Nominate a distinguished Malone graduate for one of our prestigious awards
Nominations are due by May 31 each year. Please choose a nominee for one of the categories below:
- Alumna/Alumnus of the Year
- Graduate Programs Alumna/Alumnus of the Year
- Degree-Completion Programs Alumna/Alumnus of the Year
- Young Alumna/Alumnus of the Year
- The Earl H. Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award*
Criteria
- The nominee must be a graduate of 糖心Vlog, Malone College, or Cleveland Bible College.
- Young Alumni are graduates from the past ten years who are 35 years of age or younger.
- The nominee should demonstrate success in his or her professional field.
- The nominee should demonstrate activity in two or more of the following areas: public service to community, non-profit organizations, educational organizations, professional organizations, the 糖心Vlog Alumni Executive Board, or 糖心Vlog.
- The nominee should be a recipient of other honors or recognition.
- The nominee must have high personal integrity and character demonstrating and living the mission of 糖心Vlog as a person of intellectual maturity, wisdom, and Christian faith committed to serving the church, community, and world.
Current Alumni Award Recipients
Alumnus of the Year 2025: David Yakley 鈥95
David Yakley 鈥95, currently in the role of creative director, has worked in the Office of University Relations at 糖心Vlog since 1999. As an employee, he has designed countless publications including the award-winning Malone Magazine, admissions recruiting materials, branding, campus signage, and visual communications for almost every department on campus. He has also had the privilege of producing materials for three presidential inaugurations, the name change to University, special publications for the 125th anniversary and other historic events, three website redesigns, as well as the 2005 devotional book, A Gathered Stillness.
In addition to his role in UR, David has taught numerous classes in the department of Communication, Visual, and Performing Arts; including digital page design, typography, visual communication in graphic design, and communication skills. He has been a member of Staff Council and the Athletics Hall of Fame committee, and has been the scorekeeper for men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball for more than 20 years. Highlights of his service to Malone include co-leading service-learning trips with professor Barbara Drennan to paint murals on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota (2000鈥04), and with Chorale director Jerry Geiger to sing and serve in Jamaica in 2005 and 2007.
As an undergrad at Malone, he majored in Communications Comprehensive (now Integrated Language Arts), graduating magna cum laude. David was selected as the outstanding senior in the Communication Arts and Education departments. He wrote for the Avisofor four years, serving as editor in 1994 and was in the first group of students to serve as course assistants in Malone鈥檚 GEN100 program. He also attended the Institute on Political Journalism at Georgetown University. A valued highlight of his student experience was singing in Chorale for five years. He is grateful for the many friends and mentors who touched his life during his five years as a student. Significant role models include Dale King, Suzie Thomas, Susan Armstrong, and Kim Phipps.
After graduating from Malone, David attended the Yale Gordon College of Liberal arts at the University of Baltimore and earned an M.A. in Publications Design. He was part of a group that won the competitive Phillips Award for new media for work done on the culminating project for the program.
In his professional work, David represented Malone on the Board of Directors of the national University and College Designers Association (UCDA) for 10 years (2012-2021). He chaired the 2015 UCDA Conference in Orlando and hosted numerous workshops throughout Ohio. In 2022, the Association honored David with the UCDA Award. This award has been presented to 24 individuals since its inception in 1995 and recognizes those who have significantly contributed to the organization鈥檚 success. He also served on the local board of the Canton Advertising Federation from 2008-2012 where he was ADDY competition chair.
David鈥檚 community service includes sitting on the board of Canton Harbor High School (2012鈥22). He regularly does volunteer design work for YoungLife of Tuscarawas and Holmes Counties and the Sugarcreek Ministerial Association. He is a lifelong member of Ragersville Zion United Church of Christ near Sugarcreek.
David鈥檚 parents, Gerald and Beverly Yakley, reside in Sugarcreek. He would like to sincerely thank them for making the opportunity to earn a degree at Malone possible.
