APSU honors distinguished individuals with alumni awards at Homecoming
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. 鈥 During a special alumni awards ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 24, Austin Peay State University honored six distinguished individuals as part of its 2015 Homecoming celebration.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. 鈥 During a special alumni awards ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 24, Austin Peay State University honored six distinguished individuals as part of its 2015 Homecoming celebration.
This year鈥檚 honorees were Outstanding Service Award recipients Maggie Kulback (鈥77) and Mike 翱鈥横补濒濒别测; Outstanding Young Alumnus Award recipients Michael Wall (鈥00) and Chad Kimmel (鈥02); and Outstanding Alumni Award recipients Fred Landiss (鈥69) and Dr. Joe Greer (鈥70).
Kulback retired from Jostens in 2008, after 30 years of service, but she has continued a 34-year commitment to supporting her alma mater, Austin Peay. She graduated from APSU in 1977, having served as SGA president and having been elected First Lady of Austin Peay.
Once she graduated, Kulback became an active member of the Clarksville-Montgomery County community and a key donor to APSU. Kulback, along with her husband Barry, made a major gift pledge to the University during the 2010 Legacy Capital Campaign. In recognition of this gift, APSU named the atrium in the Maynard Mathematics and Computer Science Building the Kulback Atrium.
Over the years, she has supported the University as chair of the Candlelight Ball Committee, as co-chair of the Homecoming Committee, as co-chair of the 2010 Capital Committee, as a member of the APSU president selection committee, as a member of the APSU Tower Club and as a member of the APSU Govs Club.
Kulback is an alumna of Leadership Clarksville and the Citizen Police Academy, and she served on the budget committee for United Way and the Board of Directors for the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce. She chaired the Culture/Public Assembly Committee for Clarksville鈥檚 20-year Smart Growth Plan, and she was past school board president for Immaculate Conception School.
翱鈥横补濒濒别测, an Air Force veteran, earned his college degree from Ohio University, not Austin Peay, but when he moved to Clarksville in 1988, the successful businessman saw how important the local university was to the entire community.
翱鈥横补濒濒别测 came to town to work for Wendy鈥檚 of Bowling Green鈥攁 franchise operating 18 restaurants. In 1990, he became a partner in the business and helped it grow to 42 Wendy鈥檚 restaurants in four states. He was inducted into the Wendy鈥檚 Hall of Fame in 2010, and he became CEO and senior partner of Wendy鈥檚 of Bowling Green in 2012. The company has been the recipient of all of Wendy鈥檚 major awards, including the prestigious Founders Award, given to the top franchisee in the system.
During this impressive business career, 翱鈥横补濒濒别测 found time to support APSU in a number of capacities. He served as past chairman and current board member of the Austin Peay Foundation, as a member of the Foundation鈥檚 investment committee, as a member of the Tower Club and as a member of the APSU Red Coat Society. He is a long time APSU Athletic Department supporter and corporate sponsor of the Wendy鈥檚 Golf Tournament, benefiting the APSU golf program.
翱鈥横补濒濒别测 has served Clarksville in numerous capacities, and in 2006, he was presented with the William O. Beach Citizen of the Year Award.
Wall joined the Comcast Corporation in 2006 as the director of State Government Affairs for Georgia, and he was promoted in 2009 to senior director of State Government Affairs for Georgia and Alabama. He formerly served as vice president of State Government Affairs for the Marietta, Georgia, firm of Brock Clay Government & Public Affairs and as an attorney in the Atlanta office of Hall, Booth, Smith & Slover. Wall now represents Comcast鈥檚 best interests and advances the company鈥檚 public policy positions in Georgia and Alabama by working closely with the general assemblies, state agencies and departments, governors, other state constitutional officers, the states鈥 federal delegations in the United States Congress and all of their staffs.
Wall earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the College of Law at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, (UT Law) and his Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Austin Peay. While at APSU, he was elected president of the Student Government Association. At UT Law, he served on the editorial board for the Tennessee Law Review.
