Date:
10/20/2008
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 575.562.2253
Portales—The Eastern New Mexico University Alumni Association and the ENMU Foundation will be honoring a number of graduates, as well as presenting one honorary award recognizing a business, at the 33rd Annual ENMU Foundation Breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 25, in the Campus Union Ballroom on the Portales campus.
The Honorary Lifetime Alumni award will go to Gene Walker, a long-time Clovis dentist who helped write the constitution for the ENMU Foundation. Outstanding Alumni Awards will go to New Mexico Chief Justice Edward L. Chavez, and to William Phillips, M.D., who, with two other professors of radiology, has developed a new form of cancer treatment utilizing a novel nano-scale, anti-cancer technology conceived and pre-clinically tested.
A Distinguished Service Award will go to Van Ragsdale, who received both a bachelor’s degree of music education and master’s degree of music from ENMU. Since graduation, he has been an active supporter of the instrumental music program. Another Distinguished Service Award will go to Dick Walsh. During his 25 years of service to ENMU, he served as director of Financial Aid, director of Counseling and Testing, registrar and instructor of psychology. He is credited with establishing the first full-time Student Financial Aid Office at Eastern.
The Business of the Year Award will go to McDonald’s restaurants in Portales, Clovis, Tucumcari, and Roswell--all owned and operated by John Snowberger. He has received the McDonald’s People First Award and the McDonald’s My Store Marketing Award for the last five years. Some of the various organizations that benefit from McDonald’s charitable support include the area booster clubs and bench clubs in Portales, Roswell High, Roswell Goddard, Dexter, Clovis and ENMU. McDonald’s donates food to Curry County Sheriff’s Department’s annual softball tournament, Poe Corn Basketball Tournament in Roswell, DWI checkpoints in Roosevelt and Curry Counties and even during emergencies to firemen, E.M.T.s and police.
Charles and Wanda Hoover will receive the Philanthropists of the Year Award. Longtime Hereford residents, the Hoovers are active members of the Hereford Church of the Nazarene. Over the years, they have helped with the church construction, expansion and landscaping efforts. Charles has served on various boards including the Hereford Chamber of Commerce (past-president), the Soil Conservation Board, the Water District Board and the Great Plains Ag Credit Board. Charles also served as chairman of the YMCA Fundraising Committee. Wanda has always volunteered with their two daughters’, Connie and Debbie, school and extracurricular activities and has served as a board member for Child Welfare, the Hereford Hospital, and Kings Manor in Hereford.
Albert Flinn will receive the Volunteer of the Year Award. In the summer of 2007, he volunteered to help raise $20,000 in just four weeks for the 2007 ENMU College Daze Rodeo. The goal was not only reached but surpassed thanks to his dedication. This past summer, he retired from Wells Fargo and in the three months before he started at ENMU as the new rodeo coach, he volunteered numerous hours working on much needed repairs at the Lewis Cooper Arena and fundraising with a goal of $30,000 for the program.
For more information, call the ENMU Foundation at 575-562-2412, or the ENMU Alumni Association at 575.562.2125.
Alumni Awards
Honorary Lifetime Alumni AwardDr. Gene Walker
The ENMU Foundation was incorporated in August 1978. Just barely 13 months later on Sept. 26, 1979, Dr. Gene Walker became an official member of the board of directors for the Friends of Eastern Foundation. In fact, Gene helped write the original Constitution and Bylaws for the ENMU Foundation as well as additional ENMU Foundation board policies over the years.
Gene has been an active member of the board of directors for 29 years. He was instrumental in the ENMU Foundation acquiring two scholarships for ENMU students: the Harry Barton Award and a Santa Fe Railroad Scholarship. Gene serves on the Investment Committee for the ENMU Foundation sharing his fiduciary and economic expertise in overseeing the management of the ENMU Foundation investments, which as of April 30, 2008, had over $8.3 million in total assets. The investment committee meets eight to twelve times a year in order to best manage market effects on Foundation investments. As a longtime dentist in Clovis, Dr. Walker has also served as national secretary for the Academy of General Dentistry and past president for the New Mexico Dental Association. Gene was instrumental in organizing the Academy of Dentistry in New Mexico and he was instrumental in establishing the Eastern New Mexico Dental Association.
