Date: 10/2/2007
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253

PORTALES—Eastern New Mexico University is presenting Senator Pete Domenici an honorary lifetime alumni award during its homecoming breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 6. 

Also receiving alumni awards are Deborah M. Sawyer, founder, president and CEO of Environmental Design International Inc. (EDI), a full-service minority and woman-owned, licensed, professional engineering firm; Clifton L. Smith, professor at the University of Georgia, whose research focuses on the continuous improvement process needed for the advancement of career and technical education; and Margie and Allen Bryant, long-time supporters of Eastern’s athletic programs.

Receiving awards from the ENMU Foundation are Southwest Canners, which has been a “Stellar Member” of Foundation Flagships for the last five years with the company’s annual $10,000 contribution benefiting the Starter Scholarships at ENMU;  Jack and Ladeane Murphy, who not only have established an endowed scholarship for their late grandson, but plan to start a new endowed scholarship every year and have also included the ENMU Foundation in their will to continue establishing a scholarship a year for an additional 10 years; and Jan Smartnick, volunteer Friends of Music board member for 14 years.  She and her husband, Web, have attended every POPS Concert except for one since 1974 and for 14 of those concerts she was instrumental in planning the event. 

For more information on alumni recipients, call Janice Cowen at 505-562-2125.  For more information on foundation recipients, call Noelle Bartl at 505-562-2412.

2007 Alumni Awards

Honorary Lifetime Alumni Award

U.S. Senator Pete Domenici
Already the longest serving U.S. Senator in New Mexico history, U. S. Senator Pete V. Domenici continues to be a respected leader on some of the most important issues of our time. Legislation, prepared in part by Sen. Domenici, has been signed into law to ensure the nation retains its competitive edge. The America Competes Act legislation dramatically increases the nation’s investment in science and technology, and puts a new, heavy emphasis on mathematics and science education. It also provides grants of up to $6 million to help states create specialty math and science schools. Department of Energy laboratories will be partners in this effort in several ways, including “adopting” schools to strengthen their math and science capability. It creates a broad range of programs to strengthen the skills of math and science teachers and encourages mathematicians and scientists to become teachers. U.S. Senator Pete Domenici joined the Senate in unanimously passing a bipartisan compromise bill that will ease financial burden on university students and improve access to higher education for students in New Mexico and across the nation.
 

Outstanding Alumni Award

Deborah M. Sawyer
Deborah M. Sawyer is an environmental scientist, Certified Hazardous Materials Manager, and Founder, President and CEO of Environmental Design International Inc. (EDI), a full-service minority and woman-owned, licensed, professional engineering firm specializing in hazardous waste management and civil engineering services. Ms. Sawyer’s interest in the environmental field emerged while she was still in graduate school. After earning a bachelor’s degree in political science, she completed a master’s degree in petroleum microbiology while managing a synthetic fuels research laboratory. She joined the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency as an environmental scientist where she assisted with regulations enforcement, conducted compliance audits and revamped the Ohio Hazardous Waste Rules. She received the U.S. SBA's Minority Small Business Person of the Year award at the district, regional and national levels in 1994, and was recently showcased on the Today Show where she was interviewed by Marlo Thomas on the Modern Working Woman.
 

Outstanding Alumni Award

Clifton Lee Smith
Clifton L. Smith is a professor at the University of Georgia. Prior to this, he held a full professorship at the University of Missouri-Columbia in the Department of Practical Arts and Vocational-Technical Education from 1979 until 1991. Dr. Smith received his Ed.D. in vocational-technical education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1979. He has authored or co-authored books, data-based refereed journal articles, reviewed journal articles, monographs, technical reports, ERIC printed publications and a variety of other creative work. His research agenda focuses on the continuous improvement process needed for the advancement of career and technical education, at the secondary and post-secondary levels, into the 21st century, as well as the practice of integrating school-based learning with work-based learning that results in the successful transition of students from school to employment and post-secondary education. Mr. Smith has held a variety of administrative appointments at the University of Georgia as well as being an inspiration and stellar example to his students.
           

Distinguished Service Award

Margie and Allen Bryant
Eastern New Mexico University has always held an important place in the hearts of Margie and Allen Bryant. It is where they met in the fall of 1954. Margie began her freshman year at ENMU and Allen transferred to Portales to play football for Coach Carl Richardson. Together, they have supported Eastern’s athletic programs throughout the years. It has been important for them to show their school spirit by attending as many sporting events on and off the road as possible. Not only have they cheered on the teams but also supported athletics as Bench Club members and contributors. Everyone who has ever known Allen and Margie have considered them to be true ENMU ambassadors with a dedication and loyalty that is unmatched.
 
Southwest Canners
Southwest Canners starting bottling carbonated beverages in Portales in 1973.  Since that time, the company with its 65 employees continues to make a difference in the Portales community.  Southwest Canners has been a “Stellar Member” of Foundation Flagships for the last five years with the company’s annual $10,000 contribution benefiting the Starter Scholarships.  Another way Southwest Canners, under the fine leadership of Plant Manager Jim Lucero, gives back to the community is by sharing the canned Coca-Cola products with various non-profits, school and university organizations to help keep event costs down.  Southwest Canners supports the community as a United Way “Pacesetter” and by encouraging employees to serve on the United Way volunteer review board.  Jim, who has been with the company for 23 years, has focused the company’s philanthropic support on special causes such as the ENMU Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and the Portales Senior Center.  Southwest Canners provides a unique educational opportunity to school children by offering tours of the plant.  Jim once commented that “Portales would be a very different community if ENMU wasn’t here.  I know the value of my ENMU education and hope to help others have the same opportunities.”

Jack and Ladeane Murphy
Jack and Ladeane have been active church members for 45 years of the Woodhaven Presbyterian Church in Irving, Texas.  Both have been elders in the church and have served on various committees.  When their grandson Brandon passed away several years ago, they decided to start an endowed scholarship in his memory.  Since that year, the couple has continued to make annual contributions to establish a new endowed scholarship for different majors.  Jack and Ladeane are so committed to ENMU that they plan to start a new endowed scholarship every year and have also included the ENMU Foundation in their will to continue establishing a scholarship a year for an additional ten years.  Each scholarship will focus on benefiting different majors.  Not only does the couple believe that scholarships are important for recruiting deserving students, but they also believe in helping other charitable causes such as the Christian Children’s Home, and The Navigators organization in Colorado.  Jack and Ladeane are leading a remarkable life and creating a living legacy together that their two children, six grandchildren and their one great grandson will look to as a measure of their own future philanthropic values.

Jan Smartnick
Jan has served as a volunteer Friends of Music board member for a total of fourteen years.  She and her husband, Web, have attended every POPS Concert except for one since 1974 and for fourteen of those concerts she was instrumental in planning the event.  As an active church member of the United Methodist Church in Portales, Jan has been the choir director for the past three years, a member of the English hand bell choir “Las Campanas”, the director of the children’s hand bell choir “Agape Ringers”, and she is a member of the Esther Circle of United Methodist Women.  A long-time member of the Portales Woman’s Club, Jan is a past president and has served on numerous community service committees.  She has been a member of the ENMU Women since 1974 and is a current member (and past president) of Beta Sigma Phi, a social sorority.  Jan makes time to deliver Meals On Wheels regularly throughout the year and has served on the board of United Way of Roosevelt County for 12 years.  She and Web continue to support the ENMU athletics via Bench Club and KENW-TV.  Explained Jan, “I have met some amazing people and made many life-long friends as a result of volunteering.”