Month: March 2022

The Marshall University Alumni Association has announced the recipients of two of its top awards ahead of the 83rd Alumni Awards Banquet on April 9.

The Marshall University Southern Coalfields Alumni and Big Green Chapter, located in Beckley, West Virginia, has been named MUAA’s 2022 Chapter of the Year, while the Emerging Chapter of the Year award will be presented to Marshall University’s Eastern Panhandle Alumni and Big Green Chapter based out of Martinsburg, West Virginia, at the annual awards banquet next month.

“Our network of alumni chapters continues to flourish, and we are thrilled to see one of our newer groups rise to the ranks of MUAA Chapter of the Year,” said Kasey Stevens, assistant director of alumni relations at Marshall University. “The Southern Coalfields Chapter conducts numerous events each year and has raised thousands of dollars in scholarship support for students from southern West Virginia. Their passion for supporting the advancement of Marshall University’s goals and objectives is evident in everything they do. The group in the eastern panhandle is off to a strong start thanks to some high-caliber leadership and we have high hopes to see them rise quickly to contest for chapter of the year honors.”

Chapter of the Year is awarded each year to an outstanding alumni chapter for its contributions in membership growth, activities, fundraising and an overall dedication to Marshall University.

This is the first Chapter of the Year award for the Southern Coalfields Alumni and Big Green Chapter, which was established in 2017 when the Beckley Athletic Club (Big Green) contacted area alumni who had expressed interest in re-establishing an alumni chapter in the southern region. The chapter continues to support the area Coaches Tour Golf Outing, which has a long-standing relationship with the Big Green Scholarship Foundation.

Despite many obstacles faced throughout the pandemic, the Southern Coalfields Alumni and Big Green Chapter had its most successful year in terms of fundraising and event participation. In addition, active membership increased by approximately 25 percent.

In July 2021, the Southern Coalfields Alumni and Big Green Chapter presented the Marshall University Foundation with $13,000 and the Big Green Scholarship Foundation with $21,000 for a total of $34,000. The chapter also established the MU Southern Coalfields Scholarship Endowment, pledging $25,000 over five years. By the end of 2021, the chapter had fulfilled more than $10,000 toward this goal.

The chapter’s events in 2021 included the Beckley Big Green Coaches Tour Golf Outing, which hosted 96 golfers and more than 40 businesses in support of the annual event. The chapter also hosted the Thunder in the Alley Bowling Event, which saw 108 bowlers in attendance and grossed $5,900. In conjunction with the Beckley Golf Outing, the chapter hosted the inaugural Mark Walker Golf Ball Drop. This event was to honor Mark Walker, described as a “true Son of Marshall,” who battled a terminal brain tumor. This event would be Walker’s last public outing as he passed two months later. Nearly 1,000 golf balls were dropped on the putting green to raise $1,800 for the Southern Coalfields Scholarship Endowment.

The Southern Coalfields Alumni and Big Green Chapter is led by Tim Cyrus as president, Doug Leeber as past president, Miranda Arvon as first vice president, Amanda Ashley as second vice president, Larry Foster as treasurer and Kim Arden as secretary.

Members of the Eastern Panhandle Alumni & Big Green Chapter
Emerging Chapter of the Year is awarded to an up-and-coming alumni chapters for its efforts toward fundraising, membership growth, activities and dedication to Marshall University. Due to the pandemic, the award was not given in 2020 or 2021, meaning the Eastern Panhandle Chapter is the second chapter to receive this award.

The Eastern Panhandle Chapter was established in April 2021. The idea for the chapter came from conversations between Adam Stewart and Tim Pownell, two Marshall graduates who work together at United Bank in Martinsburg and Charles Town in West Virginia. Stewart is the chapter’s president with Pownell serving as vice president.

The Eastern Panhandle is one of the fastest growing areas in West Virginia. Members of the Eastern Panhandle Chapter aim to recruit high school students to attend Marshall, with plans to work with guidance counselors at area high schools. In addition to recruitment, the Eastern Panhandle Chapter wants to eventually create scholarships for Eastern Panhandle students.

