State's Stars, Chris Schaffer
E. Sumo Jones, MPA ’63, has been named by the President of Liberia as his country’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary accredited to the Republic of Guinea, a neighboring State to Liberia. Jones MSU thesis for the School of Criminal Justice was titled “A Plan to Reorganize the National Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice in the Republic of Liberia.” After graduation from MSU, Jones was appointed Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization and Deputy Attorney General of his country by the then President of Liberia, William V.S. Tubman.
Mark Hawkins, ’91, has been named executive vice psaresident and CFO for Autodesk, San Rafael, CA, a leader in 2D and 3D CAD Software. Previously, Hawkins was the CFO and SVP of Logitech International S.A., and also VP of Finance at Dell. Additionally, Hawkins was a Business Unit CFO for HP during his 18 plus years with that company. Hawkins is a Life Member of the MSU Alumni Association.
Jan Jacobs, ’79, an area quilter and actor for more than 30 years, has been named the 2009 Farmington Area Arts Commission Artist in Residence. Jacobs was honored with a cash prize, plaque and a tribute from the State Representative, State Senator and Governor Granholm. Jacobs’ field of expertise is fiber arts and theatre. Farmington Hills artists who were Artists in Residence include Robert Piepenburg, John Glick and Junebug Clark.
Chris Huizenga, ’92, property manager at 75 Hawthorne, San Francisco, CA, was the leader of the on-site tem that achieved the first multi-tenant office building in San Francisco to receive Gold certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Existing Buildings rating system. 75 Hawthorne is a 20-story Class A office building that is owned and managed by Hines. San Francisco is reputed to be one of the nation’s “greenest” cities.
Ray Koenig III, ’95, a Chicago attorney, has joined Clark Hill PLC as a member in the Litigation Practice Group. Koenig practices in the areas of probate litigation, trust litigation, fiduciary litigation, elder law, estate planning and estate administration, with an emphasis on will, trust, guardianship, and advance directive contests and other fiduciary litigation. Koenig served on Chicago task force to revise the Illinois Elder Abuse and Neglect Act.
Ron Simon, ’67, CEO, Auto-Owners Insurance Company, Lansing, has been elected Chairman of the Board of all six of the Auto-Owners Insurance Group companies. Simon has over 40 years experience with Auto-Owners Insurance Company beginning in the IT division where he held various management positions. He has also served as assistant vice president, applications department; vice president, actuarial department; and vice president senior vice president , property and casualty underwriting/actuarial department, and senior vice president senior vice president, property and casualty underwriting/actuarial department, treasurer, first vice president, president and CEO. Simon is a Life Member of the MSU Alumni Association and a member of MSU’s Hannah Society.
Connie McEwan, ’68, has received the 2009 Matilda R. Wilson Award from the Women’s Association for Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan, Birmingham. McEwan was awarded the honor for all the work she has done as a volunteer for the Boys and Girls Club, as well as many other charities in Southeastern Michigan. The Women’s Association for Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan is a volunteer organization committed to raising funds and awareness on behalf of B&GCSM as well as providing scholarships for students otherwise unable to attend the clubs.
William Muir, ’69, DVM ’70, has been named director of clinical services at The Animal Medical Center (AMC), New York, NY. Muir will act as an advisor to the CEO on all professional matters of the hospital and serve as ex-officio member of all medical staff communities. Muir is board certified in veterinary anesthesia and veterinary emergency and critical care, a fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Pharmacology, regional director of the newly-formed International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management and a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Jeff Juenemann, ’80, owner of Juenemann Insurance, Westland, was named this year’s Business Person of the Year by the Westland Chamber of Commerce. Juenemann is active in Westland Rotary having served as past president as well as past president of the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents. Juenemann has also volunteered as an adult leader for the Boy Scouts. Juenemann is a Life Member of the MSU Alumni Association.
Grace Lieblein, MBA ’87, has been named president and managing director of GM de Mexico. Considered the highest ranking Latina executive at GM and the first Latina vehicle chief engineer, Lieblein succeeds Kevin Williams. Leiblein joined the automaker in 1978 as a co-op student at the GM Assembly Division in Los Angeles. Leiblein has received several honors, including the Professional Achievement Award. She also made Automotive News’ top 100 list for women in the auto industry and Hispanic Business’ list of top 50 U.S. businesswomen in the United States.