Outstanding Alumni AwardNew Mexico Chief Justice Edward L. Chavez
The Honorable Edward L. Chavez, Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court, was appointed to the Supreme Court by Governor Bill Richardson and has served since March 10, 2003, and became Chief Justice on Jan. 10, 2007. Justice Chávez graduated from Eastern New Mexico University in 1978 with a B.B.A. He later attended the University of New Mexico School of Law and received his Juris Doctor in 1981.
Throughout his 22 years in private practice, Justice Chávez was committed to people. He served as president of the Legal Aid Society of Albuquerque, chairman of the UNM Mental Health Center, and chairman of the Disciplinary Board. In addition, he was a member of numerous civic and professional organizations. His dedication to higher education afforded him the opportunity to teach at the UNM School of Law as an adjunct instructor, and he also taught at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. Picture (Device Independent Bitmap) Justice Chávez is listed in Best Lawyers in America, and he is a Fellow in both the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.
Outstanding Alumni AwardWilliam T. Phillips
William Phillips, M.D., together with two other professors of radiology, has developed a new form of cancer treatment utilizing a novel nano-scale, anti-cancer technology conceived and pre-clinically tested by Health Science Center faculty. Through basic research, this technology will lead to a promising new therapy for cancer patients who have few options. Azaya Therapeutics will develop and commercialize the cancer treatment.
Phillips is a certified member of both the American Board of Nuclear Medicine and the American Board of Family Practice. In February of 2008 he was named among America’s Best Doctors in the Central U.S. In 2007 he received the Teacher of the Year Award from the Nuclear Medicine Fellows and was named in Who’s Who of America in 2005. Phillips is the director of the Nuclear Medicine Technology Program at Incarnate Word University, a science fair judge, and a mentor for a gifted and talented program for high school students. William is and will continue to be a great scientific contributor to society.
Distinguished Service AwardVan Ragsdale
Van Ragsdale received both a bachelor’s degree of music education and master’s degree of music from ENMU. Since graduation, Van has been an active supporter of the instrumental music program. Founded in 1988, the ENMU alumni band group was created to allow alumni the opportunity to make music together following graduation, enhance their friendships with one another, preserve their bond to the institution, and recognize the significant impact of their mentor and director, Floren Thompson Jr., director of Bands Emeritus. Since its inception, Van has served as emcee for the Friday evening banquet.
From 1988-2006, he used his skills as a fundraiser and “arm twister” to generate donations to the Floren and Mary Thompson Instrumental Scholarship Fund. During the summer of 2005, a group of motivated band alumni met in Cloudcroft. They created an Alumni Band Constitution and elected Mr. Ragsdale as president. Picture (Device Independent Bitmap) During the board’s 2007 Cloudcroft Summit, it was decided that all fundraising efforts would be targeted toward the renovation and expansion of the Music Building, namely recognition of Floren Thompson through the naming of the new band hall.
Distinguished Service AwardDick Walsh
Dick Walsh received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing and a master’s degree in psychology and personnel services in 1965 and 1969, respectively, from Eastern New Mexico University. Walsh earned an Education Specialist degree in counseling and guidance in 1977 from ENMU and a doctorate in higher education administration in 1981 from Texas Tech University. He then began his professional career at Eastern in 1966 as an associate vice president of Student Affairs and director of Student Academic Services.
During his 25 years of service to ENMU, he served as director of Financial Aid, director of Counseling and Testing, registrar and instructor of psychology. He is credited with establishing the first full-time Student Financial Aid Office at Eastern. Walsh worked with a wide range of people establishing positive staff relationships through his leadership. He provided service to the University by computerizing student and management information systems, writing and administering grants and relating to students, faculty and staff. Walsh’s awards include the first Presidential Award for Outstanding Professional Employee in 1977, Who’s Who among educators in the Southwest, Phi Kappa Phi, Honor Society in Education, Psi Chi, and the National Honor Society in Psychology.
He speaks very highly of the university, recommends it to prospective students, and offers generous financial support on an annual basis.