The chapter has seven members on its board of directors, and close to 20 additional members. In the year since its formation, the chapter has hosted a handful of tailgates and game-watching events with numerous attendees at each.

For more information about the Alumni Awards Banquet visit www.herdalum.com.

The Marshall University Foundation, Inc. is thrilled to announce that OVP HEALTH has pledged a gift of $100,000 in support of the new Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation facility at Marshall University.

The facility is slated to be built in the 1400 block of Fourth Avenue and is scheduled to open in January of 2024.

OVP HEALTH, a Huntington, West Virginia, based company with an extensive range of primary care and addiction treatment facilities in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia, led by president and co-founder Robert A. Hess, MD, FAAFP, is excited to partner with Marshall University in support of the state-of-the-art facility that will bring new economic development and world class students to the region.

“More than ever before, the economic health, viability and future of Huntington, West Virginia, are tied to Marshall University and its ability to prepare students to meet the growing demands of an ever-changing world,” said Hess.

Dr. Hess, an accomplished health care professional, earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Marshall University in 1980. After graduating from the Marshall University School of Medicine in 1984, Dr. Hess found success with Huntington Internal Medicine Group (HIMG), eventually becoming president of the large physician practice.

In 1999, Dr. Hess partnered with the late Stephen C. Shy, DO, to establish Ohio Valley Physicians, now known as OVP HEALTH.  For the past 23 years, he has been instrumental in leading the tremendous growth and success of the company, which now employs nearly 500 people.

Outside of his primary responsibilities as president and corporate medical director of OVP HEALTH, Dr. Hess dedicates himself to supporting Marshall University, including the establishment of a diversity internship program with its Lewis College of Business to provide opportunities for master’s degree students of color, working in health care administration.

With the establishment of the new business center, Dr. Hess is excited to continue his longstanding relationship with Marshall.

“As a growing, Huntington-based company with operations in five states, OVP HEALTH is delighted to support the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation,” Dr. Hess said. “It will not only provide students with the state-of-the-art learning environment needed to acquire that preparation but will also help to build a pipeline that will supply local, regional and national companies with a reliable stream of world-class employees and business leaders. And for the city and community of Huntington, that can only help to ensure a brighter, stronger and healthier future.”

The Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation will serve as a hub for the economic development of the region, as well providing Marshall University students with cutting-edge instructional facilities. The facility also features a unique design that provides flexibility for a changing academic environment and classrooms that encourage active learning of various types.

Marshall University hopes to attract new students to the region eager to take advantage of one of the most innovative business schools in the country.

To learn more about OVP HEALTH visit www.ovphealth.com. For more information about the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation and the Brad D. Smith Schools of Business, visit www.marshall.edu/cob.

The Marshall University Foundation has announced that Steel Dynamics, Inc. (Foundation) has pledged a gift of $100,000 in support of the new Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation facility at Marshall University.

The state-of-the-art facility is slated to be built in the 1400 block of Fourth Avenue on a plot of land that formerly housed The Flats on 4th apartment complex. The building is scheduled to open in January of 2024.

The building, which will also serve as a center for the economic development of the region, will provide for conference facilities capable of hosting both small and large business gatherings. Additionally, the building will serve as the hub for student-centric activities, providing students not only with instructional facilities but also facilities encouraging interaction and collaboration.

“The Lewis College of Business at Marshall University has graduated many of our current employees and has proven to be an excellent education provider to the region. Investments in new facilities and equipment will keep those graduates up to date with the ever-changing business world,” said Chuck Abbott, vice president and general manager at Steel of West Virginia. “We believe a better-educated workforce creates a stronger economy with higher living standards and more opportunities for everyone to benefit from it, including those less fortunate.”

A game changer for the region, the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation will implement the latest in technological enhancements while maintaining an open architecture capable of expanding and being reconfigured based upon changes and demands in the environment. Additionally, the facility will incorporate classrooms that encourage active learning environments of various types.

The facility will help attract new students to Marshall University eager to take advantage of one of the most innovative business schools in the country. In turn, Abbott looks forward to what that means for the entire region both in terms of economic impact and a highly adaptable and skilled workforce.