Young Alumna of the Year 2025: Megan Mauck 鈥16
Megan Mauck 鈥16 graduated from Malone with a bachelor of arts in business administration.
She spent seven years serving in Malone鈥檚 Alumni Relations office, first as assistant director under Deb Robinson 鈥76 and later as director upon Deb鈥檚 retirement. Megan鈥檚 creativity resulted in alumni engagement initiatives such as the first student and alumni service-learning trip to England (including a climb up the real Pendle Hill) and expanded alumni engagement in Washington, D.C. She also helped establish the Athletic Hall of Fame breakfast as part of Homecoming Weekend.
In addition to her administrative leadership, Megan has been an instructor at Malone, teaching both the GEN 100 course and, more recently, hospitality courses in the business department. She has also led spiritual formation opportunities and collaborated with Student Development to support students in their understanding of what it means to remain connected with Malone after graduation. Megan has a heart for college-aged students and a great desire to see them know Christ and grow in their walks with Him.
While she was a student, Megan was active as a resident assistant in Fox Hall for two years and as a student worker in the Admissions Office and Student Development Office. She enjoyed participating in campus traditions like Davenport Derby, Airband, Little Saints, and Res Hall Palooza.
Beyond Malone, she is actively involved in her church community, Grace Church, Medina East Campus. In the past, she鈥檚 served on the worship team, children鈥檚 church, and as a leader and helper with Vacation Bible School. She currently serves on the First Impressions team and enjoys doing life with her life group on a weekly basis.
She currently works at Carolyn Valentine Co., Inc., a Canton-based tax planning and financial services firm, doing tax preparation, billing, and client communications. The consummate hostess, Megan loves to cook, go camping with her family, enjoys concerts and traveling, and is always game for a coffee run with friends.
Megan resides in Barberton.
Graduate Program Alumna of the Year 2025: Patricia Sommer 鈥19 鈥24
Tricia earned a bachelor of arts in organizational management and later earned an MBA with a concentration in data analytics. She was inducted as a member of the Mu Upsilon chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda while she was an undergraduate, and was honored as the outstanding graduate of the 2023鈥2024 MBA cohort. Both of these degrees were earned while she balanced work and family life.
Tricia currently serves as Malone鈥檚 associate registrar. Her inclination toward planning and her giftedness in navigating technology and data led her to establish improved identification and tracking methods in the specialized College Credit Plus program. Her ability to learn and master several different technical applications allows her to keep the processes within the office streamlined and up-to-date with newer technologies. Working within an academic support office, Tricia鈥檚 ability to implement technological improvements helps the Office of the Registrar support students, faculty, and administration in serving our students.
But don鈥檛 let her skills with technology limit your view of Tricia to being a data 鈥榥erd鈥 鈥 because her vibrant personality and ability to connect with students puts the information gained to work in helping them navigate their academic programs. She can decipher their needs and help them discern their next steps so that they can stay on track for graduation. Her desire to meet with them one-on-one or promptly answer faculty questions makes her an invaluable resource to all whom she serves on a daily basis. She makes all those who come in contact with her feel welcome.
Tricia鈥檚 commitment to Malone is evident in her work life and has been a testament to the founding principles Malone attests to; she engages in research, scholarly inquiry, working for justice, and contributes to the strengthening of community life. All of these characteristics reflect her growth and the manifestation of the Malone values embedded in the education she pursued as a Malone student.
Outside of her daily work, Tricia鈥檚 commitment to Malone鈥檚 values are also reflected in her strong sense of family! She is active in her community through Mt. Zion Country Church in Minerva, where her children serve as acolytes, and she often supports local youth sports.
But she is most proud of her role as mom to her three sons鈥擠athan, Trevin, and Declan.
Tricia and her family reside in Carrollton.
