Heiges Award recipients, from left, are Gary Ankabrandt, Dr. Michael Ceddia, Dr. Anthony Colistra and Dr. Marian Schultz.
University presents awards during Alumni Days 2012
Five individuals are recipients of the 2012 Jesse S. Heiges
Distinguished Alumnus Award, one of five awards presented during Alumni Days 2012
at Shippensburg University.
Recipients of the Heiges Award are Gary Ankabrandt, Class of 1975; state Sen. Lisa
Jones Baker, Class of 1983; Dr. Michael Ceddia, Class of 1992; Dr. Anthony
Colistra, Class of 1963, ’67M; and Dr. Marian Schultz, Class of 1988M.
The Exceptional Service Award was presented to Larry
and Linda Basler from the Class of 1964 and Norman Dick, Class of 1980.
The
Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Anthony Chapparone, Class of 1953.
The Humanitarian Award was presented to Nicolette Yevich, Class of 1996M.
The Alumni Chapter Leadership Award was presented to Ray
Reber, Class of 1955.
The
Heiges Award was established in 1959 and is the university’s highest award. It recognizes
the recipients’ distinguished achievements in their field of endeavor to
benefit community and society.
Ankabrandt retired after 35 years with the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as deputy chief counsel for the Department of
General Services as a government procurement lawyer. During his career he was
instrumental in the Commonwealth Procurement Code being signed into law and was
the legal architect of then-Gov. Ed Rendell’s strategic source initiative with
$360 million in taxpayer savings. He has provided legal advice and
documentation for a variety of very successful programs including online
auction procurements, minority and women business participation, and guaranteed
energy results—all nationally recognized. In 2010 he was awarded the
prestigious Government Lawyer of the Year award by the Pennsylvania Bar
Association. A runner, Gary uses running marathons to raise funds for various
charities.
Senator Baker is serving her
second term representing the 20th district and chairs the Senate veterans’
affairs and the emergency preparedness committees, and is a member of aging and
youth, appropriations, communications and technology, environmental resources
and energy, and public health and welfare committees. Active in community and
civic organizations, she is a former Shippensburg University trustee and was
East Stroudsburg’s 2007-08 legislative fellow. She has been honored with the
Guardian of Small Business Award in 2009 and 2010 by the National Federation of
Independent Business and the 2010 Patrick Henry Award from the National Guard
Association of the United States.
Ceddia has climbed the corporate
ladder since receiving his biology degree from Shippensburg. He has a master’s
in biomechanics from the University of Northern Colorado and a Ph.D. in
physiology and immunology from the University of Illinois. He is vice president
of research and development, quality assurance and quality control at Kemin
Health, based in Des Moines, Iowa. He is responsible for the Kemin Health
innovation process and is a key member of the executive team. Previous
positions include research, then senior scientist in the Pet Health and Nutrition
Division at Proctor & Gamble and then principal scientist, associate
director, and regional director of Latin America research and development, all
at Mead Johnson Nutritionals. He was recognized as an Outstanding Young Alumnus
in 2002
Colistra is entering his fourth
year as president of the Milton Hershey School. His presidency comes after
serving in a variety of positions in public education including guidance
counselor, principal, then superintendent of Cumberland Valley High School, a
position he held for six years during which he was named Superintendent of the
Year by the Council for Public Education. He built on his elementary education
degree with his master’s in guidance and counseling before getting his Ed.D. from
Temple University in 1975. He has served as director of the Hershey Trust,
Hershey Entertainments & Resorts, M.S. Hershey Foundation and the Board of
Managers of the Milton Hershey School. He is a past member of the university’s College
of Education and Human Services Advisory Board.
Schultz retires this month as dean
of Shippensburg’s School of Academic Programs and Services and dean of library
and multi-media services after serving the university for more than 30 years. She
began as the assistant to the dean in the division of undeclared majors, adding
placement test coordinator to her responsibilities. In 1999, she was named
interim dean, and a year later became dean of the School of Academic Programs
and Services. Prior to coming to Shippensburg, she spent a decade working with the
Migrant Child Development and the Pennsylvania Migrant Education programs. She
has also been a tireless volunteer for the SU Foundation.
The
Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to a recipient in recognition of
life-long career achievement and personal commitment in his/her field of
endeavor for the benefit of the community and society.
Chapparone is semi-retired and he and his wife, Rose
Ann, help their sons in the family’s collision repair business and are active
in charity work in the San Diego area. He retired as the national sales manager
for the sporting goods company, AMF-VOIT, before turning his marketing skills
to the family business growing from one shop to eight. He was inducted into the
SU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
The
Exceptional Service Award is given to recognize and thank outstanding individuals
who have given unselfishly of their time and efforts for the betterment of
Shippensburg University.
Larry Basler, who retired from the Shippensburg Area School
District as a teacher and a principal, is actively involved with his church and
the Masons, as well as holding membership in various organizations. He is a
member of the university’s College of Education and Human Services Advisory
Board, the Class of 1964’s 50th reunion committee, the Raider Club, and is a
member and former president of the Shippensburg University Club.
Linda Basler also worked for the Shippensburg Area
School District and is involved with her church as well. She is a member of the
board of trustees for the Shippensburg Public Library and is a member of
Friends of the Library and the Shippensburg Civic Club. She was a member of the
board of directors for the SU Alumni Association from 2006 to 2010 and is a
member of the Class of 1964 50th reunion Committee, the Raider Club, the
Shippensburg University Club as its secretary, and the alumni weekend and
ArtShip committees. In 1999 she received the Alumni Chapter and Leadership
Award.
Dick, who is the ancillary manager for support and
development at the Reading Hospital and Medical Center, is a more than willing
volunteer for his alma mater. A former member of the alumni association’s board
of directors, he plays active roles on the alumni weekend golf, alumni weekend
planning and homecoming committees, and volunteers with the planning committee
for the Reading Area Alumni Chapter. He is on the board of directors for the
Raiders Club, serves on the Computer Science Advisory Council and often
volunteers at alumni events.
The
Alumni Humanitarian Award is presented to honor an alumnus and/or a member of
the campus community in recognition of his or her direct impact on diversity
and cultural experiences of students on campus.
Yevich
is director at the James C. Denneny Jr. Career Development Center at Central
Methodist University in Columbia, Mo. She previously was associate director of
the student center and campus life at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut,
director of the women’s center at Shippensburg University for 10 years and
assistant program director at Angelo State University in Texas. During her
service at Ship she developed and implemented programs that promoted the
awareness of and attention to the unique concerns and needs of women students
and employees as well as directed the Undergraduate Women’s Leadership Institute
across the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
The
Alumni Chapter Leadership Award honors an alumnus in recognition of his or her
direct impact on the success of an Alumni Chapter as a whole.
Reber retired
from Abington Senior High School and has been volunteering with the university
for many years. An instrumental member of the Reading alumni chapter planning
group, he continuously works to connect alumni in the greater Reading area with
Ship. He is a familiar face helping at Alumni Weekend, Homecoming and at freshmen
move-in day, in addition to hosting a freshmen welcome at his home in recent
years. He also organizes monthly gatherings of classmates from the mid-1950s
where they meet for lunch once a month to reminiscence and catch up with one
another.
Award recipients, from left, are Norman Dick, Ray Reber, Anthony Chapparone and Nicolette Yevich
6/4/12