, they volunteer at bimonthly goalball clinics at the UA, the Bike for Sight motorcycle show fundraiser, Camp Abilities Camp for Blind and Visually Impaired Children, and coach beep baseball and goalball teams.
Theodore G. Tong
HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD
With his more than 26 years of dedicated service to University of Arizona College of Pharmacy students, the pharmacy profession, and the UA, Theodore G. “Ted” Tong has served the citizens of Arizona and beyond through his exemplary service as director of the Arizona Poison Information Center, associate dean of academic and student affairs, and professor of pharmacy practice and science in the UA College of Pharmacy. Ted’s distinguished career includes a faculty appointment in the UA College of Public Health, and reflects his advocacy for inclusion and providing students with a nurturing environment. In addition to his service on a multitude of prestigious worldwide councils and committees, Ted creates monthly case studies to help UA students and healthcare professionals develop cultural competency skills, and each summer, he dedicates himself to PharmCamp, a program that provides underrepresented middle-school students an opportunity to come to the UA campus and learn about pharmacy careers
Ted also serves on university committees including the Diversity Coalition, Ombuds Committee, Strategic Planning and Budget Advisory Committee, and the Campus Emergency response team. He also was appointed to serve on the UA President’s Asian Pacific American Advisory Council and the steering committee for the UA’s North Central Association 2010 re-accreditation.
In fact, as a result of his significant contributions toward enhancing the UA’s academic excellence by creating a diverse and inclusive campus community, Ted was awarded a Peter W. Likins Inclusive Excellence Award in 2006. In addition, the Tucson Fire Department named Ted an honorary firefighter for his continuous support of campus- and community-disaster preparedness.
Ted’s colleagues and students consider his sterling career, positive outlook, and commitment to students and the UA second to none, and we agree.
Drs. Jose Duran, Robert Garcia, Carlos Gonzales and David Padilla
LEO B. HART HUMANITARIAN AWARD
In 1978, while in their first year of medical school at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Jose I. Duran, Robert M. Garcia, Carlos R. Gonzales, and David E. Padilla developed and became the founders of the college’s Commitment to Underserved People (CUP) program.
In the 30 years following its modest beginning as one clinic serving pregnant undocumented workers, CUP has evolved into 15 programs in Tucson and six in the Phoenix area, providing clinical and health-education services to medically underserved populations.
More than 90 percent of students in the first two years of medical school participate in the program conducted by medical students, residents, and their attending physicians. Through their work with CUP, students learn the value of community service, the impact of socioeconomic status on access to healthcare, and the effect of value systems and culture on health, all while enhancing their clinical and teaching skills.
Today, in recognition of their compassionate vision and commitment to underserved populations and in celebration of CUP’s 30th anniversary, the University of Arizona Alumni Association and the College of Medicine are proud to honor Drs. Jose I. Duran, Robert M. Garcia, Carlos R. Gonzales, and David E. Padilla.
John Molina
LEO B. HART HUMANITARIAN AWARD
During his youth in his hometown of Guadalupe, Arizona, a small Yaqui Indian and Mexican community of about 5,500 people near Phoenix, John W. Molina was told he possesses the “spirit of healing,” and he should follow his dream of becoming a physician in service to the needs of the poor, uninsured, and homeless. John, an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, has done just that, and more.
John has served a five-year tour in the United States Navy, and earned the following degrees: an associate of arts in electro-mechanical drafting from Mesa Community College, a bachelor’s in psychology from Arizona State University, a medical doctorate from the University of Arizona, and a juris doctorate from the Arizona State University Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. John also has published numerous articles related to the integration of culture and medicine and served as a member of the National Institutes of Health Advisory Committee on Women’s Health and Research. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the City of Phoenix Martin Luther King Living the Spirit Humanitarian Award, Business Journal Healthcare Heroes Physician Achievement Award, and an honorary doctor of letters from the A.T. Still University of Health Sciences in recognition of his humanitarian work.