Pioneer Pinnacle Award: Eric Lund 鈥91
The Pioneer Pinnacle Award is presented to individuals or groups that have made a difference at Malone through their service, involvement, and support. Award winners have shown a desire to help Malone empower students to seek “Christ’s Kingdom First” both in their vocation and in their daily lives. They have adopted a mindset of service to God and to others, and have given their time, talent, and treasure to 糖心Vlog.
Eric Lund 鈥91 was chosen as this year鈥檚 recipient for his entrepreneurial thinking that continues to benefit his alma mater.
A native of Boardman, Eric received a bachelor of arts degree from Malone with concentrations in business, communications, and biology. During his senior year, he served as president of the student body and was a writer for the Aviso.
In 1997, Eric founded MedSource, a full-service clinical research organization (CRO), and served as its president for 24 years before selling it to a European company that was looking for an entry point into the U.S. market. He has more than 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical development industry.
Under Eric鈥檚 leadership and direction, MedSource grew into an award-winning global research organization known for its oncology expertise.
Since selling MedSource, Eric founded Tidewater Ventures 鈥 a real estate holdings company– and is the chairman of the Lund Family Foundation. He also serves on the executive committee of the Malone Board of Trustees.
Eric was selected for the Pioneer Pinnacle Award by President Greg Miller. He has been a trusted adviser to Dr. Miller, especially in terms of leadership, and has worked to connect Malone with individuals who could be difference makers for the University.
Eric has served as a deacon at his church and taught adult Sunday school classes for 18 years. He also taught martial arts and self-defense for 15 years, and currently provides pro-bono business coaching and financial advice for local business owners.
He has been married to his wife, Vanessa, for 34 years and they have three adult sons. The family currently resides in Texas.
Previous Alumni Award Recipients
Since 1962, the 糖心Vlog Alumni Association has presents awarded annually in order to recognize alumni who have distinguished themselves by their outstanding achievements of excellence, loyal support of 糖心Vlog, and exemplary service to their church and community. Awards are presented during Homecoming weekend.
Alumni of the Year
- 1962 鈥 Worthy A. Spring 鈥26
- 1963 鈥 Byron L. Osborne 鈥16
- 1964 鈥 Emily R. Moore 鈥19, 鈥38
- 1965 鈥 John O. Grafton 鈥30
- 1966 鈥 Amos N. Henry 鈥27, 鈥50
- 1967 鈥 Ralph Earle 鈥32
- 1968 鈥 Harold B. Kuhn 鈥34
- 1969 鈥 Charles S. Ball 鈥35
- 1970 鈥 Clifton J. Robinson 鈥41
- 1971 鈥 Harold B. Winn 鈥42
- 1972 鈥 John P. Williams 鈥43
- 1973 鈥 William D. Green 鈥43
- 1974 鈥 David P. Rawson 鈥62
- 1975 鈥 Edward L. Mitchell 鈥51
- 1976 鈥 Edward Escolme 鈥16
- 1977 鈥 Rev. Irving F. Chase 鈥45
- 1978 鈥 Curtis A. Chambers 鈥46