ENMU Foundation Awards
Business of the Year
McDonald’s
The McDonald’s Restaurants in Portales, Clovis, Tucumcari, and Roswell are all owned and operated by John Snowberger. He has received the McDonald’s People First Award and the McDonald’s My Store Marketing Award for the last five years. Some of the various organizations that benefit from McDonald’s charitable support include the area booster clubs and bench clubs in Portales, Roswell High, Roswell Goddard, Dexter, Clovis and ENMU. McDonald’s donates food to Curry County Sheriff’s Department’s annual softball tournament, Poe Corn Basketball Tournament in Roswell, DWI checkpoints in Roosevelt and Curry Counties and even during emergencies to firemen, E.M.T.s, and police. To assist with Matt 25, owner John Snowberger and McDonald’s donated, cooked and served food for the Feed the 5000 event in Clovis. John and his wife of seven years, Robyn, are members of Faith Christian Family Church of Clovis and are firm believers in giving back.
“Have you ever heard about a guy that out-gave God?” asked John, “No, that’s because it never happened. This is why I support every church and Christian organization imaginable.”
John has been instrumental in establishing and growing the annual Ronald McDonald House Golf Tournament at NMMI each September. The event raised $12,000 the first year, $15,000 the second and this past September the golf tournament netted over $36,000 for the Ronald McDonald Houses in Amarillo, Lubbock and Albuquerque.
John has been a tremendous supporter of Eastern New Mexico University as a generous contributor to Foundation Flagships which benefits Starter Scholarships, ENMU Athletics and numerous campus organizations and events such as Mud Volleyball, National PE Day, Rodeo, Women’s Soccer, and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. John acknowledged, “ENMU (and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity) are very special to me because of the outstanding education both of my sons, Nic and Chris received and now our daughter Chelsea is having a great time while actually learning something as a freshman.”
Philanthropists of the Year
Charles and Wanda Hoover
Longtime Hereford residents Charles and Wanda Hoover are active members of the Hereford Church of the Nazarene. Over the years, they have helped with the church construction, expansion and landscaping efforts. Charles has served on various boards including the Hereford Chamber of Commerce (past-president), the Soil Conservation Board, the Water District Board and the Great Plains Ag Credit Board. Charles also served as chairman of the YMCA Fundraising Committee.
Wanda has always volunteered with their two daughters, Connie and Debbie’s school and extracurricular activities and has served as a board member for Child Welfare, the Hereford Hospital, and Kings Manor in Hereford.
Charles wrote his ENMU dissertation on the “economic advantages of feeding cattle in Texas and New Mexico” before this had been done in our region. Regarding their love for and their generous financial support of ENMU, Charles believes that “one should give back and leave your land in better shape than when you found it.” Their faith is their guide when it comes to helping others with their time, talent and treasure. “One should glorify the lord and not focus on personal benefit when helping others,” stated Wanda.
Albert Flinn
Albert Flinn came to ENMU in 1964 when the first men’s rodeo team was established. He later earned his bachelor’s of arts degree in agricultural business in 1968 and his master of arts in business administration 1970. While working on his bachelor’s, Albert competed riding bareback horses, bulls and in steer wrestling. He was on the first ENMU rodeo team to win the Southwest Region in the spring of 1965. The team also went on to compete at three national college finals in 1965, 1966 and 1968.
His love for ENMU, and especially the rodeo team, has stayed strong over the years. As vice president of Business Relationship Management for Wells Fargo in Portales, Albert has continued to support ENMU and his community with his time, rodeo talents and treasure. He has been a 4-H volunteer, has served as a Lions Club member and has supported the Roosevelt Chamber of Commerce and United Way campaigns. In the last eight years, he has helped the ENMU rodeo program. “Things needed to get done one way or another to keep our rodeo program active,” explained Albert.
In the summer of 2007, Albert volunteered to help raise $20,000 in just four weeks for the 2007 ENMU College Daze Rodeo. The goal was not only reached but surpassed thanks to Albert’s dedication. This past summer, he retired from Wells Fargo and in the three months before he started at ENMU as the new rodeo coach, he volunteered numerous hours working on much needed repairs at the Lewis Cooper Arena and fundraising with a goal of $30,000 for the program. ENMU is fortunate to have this alumnus and former rodeo team member leading the current rodeo team.