After completing training in obstetrics and gynecology at Texas Tech University, John practiced in the Indian Health Service at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center, and he founded and became the CEO of the nonprofit Las Fuentes Clinic of Guadalupe. Although culturally wealthy, Guadalupe is economically impoverished, and most of its chronically ill residents are unable to afford even the most basic healthcare. The clinic provides family medicine, obstetric and gynecological services, acupuncture, chiropractic, naturopathic, and traditional medicine to more than 40,000 uninsured low-income Hispanic and Native American women. It also promotes health education at local community schools and agencies, serves as a clinical training site, and provides a supportive mentoring network for medical residents and students, nursing students, and medical assistants.
John also is the president of John W. Molina, M.D., Healthcare Consulting, an assistant professor of medicine at the Midwestern University College of Medicine in Glendale, Arizona; and medical director of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) and assistant director of the AHCCCS Fee¬-for-Service Division. In addition, John conducts outreach programs with the Indian Health Service, Native American tribes, and urban Native American clinical programs to develop new clinical and telemedicine technologies designed to improve chronic care management, increase the quality and reduce the cost of healthcare to Native Americans.
In addition, John volunteers at the annual Tucson Native American Family Wellness Day, and works tirelessly to help American Indians and Alaska Natives — groups considered to have the highest disease burden in the United States.
John also continues to volunteer at Las Fuentes Clinic, living the life he dreamed of as a youth in Guadalupe.
John Barletta
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Proud University of Arizona alumnus John R. Barletta has served our country in the highest order by serving in the U.S. Army 1st Calvary Division and the United States Secret Service. As a special agent, John was assigned to the Presidential Protection Division at the White House during the Carter and Reagan administrations.
After Reagan left the White House, John served in the Western Protective Division as the assistant special agent in charge of the security detail at the Reagan Ranch outside of Santa Barbara, California. Because of his superior horseback-riding skills, John was assigned to protect Reagan whenever he rode horses. Over time, John got to know Reagan as few people did.
Upon John’s retirement from the Secret Service in 1997, Reagan referred to him as “an American patriot.” Their friendship continued for the rest of Reagan’s life. Following Reagan’s death, John played a significant role in the preservation of Rancho del Cielo, the Reagans’ beloved ranch, and subsequently wrote a book about his experiences entitled, Riding with Reagan: From the White House to the Ranch.
John has achieved great success in all of his professions, and remains a true friend of the UA and the Alumni Association. During his many speaking engagements, he rarely misses an opportunity to promote his alma mater.
In fact, John helped coordinate and execute two extraordinary UA Alumni Association events that would not have been possible without his assistance: A wonderful tour of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California, and the UA Alumni Association tour of Rancho del Cielo.
John arranged both tours, making sure UA alumni were among the very first outside guests allowed to visit the ranch and to see the fully-restored Air Force One used during Reagan’s presidency. John addressed the groups, graciously answered questions regarding his tenure with the Reagans, regaled the group with stories, and gave each guest a copy of his book.
Raymond Bernal
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
When Raymond Bernal speaks of his work, the discussion often turns to how the bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics Ray earned from the University of Arizona College of Agriculture in 1969 gave him a rock-solid foundation for his 40-year career as an extremely successful banker, financial consultant, and farmer. In fact, Ray, an enrolled member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT), is so highly regarded the CRIT, Tohono O’odham Nation, and several other tribes and consortiums routinely seek his business advice.
Ray grew up on the CRIT reservation near Parker, Arizona. After graduating from the UA, he began his 23-year career with Valley National Bank (VNB) as a trainee, working his way up to managing credit underwriting at 45 branches, $90 million in loans, a $55 million commercial-loan portfolio, more than 250 banking relationships, a widely diversified portfolio, and VNB personnel.
As a partner in Bernal Brothers since 1974, Ray has farmed cotton, alfalfa, wheat, and corn on farms on the CRIT reservation in Arizona and California and brokered agribusiness commodities to Asia. He also serves as a court-appointed receiver, and continues his 13-year District of Arizona U.S. Bankruptcy Court trustee work conducting reviews, investigations, and overseeing mediation.
In his spare time (which he has, according to Dean Sander!), Ray is executive director of the Big River Development Enterprises, an 8,000 acre real estate development consisting of residential lots, a water company, and a hotel. He supports the ongoing CALS-Cooperative Extension work on several Arizona Indian reservations, and he is a member of the CALS Ag 100. Ray also has served on the boards of CALCOT, Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs, Tucson Airport Authority, and the Southwestern Fair Commission.