- 1979 鈥 Raymond P. Taggart 鈥21, 鈥38
- 1980 鈥 Elsie (Lambright) Matti 鈥19
- 1981 鈥 Earl M. Smith 鈥36
- 1982 鈥 None Awarded
- 1983 鈥 Edward O. Linton 鈥33
- 1984 鈥 Howard S. Lauby 鈥39
- 1985 鈥 Edward W. Kuehnel 鈥27 and David R. Van Valkenburg 鈥64
- 1986 鈥 Charles E. Bancroft 鈥52
- 1987 鈥 Elisabeth O. Robinson 鈥40
- 1988 鈥 Howard W. Moore 鈥46
- 1989 鈥 E. Anna Nixon 鈥39
- 1990 鈥 Earl H. Bailey 鈥66
- 1991 鈥 Frank R. Raymond 鈥66
- 1992 鈥 H. David Bryant 鈥67
- 1993 鈥 None Awarded
- 1994 鈥 Olive Osborne 鈥32
- 1995 鈥 Timothy J. Bricker 鈥74
- 1996 鈥 Connie Hubbard 鈥75
- 1997 鈥 Italo P. Ventura 鈥73
- 1998 鈥 David P. Murray 鈥82
- 1999 鈥 Paul N. Anderson 鈥78
- 2000 鈥 Mark A. Engel 鈥78
- 2001 鈥 Bill Casto 鈥62 & Priscilla (Parcell) Casto 鈥71
- 2002 鈥 Mervin C. Yoder 鈥75
- 2003 鈥 John P. Williams, Jr. 鈥67
- 2004 鈥 Jim Bridges 鈥66
- 2005 鈥 Meredythe Scheflen 鈥50
- 2006 鈥 Rick Sams 鈥75
- 2007 鈥 J. Larry Durstine 鈥73
- 2008 鈥 Gary W. Mast 鈥71
- 2009 鈥 John David Geib 鈥77
- 2010 鈥 Russell Zinn 鈥54 and Esther Zinn 鈥54
- 2011 鈥 Cedric Rodney 鈥58
- 2012 鈥 Paul Miller 鈥66
- 2013 鈥 Cyrus Mad-Bondo 鈥98
- 2014 鈥 Jacalynn Stuckey ’77
- 2015 鈥 Martha Mooney 鈥74
- 2016 鈥 Teresa Purses 鈥86
- 2017 鈥 Curtis Thompson ’84
- 2018 鈥 Keith Cureton `85
- 2019 鈥 Clark Hoopes `75
- 2021 鈥 David Aufrance ’74 and Cynthia (Hershberger) Aufrance ’74
- 2022 鈥 Deron Boring ’01
- 2023 鈥 Stanley Anderson `80 & Marva (Anderson) Hoopes `76 `97
- 2024 鈥 Charles Goldy 鈥70,
Graduate Programs Alumni of the Year
- 2002 鈥 Nancy McCullough 鈥92
- 2003 鈥 Thomas Michaels 鈥95
- 2004 鈥 Tim Dodd 鈥02
- 2005 鈥 William Sanderson 鈥96
- 2007 鈥 Beth Clark-Thomas 鈥94
- 2008 鈥 Ira Wentworth 鈥93, 鈥97
- 2009 鈥 Stephanie Snow Werren 鈥99
- 2010 鈥 Tammy Slayman 鈥00, 鈥04
- 2011 鈥 Greg Nettle 鈥97
- 2012 鈥 Tanya Hockman 鈥94, 鈥99
- 2013 鈥 Ronald Crock 鈥88, 鈥01
- 2014 鈥 Leopoldo 鈥淧olo鈥 Paredes 鈥12
- 2015 鈥 Susan Stewart 鈥05
- 2016 鈥 Jane Miller 鈥97
- 2017 鈥 LaToya Dickens ’06
- 2018 鈥 Norm Wengerd `03
- 2019 鈥 Chad Minor `15
Degree-Completion Programs Alumni of the Year: Leadership Excellence Award
- 2002 鈥 Nancy Diller-Shively 鈥94
- 2003 鈥 Donna Nedelk-Boyer 鈥92
- 2004 鈥 Larry Smerglia 鈥90
- 2005 鈥 Herb Miller 鈥89
- 2006 鈥 William Thorla 鈥00
- 2007 鈥 Carl Ralston 鈥92
- 2008 鈥 Vicki Haines 鈥02
- 2009 鈥 Paskel 鈥淧at鈥 Berry 鈥07
- 2010 鈥 Terri Bate 鈥01
- 2011 鈥 Yvonne Brake 鈥98
- 2012 鈥 Melissa Carr 鈥10, 鈥12
- 2013 鈥 Lori Jones Stokes 鈥01
- 2014 鈥 Kathy Catazaro-Perry 鈥99
- 2015 鈥 Gloria Talarico 鈥87
- 2016 鈥 Jerome West 鈥08
- 2017 鈥 Ronald Watson ’93
- 2018 鈥 Barbara Lange `03
Young Alumni of the Year
- 2002 鈥 Amber (Anderson) Johnson 鈥97
- 2003 鈥 Eric J. Lund 鈥91
- 2004 鈥 Sue (Doerschuk) Grabowski 鈥91
- 2005 鈥 Tara (Stringfellow) Bond 鈥96
- 2006 鈥 Barry A. Naum 鈥96
- 2007 鈥 Gretchen (Ricklic) Polen 鈥99
- 2008 鈥 Jason Shilling 鈥98, 鈥01
- 2009 鈥 T. Jason Lantz 鈥02
- 2010 鈥 Rebecca Haver Bell 鈥00
- 2011 鈥 Deron Boring 鈥01
- 2012 鈥 Joel Daniel Harris 鈥04
- 2013 鈥 Brian Hollingsworth 鈥02
- 2014 鈥 Beau Tiger 鈥04