“Our region will be positively impacted with the latest educational initiatives,” Abbott said. “This will allow our families and their children to get a great, cost-effective education preparing them for successful careers. The new facility will also attract world class faculty and students. Business in the region will also be able to greatly improve with these better prepared graduates.”

Founded in 1993, Steel Dynamics, Inc. is one of the largest and youngest domestic steel producers and metals recyclers in the United States based on estimated annual steelmaking and metals recycling capability. With annual revenues of $18.4 billion in 2021, SDI has over 10,000 employees and manufacturing facilities primarily located throughout the United States. SDI quickly grew to become one of the premier carbon steel producers in the United States. Steel Dynamics’ growth is a combination of organic capacity greenfield additions and strategic acquisitions.

Steel Dynamics’ operations consist of seven mills, one of which is Steel of West Virginia, producing steel from steel scrap using electric arc furnaces, continuous casting, automated rolling mills and downstream finishing facilities.

The company was recently recognized as the 2021 Steel Producer of the Year by Fastmarkets Global Awards for Steel Excellence and was the only steel producer out of 236 USA employers named one of the World’s Best Employers in 2021 by Forbes. Steel Dynamics was also named by Investor’s Business Daily as one of the 100 Best Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Companies of 2021. SDI is the only USA steel producer given this designation and one of only three steel producers globally.

Steel Dynamics has been a regular supporter of Marshall University through the years, previously donating to the computer lab in the Lewis College of Business and supporting other projects on campus. Abbott said that, as both a Marshall graduate and a proud member of the Steel Dynamics family, he is thrilled to help facilitate change in the region by supporting Marshall University and its growing campus.

“We are thankful for the SDI Foundation to be able to help the new business college in its funding for the new Brad D. Smith Business and Innovation Center building,” Abbott said. “It is fantastic to be able to help Marshall University continue to move forward by giving back to a school that has provided Steel of West Virginia outstanding employees for decades.”

Marshall University and the Marshall University Alumni Association (MUAA) are set to host the 83rd annual Alumni Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 9, beginning at 6 p.m. with a reception followed by dinner and awards at 7 p.m. at the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall.

The Marshall University Alumni Awards Banquet recognizes outstanding alumni, university supporters and students during an evening of celebration and reverence of the great things being accomplished by the Marshall University alumni community. The event, postponed for the past two years due to the pandemic, will feature awardees who were originally slated to be honored in 2020.

Highlighting the list of more than a dozen honorees at the 2022 awards banquet are Brad and Alys Smith. Brad D. Smith has been selected as the recipient of the Marshall University Distinguished Alumnus award while Alys Smith has been selected as the recipient of the Distinguished Service to Marshall University award, two of Marshall’s highest honors. William Joseph Kehoe and Cathy Burns have been selected as co-recipients of the Outstanding Community Achievement award, and Jeff McKay will receive the Distinguished Young Alumnus award.

Other awards scheduled for the evening will include the MUAA Chapter of the Year, this year being awarded to the Southern Coalfields Alumni and Big Green Chapter located in Beckley, West Virginia, along with the MUAA Emerging Chapter of the Year going to the Eastern Panhandle Alumni and Big Green Chapter based out of Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Individual Awards of Distinction will also be presented during the event to honorees from each of Marshall’s schools and colleges. This year’s Awards of Distinction will go to Robert A. Hess (School of Medicine), Daniel Collins III (School of Pharmacy), Lee Ann Brammer (College of Health Professions), Bruce Felder (College of Business), Brandon McCoy (College of Arts and Media), Barbara Guyer (College of Education and Professional Development), David Casto (College of Engineering and Computer Science), Steve Beckelhimer (College of Science) and Kathryn Gutzwiller (College of Liberal Arts).

“We are so excited to once again be able to host this wonderful event and showcase the amazing alumni, faculty, staff, students and supporters of Marshall University,” said Larry Crum, senior director of communications at the Marshall University Foundation, Inc. “This year we have the unique opportunity to recognize many of the awardees that were selected to receive awards in 2020, as well as some new honorees selected earlier this year. This is also the first year we will be hosting this event in Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall which home to the Erickson Alumni Center, a fitting backdrop for this event. We can’t wait to roll out the green carpet for our awardees on April 9.”