Ray Bernal epitomizes the model of success to which all UA students and alumni can aspire, and his success is especially inspiring to Native American students. His exceptional career makes him richly deserving of the University of Arizona Alumni Association Professional Achievement Award.
Thomas J. Drexel
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Thomas J. “Tom” Drexel is considered one of Arizona’s best “go-to” people for education-related issues. Originally from New York, Tom served in the United States Army and earned a bachelor’s degree in history from St. John Fisher College. After moving to Tucson, Tom conducted postgraduate studies in mathematics at Pima Community College, transferred to the University of Arizona, and earned a master’s degree in education in 1979. He then worked as a UA graduate assistant and supervised master’s-level students, developed methods for diagnosing specific reading disabilities, and partnered with UA Professors Wilbur Ames and Warren Hayes of the College of Education Reading Department to create Learning Plus, a special-function school specializing in the diagnosis and remediation of reading and learning disabilities.
Tom has worked extensively with the Department of Economic Security in the educational rehabilitation of children, adolescents, and adults. Along with Judge Lillian Fisher, Ray Clarke of the Tucson Urban League, and others, Tom was instrumental in developing the Pima County Juvenile Court Detention Services Division’s Special Supervision Project, which became a national model for educating incarcerated youth.
In 1996, Tom became the first president of the board of directors and the director of Tucson’s Presidio School — one of the first charter schools established in Arizona. When the school opened, students were educated in a building formerly used as a morgue. In 2001, the school relocated to a new, state-of the art campus, complete with a courtyard and reading garden, ramadas, and athletics courts.
Under Tom’s continuing guidance, the school has received many accolades, including a federal Improving Literacy through School Libraries grant and a U.S Department of Education designation as a Blue-Ribbon School — one of a select few schools in Arizona and nationwide — to achieve this prestigious standing.
Tom volunteers for the UA College of Education, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction, Pima County Superintendent of Schools, and the Tucson Police Department, among others.
With much gratitude for his steadfast commitment to education, the University of Arizona Alumni Association and the College of Education are delighted to present the Professional Achievement Award to Thomas J. Drexel.
Isabel Martinez Duff
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Isabel Martinez Duff is a national leader in nursing and patient care. Throughout her more than 30-year nursing career, she has distinguished herself, predominately with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Isabel joined the VA in 1980 as a staff nurse in the Salt Lake City Medical Intensive Care Unit. She transferred to the Livermore (California) VA Medical Center (VAMC) in 1981 to be the head nurse of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit. She also led the provision of services for neurosurgical and cardiothoracic patients at the Salt Lake City and Tucson VAMCs. In recognition of her special talents and expertise, she was rapidly promoted to quality management specialist and cardiothoracic coordinator in Tucson.
In 1992, Isabel was promoted to associate chief nurse at the Tucson VA. In this position, her superb leadership and management skills flourished. In addition to supervising and leading the nursing staff, she led many interdisciplinary and nursing committees to advance the overall quality of care provided. In 2000, the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System selected Isabel to be the assistant chief of medicine and primary care, and she later served as nurse executive at the Northern Arizona VA Healthcare System in Prescott.
Isabel’s stellar accomplishments led to her appointment as associate medical center director and nurse executive of the VA Long Beach Healthcare System. In 2005, after hurricane Katrina, the VA set up emergency care and shelters in three locations, sending Isabel to establish and manage the shelter in Waco, Texas. She received a VA Special Contribution Award for her work and was asked to serve on a committee to develop contingency plans for national disasters.
Today, Isabel is the director of the VA Long Beach Healthcare System, where she oversees the full operations, an operating budget of approximately $350 million, and a staff of 3,000. In the short time she has served in this position, she has implemented innovative, patient¬-centered programs that impact the lives of thousands of veterans, including the more than 10,000 veterans returning to Southern California from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Victoria Matt
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
The unwavering love, support, and traditional teachings of her maternal grandmother and tribal elders have guided the way for Victoria Matt on her life journey to become the first — and only — Navajo orthopedic surgeon.