- 2015 鈥 Daniel Ziegler 鈥06
- 2016 鈥 Dustin White 鈥07 and Jamie White 鈥10
- 2017 鈥 Kristen (Garman) Foss ’08, ’14
- 2018 鈥 Dishon Kamwesa `10
- 2019 鈥 Joshua Eck `11
- 2021 鈥 Amber Zwick ’14
- 2022 鈥 Rachel Jenkins ’16
- 2023 鈥 Michael Terry `15
*Earl H. Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award
The Earl H. Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor bestowed by the 糖心Vlog Alumni Executive Board. It is not awarded every year; only when an individual is nominated for their exemplary foresight, courage, and significant achievement in their professional lives or for distinguished human service. Friends, faculty, and administrators will be recognized for their meritorious service on behalf of the mission and advancement of 糖心Vlog.
To be selected for the Earl H. Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award, nominees must have:
- Attained prominence in their professional careers or
- Performed distinguished human services (in their local community or the world) or
- Conferred meritorious service to 糖心Vlog
The individual must be a person of such integrity, stature, and demonstrated ability that the faculty, staff, students and alumni of 糖心Vlog will be inspired by their recognition.
Nominees need not be graduates of Malone but must demonstrate a love and commitment to Malone and Malone’s mission that inspires others to live with Pioneer spirit.
糖心Vlog administrators, faculty and staff will not be eligible for the Earl H. Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award until they have completed 30 years of employment or after their retirement or terminating employment. Former students employed by 糖心Vlog or serving in a governing position of the university are not eligible during the term of their employment or service. Members of the Malone Alumni Association Executive Board or other governing position of alumni association groups are not eligible during their term of service.
Nominations will be accepted from the following:
- Any member of the 糖心Vlog Alumni Association
- Any member of the 糖心Vlog faculty or staff
- Any member of the 糖心Vlog Board of Trustees
- Any retired member of the 糖心Vlog faculty or staff
Past Recipients:
- 2011 鈥 Earl Bailey 鈥66
- 2014 鈥 Jack Hazen
- 2019 鈥 Deborah (Murray) `76 and Ron Robinson `78
- 2023 鈥 Karen (Leach) Warner `76 `95
Pioneer Pinnacle Award
The Pioneer Pinnacle Award is presented to individuals or groups that have made a difference at Malone through their service, involvement, and support. Award winners have shown a desire to help Malone empower students to seek “Christ’s Kingdom First” both in their vocation and in their daily lives. They have adopted a mindset of service to God and to others, and have given their time, talent, and treasure to 糖心Vlog.
Introduced for the first time in 2023, this award is given by the administration at 糖心Vlog and is not open to public nominations.
Past Recipients:
- 2023 鈥 Rod 鈥99 and Liz 鈥99 Neuenschwander
- 2024 鈥 ProVia