Born in Huntington, West Virginia, and growing up in nearby Kenova, Brad D. Smith graduated from Marshall University in 1986 with a degree in business administration and an emphasis in marketing. After serving in various sales, marketing and general management positions, Smith joined Intuit in February of 2003 as vice president and general manager of Intuit’s Accountant Central and Development Network in Plano, Texas. He led the company’s Consumer Tax Group in San Diego from March 2004 through May 2005 before being appointed to senior vice president and general manager of Intuit’s Small Business Division in May 2006. Smith became Intuit’s president and chief executive officer in January 2008 until stepping down as CEO at the end of 2018.

During Smith’s tenure as CEO, Intuit experienced significant growth, while consistently being recognized as one of the world’s best places to work. Smith ranked among the top executives in the United States by Fortune, coming in at No. 6 on their list of top CEOs. Originally slated to be honored in 2020, Smith has since gone on to be named Marshall University’s 38th president in January of this year.

Alys Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from The Ohio State University and then graduated with a law degree from the University of Akron School of Law. Together Brad and Alys Smith have helped change the landscape at Marshall University in profound ways.

In November 2018, the Smiths made a transformational $25 million gift to Marshall’s Lewis College of Business. In recognition of his generosity, the college named its undergraduate and graduate schools for him. Previously, the Smiths established the Brad D. and Alys Smith Family Scholarship at Marshall for West Virginia and Ohio students, with preference for first-generation college students. Their past support was recognized by the university foundation’s board of directors in 2015, when the foundation board named its building the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall.

The Smiths have been intimately involved in numerous Marshall projects over the years, including 2017’s Innovating for Impact Challenge, which featured Intuit leaders visiting Huntington to help the university’s students create business plans. The program culminated in a competition judged by Smith, actress and West Virginia native Jennifer Garner, and former Marshall and NFL quarterback Chad Pennington.

In other categories, William Joseph Kehoe and Cathy Burns are the co-recipients of the Outstanding Community Achievement Award.

Kehoe is the William F. O’Dell Professor Emeritus of Commerce at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is also a Faculty Fellow of the Jefferson Scholars Foundation at the University of Virginia. He was a faculty member at the Marshall University College of Business from 1971-73 and received an M.A. in Economics from Marshall in 1973. Kehoe’s many years of community achievement were recognized by the Charlottesville community in awarding him as Citizen of the Year by the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce in 2016 for his more than two decades of community leadership and initiatives. Kehoe’s years of community service stretch across local, state, national and academic community levels.

Burns is the Executive Director of the Huntington Municipal Development Authority. She was the first female CEO of the Huntington Chamber of Commerce and is the former City Manager of Huntington, holding membership on multiple state and national boards. Burns has been a champion for Huntington’s growth and prosperity throughout her career, being involved in multiple economic and job development projects. She has been honored with multiple awards and recognitions, including the The Herald-Dispatch’s Business Person of the Year and WV Executive Magazine’s 2019 Wonder Woman award. Burns graduated from Marshall in 1983 with a B.S. in Criminal Justice.

Jeff McKay will serve as this year’s recipient of the Distinguished Young Alumnus Award. McKay, a two-time graduate of Marshall with a B.A. in Sociology in 2009 and an M.A. in Sociology in 2012, has changed the beer culture of Huntington. McKay founded Huntington’s first craft beer bar and helped found Huntington’s Rails and Ales Festival and the Wild and Wonderful Winter Beer Fest. He lobbied state leaders to change beer laws for the better, bringing additional business to the Mountain State.

Other honorees at the annual alumni awards banquet include Makena Rauch (Cam Henderson Scholarship), Charity Hightower (Nate Ruffin Scholarship), Joelle Williams (Janis Winkfield Scholarship), Hannah Dorsey (Nancy Pelphrey/Herd Village Scholarship) and Miranda Pate (Nancy Pelphrey/Herd Village Scholarship).

For more information visit www.herdalum.com.

CLICK HERE to view the full list of this year’s awardees.