Victoria, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was born on the reservation and raised in a hogan by her grandmother, an avid rug weaver. When Victoria was 5, she and her grandmother moved into a two-room house with no running water or electricity. Navajo was the only language spoken at home. When Victoria entered the first grade, English became her second language, and by the third grade she was considered proficient in English and excelled in school, spending many nights studying by the light of a kerosene lantern.
In 1982, Victoria became the family’s first member to graduate — and she was the valedictorian, no less — from a small reservation high school. She chose to attend the University of Arizona, but in her first year, she experienced culture shock and quickly realized she was unprepared. As if that weren’t enough to derail her studies, she gave birth to a baby during her second semester of college. A few semesters later, she established a strong community network, was involved in several campus organizations, and played intramural basketball, volleyball, and softball. She also volunteered at University Medical Center as an on-call Navajo Language Interpreter for Navajo patients who were transferred from reservation hospitals. Somehow, she also found the time to work as a lab assistant at the UA.
Victoria won the UA Native American Student Award and was named Outstanding Minority Student. During college breaks, she returned home and studied near her faithful kerosene lamp.
After earning a bachelor’s degree in microbiology at the UA, Victoria earned a master’s at the Harvard School of Public Health and was awarded the Patricia Roberts Harris Academic Fellowship. She then earned a medical doctorate from the Tufts School of Medicine in Boston and completed a five-year orthopedic surgery residency at the University of New Mexico and two fellowships.
After working at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, Victoria returned to the Navajo reservation as a medical officer and orthopedic surgeon at the Fort Defiance Indian Hospital in Arizona. She serves her fellow tribe members, particularly the elders who, like her grandmother, speak only Navajo.
Victoria, one of only 341 female orthopedic surgeons in the United States, volunteers as a mentor to minority students. Despite her humble beginnings and the challenges she faced in college and in the male-dominated field of orthopedic surgery, Victoria has persevered and proven herself a stellar UA alumna.
Jude T. McNally
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
If you know Jude McNally, and I am proud to say that I do, you know that he has dedicated his career and much of his personal life to bites and stings!
Finding his calling long before he earned a degree from the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy led Jude to devote himself to the Arizona Poison and Drug Information Center for more than 25 years. During those years, he managed the daily operations of the Center, conducted critical research on venomous bites and stings, helped guide the medical management of poisoned patients, and educated healthcare professionals, students, and the public.
Jude has many strengths, but the standout is his gift of teaching others about poison control. His colleagues report that there is no one who can tell a story like he does. He is a highly sought, top-rated, and admired presenter for widely differing audiences — medical, pharmacy, and nursing students; healthcare providers, prehospital and emergency-response providers, hospital and hotel staff, civic-club members, and elementary-, middle-, and high-school students and staff, just to name a few.
And honestly, how many people can elicit peals of laughter from the attendees of a lecture at the annual Southwest Poison Symposium on rattlesnakes, scorpions, black-widow spiders, and Gila monsters? Jude can, and does, frequently, in his appearances at conferences and in programs aired on Tucson-area TV, the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC.
A very short time ago, Jude retired from the Center, but we imagine retirement probably will not slow him down too much!
Jude T. McNally, is a person who not only has made amazing contributions to his field, but one who is delighted to share his story with humor, enthusiasm, and skill.
Anthony C. Mulligan
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Anthony Mulligan’s creativity and adaptability, hallmarks of his career, not only changes lives — it saves lives, too.
Anthony, a 1988 University of Arizona College of Engineering mechanical engineering graduate, is the founder and CEO of Advanced Ceramics Research (ACR), a Tucson-based producer of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and advanced ceramic materials, founded in 1989.
Interestingly, the small aircraft were originally developed to locate and track whales. Following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Anthony began working with the military to find new applications for the aircraft, including flying over battle zones and into caves with cameras and sensors for reconnaissance, saving countless lives. ACR now makes three small, unmanned aircraft for the U.S. Navy, including the Silver Fox, which can be launched from the back of a Humvee to let soldiers see beyond visual obstructions.
Anthony holds 14 U.S. patents and has served on the Defense Science Board and Manufacturing Technology Task Force for the U.S. Department of Defense and the Industry Advisory Committee of the UA Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department.