Wall was honored by Georgia Trend in 2009 when he was named to its coveted 鈥40 Under 40鈥 list for the State of Georgia. James Magazine twice (2008 and 2010) named him as one of Georgia's Top 10 Lobbyists for Associations/Corporations.
Kimmel was named assistant athletic director for Development in August 2014 after seven years with Wisconsin Athletics. As director he serves as the head of the Wisconsin Athletic Development Office, supervising a staff of 10 full-time employees and overseeing annual giving, major gifts, scholarship endowments, premium seating and fund raising initiatives for capital projects. Wisconsin Athletics has seen a growth in gift totals under his leadership, including an all-time high of $34 million in contributions made in 2014.
Kimmel served as a student-athletic trainer for four years while earning a Bachelor of Science degree from Austin Peay in 2002. He continued his education at Kansas State University, earning a master鈥檚 degree in college student personnel in 2004, and he participated in the Ph.D. program in higher education administration-student affairs.
Kimmel arrived in Wisconsin in 2008 in the role of assistant director of Development. He was promoted to director of Development in 2010 and later to senior director of Development. In 2013, he transitioned to managing group leader 鈥 Major Gifts.
During his tenure at Wisconsin, Kimmel has been a valued member of the development team responsible for securing more than $50 million for capital projects and growing the annual fund from $8 million to more than $13 million.
Landiss, senior vice president/director of Marketing and Public Relations for F&M Bank, has an enviable track record as a practicing banker for more than 30 years. He is a much sought-after speaker and seminar leader for groups representing business, industry, education and government.
A resident of Clarksville for more than 45 years, he received a Bachelor of Science in 1969 and a Master of Art in 1970 from Austin Peay State University. Early in his banking career, Landiss was recognized as among the 鈥渟avviest and most respected鈥 in the industry, as featured in the book, 鈥淏ank Marketing for the 90s: New Ideas from 50 of the Best Marketers in Banking Today.鈥
Landiss is noted for the development of 鈥渉igh-touch鈥 consumer banking products and services that require a high degree of customer service. In addition, he has served as an adjunct faculty member teaching marketing at APSU for more than 40 years. In his teaching, he seeks to provide quality learning experiences for his students and regularly hosts events at F&M Bank for the students to interact with business leaders, professionals and elected officials from the Clarksville area.
Landiss has also taught salesmanship and marketing at the Graduate School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University for six years and has served on the American Bankers Association鈥檚 (ABA) Communications Council. Prior to beginning his banking career, he served as the director of Alumni and Placement at APSU.
Greer is one of the state鈥檚 leading dentists, having earned numerous awards and a Certificate of Appreciation from former Gov. Don Sudquist, but he is also a major supporter of Austin Peay.
Greer graduated from APSU in 1970 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and biology. He then earned his D.D.S. from the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences in 1973. He went back to school in 1991 to receive his Master of Science in Health Promotions, with an emphasis on fitness and nutrition, from Memphis State University.
During Greer鈥檚 esteemed career, he has served as an instructor at the UT College of Dentistry, operated a successful private practice, developed a computerized health management program for the Good Health Institute, developed the Preventive and Interceptive Medical health insurance benefit plan for self-insured programs and served on numerous professional organizations, including the National Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry and the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.
In 1997, he participated in the Citizen Ambassador Program, as a member of the American Dental Association Delegation to the Republic of South Africa.
Greer has served his alma matter in several capacities, including alumni director for the VII District and president of the National Alumni Association. The University previously honored him with the Outstanding Service Award and the Alumni 狐狸视频 Award.
Saturday鈥檚 Alumni Awards Brunch also served as an opportunity for alumni and friends to meet and mingle. For more information on the event or this year鈥檚 award recipients, contact Alumni Relations Office at (931) 221-7979 or 1-800-264-2586.
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Photo cutline: 2015 Alumni Award winners Fred Landiss, Mike 翱鈥横补濒濒别测, Maggie Kulback, Dr. Joe Greer, Chad Kimmel and Michael Wall.