Alumni to honor six for service to Northwest

devore hanks mcguire med

jackson maher robertson

Shown above are the six honorees to be recognized at this year's Northwest Alumni
Awards Banquet. Pictured (top row from left) are Dr. Elwyn DeVore, Distinguished
Emeritus Faculty Award; Rita Hanks, Honorary Alumni Award; Hayley Hanson,
Young Alumni Award; (bottom row from left) Joan Jackson, Turret Service Award;
George Maher, Distinguished Alumni Award; and Dr. Terry Robertson, Distinguished
Faculty Award.

Six distinguished members of the Northwest Missouri State University family will be honored during the Alumni Awards Banquet on Friday, Sept. 12.

The annual event, sponsored by the Northwest Alumni Association, will begin with a 6 p.m. social in the J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom, which will be followed by dinner at 6:45 p.m. and the awards presentation at 8 p.m.

“The Alumni Awards Banquet is an evening of elegance when the association shows its appreciation to individuals who have given their time and talents to Northwest,” said Steve Sutton, director of alumni relations. “It is with great pride that we host and honor these Bearcats for their exceptional professional and personal achievements, extraordinary distinction in their fields and devotion to Northwest.”

For more information about the Alumni Awards Banquet, or to purchase tickets, call the Office of University Advancement at 660.562.1248 or e-mail alumni@nwmissouri.edu. To register online, go to www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni/events/awards/registration.htm.

Tickets cost $30 per person or $200 for a table of eight. Reservations will be accepted through Friday, Sept. 5, on a first-come, first-served basis.

This year’s honorees are:

Dr. Elwyn DeVore

Dr. DeVore, a retired dean, department chair and professor in what is now the Melvin and Valorie Booth College of Business and Professional Studies, will receive the 2008 Distinguished Emeritus Faculty Award.

During his career at Northwest, DeVore played an important role in the development and implementation of several new business-related undergraduate and graduate degree programs. An alumnus who graduated in 1942, he was awarded the rank of distinguished professor in 1984 and retired in 1985 after 35 years of service to the University. He and his wife live in Maryville.

Rita Hanks

Hanks, who will receive the 2008 Honorary Alumni Award, is a current member and former president and vice president of Northwest’s Board of Regents. After joining the board in 1999, she was reappointed by Gov. Matt Blunt to a second term in 2003.

“Mrs. Hanks is a visionary,” said Claudia Beacom, secretary to the board. “She is a tremendous proponent of the University and never misses an opportunity to campaign for Northwest. She has provided extraordinary leadership, is dedicated to the welfare of all Northwest students and graduates and serves as the strongest of advocates for our alumni and community.”

In addition to her efforts on behalf of Northwest, Hanks has served on the Board of Education for Smithville public schools and is an active volunteer in the Smithville community where she lives with her husband.

A software consultant, Hanks has been employed by the Metropolitan Community Colleges of Kansas City, the Johnson County Community College Business and Industry Institute and the Delphi Battery Plant. She has also done consulting work for Ford Motor Co. and General Motors.

Hayley Hanson

A law partner with Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP in Kansas City, Hanson will be honored with the 2008 Young Alumni Award.

Hanson, who lives in Leawood, Kan., graduated from Northwest in 1997 and joined Husch Blackwell Sanders in 2000. She was named partner in 2006 and specializes in legal issues related to education. As a University student, she was active in the Phi Mu sorority and Sigma Tau Delta, an honor society for students of English. She was also a Freshman Seminar peer adviser, student ambassador and four-year letter winner on the volleyball team.

“Many current and emeriti professors in Northwest’s Department of English speak her name with utmost respect, for they remember her classroom excellence, her sincerity, humor, graciousness, personality, humility, character and, of course, her intelligence,” said Dr. Virgil Albertini, distinguished emeritus professor of English. “We also respected her athletic ability, for she, to be sure, defined the term ‘student-athlete,’ studies first, the arena second.”

Joan Jackson

Jackson, a retired librarian from Redding, Iowa, will be honored with the Alumni Association’s 2008 Turret Service Award.

A 1965 Northwest graduate, Jackson played an integral role in establishing the association’s Southern Iowa Alumni and Friends Chapter, serving as its first president. She is also a member of the Bearcat Booster Club and the national Northwest Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Jackson leads the Kids Against Hunger project at her church and is an active supporter of the Ringgold County Group Home for Mentally Challenged Youth.

George Maher

Maher, chairman of Houghton State Bank in Red Oak, Iowa, will receive the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Award.

After graduating from Northwest in 1958 with a degree in business, Maher went on to become president of Houghton State Bank. During his business and community service career, he also served as president of the Red Oak Jaycees, Red Oak Industrial Foundation and Red Oak Country Club.

Maher spearheaded several successful fundraising efforts in Red Oak and Montgomery County and is a member of the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame and Red Oak High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He also received the Distinguished Service Award from the Iowa Football Coaches Association.

He and his wife, Pat, a 1957 Northwest graduate, have three children and five grandchildren and live in Red Oak.

Dr. Terry Robertson

Professor and chair of Northwest’s Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, Robertson will receive the 2008 Distinguished Faculty Award.

Robertson, who was nominated by Dr. Jeff Ferguson, associate professor of HPERD, joined the Northwest faculty in 1992 and has since received many awards and accolades, including the Scholar of the Year Award from the Missouri Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and the Outstanding Professional Award, which was presented at the 36th annual Midwest Therapeutic Recreation and Adapted Physical Activity Symposium.

His academic accomplishments include approximately 50 articles published by professional journals and periodicals and more than 100 presentations at state, national and international HPERD conferences. Robertson serves as co-editor of the National Therapeutic Recreation Society’s "Therapeutic Recreation Journal."

For more information, please contact:

Mitzi Lutz
Advancement Communications Specialist
Office of University Advancement
Northwest Missouri State University
800 University Dr., Alumni House
Maryville, MO 64468
660.562.1248 (phone)
660.562.1990 (fax)
www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni

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