In addition, Anthony serves on the UA College of Engineering Industry Advisory Council. His mission to advance the local economy and provide opportunities for under-represented groups includes ACR’s joint venture with the San Xavier Development Authority on the Tohono O’odham Reservation near Tucson. The partnership led to the first high-tech manufacturing research facility ever built on reservation ground and created many jobs for the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and surrounding community manufacturing products for ACR.
In 2008, the ACR Foundation provided a $150,000 grant subcontract to Forever Young Tree House to support building the new wheelchair-accessible Tree House exhibit at the Arizona¬-Sonora Desert Museum. The project provided employment — and a life-altering experience — for at-risk kids from the Fred Acosta Job Corps who helped build the exhibit.
Anthony was named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Arizona Innovation Network in 1996 and was active in starting several thriving local companies including Pet Affairs and Reydyne Medical. He and his partner, Mark Angier, won the 2003 Thomas R. Brown Foundation Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award for their “building of winning team relationships with university researchers,” partnering with other Fortune 500 companies, and working closely with government-sponsored laboratories.
Sue Pooler Wagner
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Sue Pooler Wagner is known as a stalwart friend, family matriarch, political activist, and, most of all, as a person of unshakeable integrity.
Born and raised in Tucson, Sue excelled in academics and student government. After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Arizona, Sue earned a master’s in history from Northwestern University and worked as the assistant dean of women at Ohio State University, a reporter at the Tucson Daily Citizen, and a government and history teacher at Catalina High School.
In 1969, Sue and her family moved to Reno, Nevada, where Sue’s political career began. She quickly gained the respect of her political colleagues — regardless of their party affiliation — and soon was elected to the Nevada Assembly and the Nevada State Senate, including serving two terms as the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. During this time, Sue advocated for legislation to help women and children and pushed for the creation of the state Ethics Commission.
In 1990, Sue was elected as Nevada’s first woman lieutenant governor. While campaigning, she was in a serious plane crash which left her with major injuries. Despite many surgeries and a legacy of pain as a result of the accident, Sue effectively served a full term, but did not seek another. Instead, she accepted an appointment as the associate director of the University of Nevada, Reno, Great Basin Policy Research Center, and she was appointed to serve an unprecedented number of consecutive terms on the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Mentoring, an important part of Sue’s life, led her to design and direct the University of Nevada-Reno Student Legislative Internship Program, which pairs college student-interns with legislators. The interns, working side by side with elected officials, learn about the legislative process and help steer a bill through the legislature. In addition to directing the program, Sue is an instructor in the Political Science Department at the university.
As part of the University of Nevada Oral History Program, a biography, Sue Wagner — Through the Glass Ceiling: A Life in Nevada Politics was written in 2006. In the book, Sue conveys her affection for the UA, and mentions that her mother sent her UA-related newspaper clippings weekly to keep her in the loop!
Sue returns to campus for events, and promotes her alma mater at every turn. She served on the UA Alumni Association Board of Directors and is a proud an honorary UA Bobcat and the recipient of many accolades, including the UA Centennial, Women Executives in State Government, Anti-Defamation League, Nevada School Counselors’ Association, Nevada Wildlife Federation, and Planned Parenthood awards.
Sue also has endowed the American Association of University Women Sue Wagner Educational Foundation Research and Project Endowment and the Nevada Women’s Fund Sue Wagner Scholarship Fund, and she volunteers with the United Way, Public Broadcasting System, and the Washoe Health System, to name just a few.
Linda L. Arzoumanian
PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
From the very beginning of her career, Dr. Linda L. Arzoumanian has been the epitome of a strong, vocal advocate for improving the education and welfare of children and adults. Her work has led to enhanced-quality early childhood education and care; improved services and support systems, educational opportunities for children and adults with economic, language, and substance-abuse challenges; and the development of business-education partnerships that strengthen higher education.
Linda has taught at all educational levels, most recently as a teacher-educator. She has worked with CODAC Behavioral Health Services, developed an infant and toddler center at Tucson’s Veterans Administration hospital, and was deeply involved in the revitalization of one of Tucson’s more at-risk neighborhoods, where a new elementary school, childcare center, full-service community center, library, and public housing were built. Linda also served as the president of the Southern Arizona Association for the Education of Young Children and coordinated a multi-million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Today, Linda works with groups including the League of Women Voters, American Association of University Women, Arizona Business and Education Coalition, Metropolitan Education Commission, and the Arizona Humanities Council. Her multi-year service on the Community Advisory Committee for the Early Childhood Education and Child Development program at Pima Community College has helped develop a better-educated early childhood teaching force, thereby improving young children’s outcomes.