Billy C. Hawkins, PhD ’85, has become the 20th president of Talladega College, AL. Previously, he served as the 20th president of Texas College. Hawkins has been in education for 32 years. An advocate for education, Hawkins was featured on the ABC Evening News with the late Peter Jennings and the U.S. News and World Report. He has been listed in Who’s Who among Executives and Professionals in 2005-2006. Hawkins has served on numerous boards including as a member of the Southside Virginia Business and Education Commission appointed by Mr. James S. Gilmore, and former governor of Virginia.
Jeff Steiner, ’86, MBA ’01, a global operating and business executive with more than 23 years of experience, has been named executive vice president and general manager responsible of Dale Earnhardt Inc., the Dale Earnhardt Foundation and special initiatives relating to Earnhardt properties. Steiner previously served at Johnson Controls Automotive Systems Group as vice president and general manger, and at American Specialty Cars as executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
Bruce Byl, ’81, director of real estate and special projects for Northwestern Bank, has been named 2009 Outstanding Alumni from Northwestern Michigan College (NMC). Previously, Byl was president and CEO of a Chicago-based Steelcase commercial furniture distributor. He is the founder of Food Rescue of Northwest Michigan and has served on the NMC Foundation board. Byl is a Life Member of the MSU Alumni Association.
Hon.Robert T. Jackson, Jr., ’69, was the guest speaker for Saint Paul’s College Honor’s Day Convocation. He joined the Social Security Administration as an Administrative Law Judge in 1997 and currently serves in the Atlanta Office of Disability Adjudication and Review. Judge Jackson served for 20 years in The Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of Atlanta Technical College Paralegal Studies Program. He is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Edward Fubara, MBA ’91, PhD ’01, director of the Master of Business Administration program at Campbell University’s Lundy-Fetterman School of Business, Buies Creek, NC, has received the Extension Engagement and Economic Development Award of Excellence from the Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC). The SBTDC is administered by North Carolina State University on behalf of the University of North Carolina System and operated in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Dianne Mark,’79, has been named dean of the Spandoni College of Education at Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC. Previously, Mark was the dean of the College of Professional Studies at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and associate dean and interim associate dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant. Mark has made numerous presentations to educational conferences and serves on the editorial board for the journal Urban Education.
William V. D’Antonio, PhD ’58, a fellow in the Life Cycle Institute, Catholic University, Washington DC, has had the annual award to the Center’s Outstanding Graduate Student named in his honor by the Center for the Study of Religion and Society in the Dept. of Sociology, University of Notre Dame. In addition, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) Board of Directors selected D’Antonio as the 2009 recipient of the Rev. Louis J. Luzbetak Award for Exemplary Church Research. D’Antonio is a Life Member of the MSU Alumni Association.
Audre Levy, ’67, has been named president of Lone Star College-CyFair, Cypress, TX. Previously, Levy was president of Glendale Community College in Glendale, CA, has served as president of Los Angeles Southwest Community College, provost of Edison Community College in Naples, FL and executive vice president and vice president of student services at San Jose/Evergreen Community Colleges in California. Additionally, Levy has been assistant to the vice president of instruction and Title III director at Brookhaven College in the Dallas Community College District and administrator and counselor at Los Angeles Community College.
Mark Sharkey, ’82, president of Remington, TX, one of the largest independently owned hotel investment, development, and management companies in the U.S., has been named Hilton’s Developer of the Year. Dallas-based Remington operates over 44 hotels in 17 different states with more than 3,500 associates. Remington focuses solely on the hospitality industry. Sharkey has been in the hospitality industry for the past 30 years, operating and developing select, full service, and luxury hotels.
Marti Heil, ’76, MSU associate vice president and COO for University Development has been named senior vice 0resident for Development of the Indiana University Foundation. At MSU, Heil served in a wide variety of capacities, including planning and directing two comprehensive campaigns and a major campus campaign. She served as the interim vice president for development during a time of strategic reorganization. Heil is a member of MSU’s Hannah Society.
Susan MacLeod, MA ’82, executive vice president/administrator of Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center, Portsmouth, VA, received the Women of Distinction Award in the field of medicine from the YWCA of South Hampton Roads. MacLeod has also chaired the American Heart Association Heart Walk and is the chair of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce, Portsmouth Division. She is a frequent speaker at community events, and mentors health care administrative residents.