Distinguished Service Awards ready to shine

Eight all-star alumni—including CBS “Early Show” host Rene Syler, tennis coach Bill Campbell and Health and Human Services Dean Marilyn Hopkins—will be honored at the annual Distinguished Service Awards on April 6 at the Alumni Center. The event is a highlight of April’s Alumni Month festivities, which celebrate the University’s alumni.

Reservations for the Distinguished Service Awards can be made by calling 278-6295.

The honorees are:

Lifetime Achievement Award:

William Campbell III (’67, Accountancy and ’70, M.B.A.) Co-owner Spare Time, Inc., and Coach, Sac State Hornets Women’s Tennis Team. Campbell is a generous benefactor to Sac State, not only monetarily but in time. Campbell took over as tennis coach in 1999—he donates his services to the program—and led the team to four straight Big Sky Championships, receiving Coach of the Year honors each time. He has served as executive director and president of the original Stinger Foundation and is on the re-established Stinger Advisory Board. He has also served on the College of Business Administration and Accountancy Department advisory boards and is a member of the President Gonzalez’ Executive Committee for the Recreation, Wellness, Events Center and Stadium project. He was named Alumnus of the Year by the College of Business Administration and received Order of the Hornet and Distinguished Service awards in 1988. He has also served on many local non-profits boards and has received numerous civic honors including Businessman of the Year by the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce in 1988, the Regional Pride Award for Business Development from Sacramento Magazine in 1991, and Philanthropist of the Year by the National Society of Fund Raising Executives in 1992.

Distinguished Service Awards:

Jack Bertolucci, (‘50, Business Administration). For 27 years, Bertolucci was vice president and regional manager of Norris, Beggs and Simpson, a West Coast mortgage banking and company that was instrumental in financing several large Sacramento business projects. He has served as president of the Sacramento Mortgage Bankers’ Association and the North Area Junior Chamber of Commerce. His contributions to Sac State are many. Bertolucci was the second president of the Alumni Association and was instrumental in getting Alumni Grove built. He is a member of the President’s Circle. He has also established two scholarships for student athletes studying business administration—one for a baseball player and one for a soccer player.

Patrick P. Fenwick, (‘61 Recreation Administration, ‘71 Physical Education) District Administrator for Arden Park Recreation and Park District. Fenwick has been with the Arden Park District since 1992, overseeing the renovation of several district facilities and developing the district's first master plan. Before that he spent 12 years as assistant director of the Washoe County Parks and Recreation District in Reno. He serves on numerous boards and committees and has received several professional awards. Fenwick has served the University on a variety of project committees and in leadership positions. He has been president and served on the board of the Recreation, Park and Leisure Studies Chapter of the Alumni Association and organized the department’s 40-year reunion.

Jack Higdon, (‘52, Accountancy) Chairman of the Board of California Moving Systems. Higdon is a long-time supporter of the University and the Alumni Association. He served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors for nearly 10 years. He has also been a strong supporter of the University’s athletics programs. At events he is known for doing whatever he can to get the job done, from setting up chairs to firing-up the barbecue. Higdon founded California Moving Systems in 1967 and it is now run by two of his sons, both Sac State grads. He is active in the Rotary Club of Sacramento and other community organizations such as SACTO, the YMCA and the American Heart Association.

Theresa “Terri” A. Parker, (‘76, Economics) Executive Director of the California Housing Finance Agency. Parker has a long career in state service. Under her direction, CalHFA lending to first-time homebuyers has increased 20 percent. Before her appointment to CalHFA in 1997, she was chief deputy director for policy at the Department of Finance. Previously she served as undersecretary of the Health and Welfare Agency and in the Finance Department’s Health/Welfare and Environment office. Parker also serves on several state boards and has been awarded numerous citations including the 2003 Distinguished Public Official by the Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California.

Randall E. Reynoso, (’80, Finance) President and COO of Placer Sierra/Sacramento Commercial Bank. Reynoso has been an active supporter of non-profit organizations in the Sacramento area for more than 22 years, raising more than $1 million, mostly to benefit underprivileged children. He has been a board member and board president for the Stanford Home for Children Foundation, launching its Celebrity Concerts fundraisers. He has also helped raise funds for the American Red Cross, the Nonprofit Resource Center, the Sacramento Children’s Home, and the American Leadership Forum. He has been awarded the Annual Award of Excellence from the Center for AIDS Research Education and Services (CARES) and the Unsung Hero Award from the Community Services Council.

Rene Syler (‘87, Psychology), Co-anchor, CBS News’ “The Early Show.” Prior landing her “Early Show” assignment in 2002, Syler held reporter and anchor positions in Reno, Birmingham, Ala., and Dallas. She has interviewed Laura Bush, Collin Powell and Sen. John McCain. In 2004 she earned a Gracie Award for Individual Achievement in the National Best Anchor category for her series on breast cancer awareness and prevention. And she works with the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. She is also active in the National Association of Black Journalists and was named Television Personality of the Year in 1997 by the American Women in Radio and Television.

Distinguished Faculty Award:

Marilyn Hopkins, (’70, Nursing) Dean of the College of Health and Human Services. Hopkins oversees one of the University’s largest Colleges. She has more than 20 years teaching experience in higher education after beginning her career as a registered nurse in critical care settings. In addition to leading the College’s academic efforts, she has helped it obtain funds for nationally recognized professional learning opportunities for the University’s students, and for community interventions with high-risk children, youth and families. She was awarded the Bautzer Faculty University Advancement Award from the California State University system in 2003 for achievements in fundraising. She serves on the board of the Community Services Planning Council and been invited to participate in several leadership institutes.