In her role as Pima County Superintendent of Schools, Linda oversees the flow of more than 1 billion dollars between 16 school districts, election services for Pima County schools, affidavit registration for private- and home-schooled children, and data management of 28,000 teacher certificates. Linda also directs the Pima County Accommodation District, which serves the educational needs of imprisoned students.
Hervey Hotchkiss
PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
Hervey A. Hotchkiss is a stellar individual with a truly giving spirit. He is compassionate, humble, hard-working, and absolutely dedicated to his community and country. In fact, his entire professional life has been dedicated to public service.
After graduating from the University of Arizona College of Law in 1971, Hervey joined the United States Air Force as a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Department. He was posted in the U.S. and Europe, specializing in criminal defense and prosecution, medical malpractice, and tort litigation. Hervey reached the pinnacle of his Air Force career upon his appointment as a circuit trial judge in 1994. Four years later, he retired from active duty and returned to Tucson.
For the past 10 years, Hervey has performed one of the most emotionally challenging jobs in our community. As an Arizona assistant attorney general, he works on some of the worst cases of child abuse and neglect in Pima County. While many of us can hardly bear to read or even hear about these cases, Hervey burdens himself with the facts and details to ensure the children involved receive the advocacy, protection, and stability they need. With an average of more than 115 simultaneous cases, Hervey’s caseload is well above the national standard.
Hervey also volunteers for his church’s activities and is a member of the UA chapter of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity’s board of advisors. His giving spirit also benefits the UA Air Force ROTC, James E. Rogers College of Law, Arizona Cancer Center, and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.
In addition, Hervey and his wife, Susan Parker-Hotchkiss, have dedicated a gift to the Department of History in honor of Hervey’s mother, Alida S. Hotchkiss, a former UA faculty member, who inspired Hervey’s love of learning and philanthropic character.
Janice L. Shelton
PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
Two-time University of Arizona graduate Janice Shelton has an infectious passion for youth and family development — especially financial-literacy programs for students — which is evident in her quest to empower people through education.
In 1989, after teaching elementary- and high-school classes in Yuma and the Parker, Ariz., area, Janice began her 14-year UA career in La Paz County, initially as the Extension agent for the UA Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, and ultimately as the director of FCS Extension in La Paz County.
Janice was instrumental in the formation of the Parker Area Alliance for Community Empowerment (PAACE), and has served as its board chair since PAACE incorporated. She also was a driving force behind the establishment of the Players 9th Street Youth Center, helped develop and strengthen PAL, the Players After-School Learning program; the Volunteen Program, the Youth 4 Youth 4-H Club, and has contributed countless hours to PAACE projects.
Largely due to Janice’s vision and with her significant help, the UA John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences and a nonprofit agency established the Take Charge America Institute (TCAI) for Consumer Financial Education and Research at the UA. She also helped develop the School’s Family Economics and Financial Education program, which is distributed online, free of charge, to more than 14,000 educators and 500,000 middle-and high-¬school students nationwide each year.
After retiring from the university in 2003, Janice was elected La Paz County Superintendent of Schools. She now is serving a second four-year term.
Janice’s tireless, unselfish dedication to public service — for which she has won many accolades — also is evident in her work as a member of the Western Arizona Council of Governments’ Executive Board and as a member of the La Paz Regional Hospital board.
Barry Wong
PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
After earning a degree from the University of Arizona College of Law, Barry Wong embarked on a career which evidences his abiding commitment to public service. After working for the Arizona State Senate, Barry threw his hat into the political ring and served four two-year terms in the Arizona House of Representatives, where he championed legislation to develop and expand Arizona’s high-technology, software, Internet, and solar and renewable-energy industries. He also advocated for small businesses and promoted increasing education funding. Following his service in the House, Barry was appointed to the Arizona Corporation Commission by then-Governor Janet Napolitano
Barry’s work has made a direct and lasting impact on the UA. During his tenure in the state Legislature, he played an important role in the UA Alumni Association’s grassroots advocacy program. Barry’s perspective as a legislator and UA alumnus helped identify the strengths and weaknesses of the UA’s lobbying activities, and his input assisted the Association in promoting a political advocacy plan which was ultimately embraced by the UA.
Barry is affiliated with Luke Air Force Base, Arizona Department of Public Safety Citizens’ Academy, American Red Cross, UA Asian American Faculty and Staff Alumni Association, YWCA, and the Fiesta Bowl Committee. He has served on many boards and councils including the Arizona Supreme Court, City of Phoenix Industrial Development Authority, Consular Corps of Arizona, Phoenix Sister Cities, World Affairs Council of Arizona, Arizona State University, Western International University, Maricopa Community College, and the UA President’s Advisory Council.
Barry now is a lawyer and consultant at the Barry Wong Law Office, where he provides advice, counsel, and strategic direction on operating in Arizona’s business, and government communities; and he represents businesses and individuals in resolving their legal, business, and state and local government-related issues.
John Lacy
SIDNEY S. WOODS ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD
The Sidney S. Woods Alumni Service Award which is given to an alumna or alumnus who has demonstrated unwavering interest in and loyalty to the University of Arizona for a minimum of five years. John C. Lacy is a man of many talents. Along with his commitment to the University of Arizona and the Tucson com¬munity, he maintains a successful practice in mining and public-land law. John’s interest in mining is a legacy from his father, Willard C. “Bill” Lacy, who was the chief geologist at Cerro de Pasco Copper Company in Peru before he was recruited by the UA. When John was 13, his family moved from Peru to Tucson, as Bill had accepted an appointment as a full professor of geology with tenure. Bill was first given the task of revitalizing the economic geology program, and later founded and served as the head of the then-new Department of Mining and Geological Engineering.
We’d like to acknowledge Bill Lacy’s presence today. At age 93, Bill is a vibrant member of the UA community, and, in fact, he has to leave this ceremony to attend the W.C. Lacy Distinguished Lecture Series — named in his honor, of course! (Bill, will you please rise and be recognized). John Lacy attended Tucson High School for two years.
When his classes finished for the day, he would haunt both the Arizona Historical Society and the UA mineral museum while waiting for his father. After completing high school among the first graduating class of Rincon High, John officially became a Wildcat. He majored in journalism, met his future wife, Terry Suzanne Kearney, and earned a liberal arts degree from the UA in 1964.
John later earned a juris doctorate at the UA, was commissioned by the ROTC, entered the U.S. Army as captain in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, and served in Vietnam. Following his military service, he became a part¬ner in Verity, Smith, Lacy, Allen & Kearns, and then a shareholder in DeConcini McDonald Yetwin & Lacy.
In 1976, John accepted an offer to teach a course in mining law in his father’s former department. Interest and demand for the mining law topic grew, and in 1986 John began teaching a mining and public-land law class. He continues to teach the class today at the James E. Rogers College of Law, in addition to a course in oil and gas law.
Each year, John and Terry, both members of the Classes of ’65 and ’68, and both true Wildcat fans, welcome incoming students by help¬ing them move into their dorms or entertaining them at dinner through the Alumni Association Cat Café program. John proudly served on the NCAA Self-Study Governance and Rules Compliance Committee, and today is an alternate UA trustee to the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation. John also provides pro-bono services to the Alumni Association and the law college. In fact, during his time as a member of the UA Alumni Association Board of Directors, John donated countless hours of legal services to help the Association reorganize and implement new bylaws, continuing his service long after his term on the board had ended!
James M. Webb
SIDNEY S. WOODS ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD
When we think of long-time, significant supporters of the University of Arizona College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, James M. “Jim” Webb, Class of 1967, a native Arizonan and fourth-generation cattle industry leader, always is in the top tier.
Jim graduated from the UA in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in history and earned another bachelor’s in agricultural economics. For many years, Jim has worked at Hebbard and Webb, an agricultural real estate services company, and he now is the company’s president.
During his 15-year service as a charter member and director of the UA School of Natural Resources Advisory Council, Jim helped establish the Center on Impacts of Urban Development in Desert Environments (CIUDAD), the school’s alumni group, and the Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystems Unit.
Jim’s expertise benefits the Department of Animal Sciences, CALS Alumni Council, Ag 100 Council, and Project CENTRL. He also works behind the scenes to help CALS secure funding and forge industry and Arizona Legislature connections. In fact, he recently assisted the Marley Foundation in securing a significant gift to Cooperative Extension.
In addition, Jim has served on the boards of the Arizona Cattlegrowers’ Association, Cattlemen’s Beef Board, Arizona State Land Development Board of Appeals, Arizona National Livestock Show, and several Arizona governor-appointed agricultural advisory committees.
He also is a member of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, Society of Range Management, International Brangus Breeders Association, Arizona Farm Bureau, and the Arizona Beef Council, which named him the 2003 Cattleman of the Year.
Students in Free Enterprise
STUDENT VOLUNTEER AWARD
Since 1999, the University of Arizona Students In Free Enterprise, or SIFE, Executive Committee has provided leadership and direction for the more than 100 SIFE members from university-wide study programs. Since its inception, the committee has mentored SIFE projects focusing on entrepreneurship, global economics, business ethics, and personal-success skills, serving more than 30,000 volunteer hours for the UA and Tucson, and bolstering economies in Africa, India, and Mexico.
SIFE members apply the classroom lessons to real-life situations and use their knowledge to better communities through educational outreach projects such as business startup ideas, job-seeker education, and making recycling efforts profitable. A sample of local SIFE enterprises includes the student-run “A" Store, with locations in the Tucson and Park Place Malls; the student-run career fair, Career Expo, which takes place on the UA campus; Credit-Wise Cats, a group of UA students dedicated to teaching sound financial management skills to people of all ages; and Duel in the Desert, a personal-finance case-study competition held in Tucson each year.
SIFE members also conduct presentations — which provide positive public relations for the UA — and assist the Council of Alumni and Friends of the John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences with Homecoming and special events.
In May 2009, SIFE members brought attention and honor to the UA when they won first place in the national SIFE competition, which qualified them to represent the United States at the SIFE World Cup in Singapore.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Council
ALUMNI COUNCIL AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
In keeping with its outstanding record, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Council, comprised of alumni representing many departments and schools within the college, continues its exceptional work in service to the University of Arizona.
Each year, in conjunction with the CALS Development and Alumni Office, the council produces two issues of Compendium, a publication that reaches more than 19,000 CALS alumni and friends.
The council also provides funding for many student clubs, including the Biosystems Engineering Club, CALS undergraduate scholarship program, FSHD Ambassadors, Students in Free Enterprise Team (SIFE), Parasol, and the Pre-Veterinary Club. Council members volunteer for the CALS Honors Convocation and Homecoming events, including the Touchstone Energy AGCAT Open golf tournament and the Dean’s Almost World-Famous Burrito Breakfast and Alumni Auction. Members also attend the AdvoCATS Wildcat Pride Legislative Night, where they lobby for the UA and distribute “A” cookies.
In addition, council members hold a retirees barbecue, coordinate the annual Spring Awards Banquet, and conduct spring commencement activities.
Norton School Council of Alumni and Friends
COLLEGE ALUMNI COUNCIL RED AND BLUE AWARD
The profound impact of the Norton School Council of Alumni and Friends is immeasurable. The council performs a wide range of services with one shared goal — to promote the John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences and the University of Arizona.
Council members meet on a regular basis, maintain contact with and support the director of the School, hold an annual retreat, and represent the Norton School at AdvoCATs meetings and Wildcat Pride Night. They also host winter and spring graduation celebrations for graduates and their families, help plan and assist with College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Homecoming activities, CALS graduation ceremonies, and the Spring Awards Banquet.
The long-dreamed of Norton School facility, McClelland Park, is a reality, due in great measure to the Council’s work. Their passion for and commitment to their alma mater grows with each passing year.
With much gratitude for their altruistic dedication and significant contributions, the University of Arizona Alumni Association and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are delighted to present the College Alumni Council Award of Excellence to the Norton School Council of Alumni and Friends.