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Distinguished Alumni Awards
About the Awards
Each year since 1972, the Sacramento State Alumni Association honors accomplished alumni and friends through the Distinguished Alumni Awards (DAA).
The Distinguished Service Award are given in recognition of professional achievements and community service. Nominees must have achieved prominence in their chosen field and brought distinction to the University and/or their community through their accomplishments.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to alumni for exceptional career achievements, exceptional contributions to the campus and community, and for setting high standards of excellence in their personal and professional lives.
Honorary Alumni Awards are given to friends of the University who have demonstrated a close affinity to the campus and who have rendered exceptional support and leadership to the University or Association.
The Rising Star Award is given to a recent graduate of Sacramento State who has made outstanding contributions professionally, to the community or to Sacramento State.
2020 Sponsorships
If you are interested in future opportunities, please contact Kelly Siefkin at siefkin@csus.edu or (916) 278-5096.
Thank you to our 2020 sponsors!
SMUD | River City Bank | VSP | Sacramento State College of Continuing Education | SAFE Credit Union | Brown Construction Inc. | Girl Scouts Heart of Central California
Nominations
Nominations for the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Awards are now being accepted. The deadline to submit is Monday, April 19, at 5:00 p.m. Please contact Jennifer Barber at jbarber@csus.edu with any questions.
NOTE: Current Alumni Association Board Directors, Chapter Leaders or others in key Association leadership positions are not eligible for consideration during their active term.
2020 Honorees
Distinguished Service Award
- Preet Didbal '98 (Physical Education) - Founder, Redefine and Empower
- Dr. Jamillah Moore '92, MA '95 (Communication Studies) - President, Cañada College, San Mateo Community College District
- Dr. Jenni Murphy, EdD '12 (Educational Leadership and Policy) - Dean, College of Continuing Education, Sacramento State
- R. Scott Owens '86 (Criminal Justice) - Retired District Attorney, Placer County
Rising Star Award
- Rhys Hoskins '15 (Business Administration) - First Baseman and Left Fielder, Philadelphia Phillies
- Alyssa Nakken '12 (Psychology) - Coach, San Francisco Giants
Honorary Alumnus Award
- David Bach - CEO, The Bach Group
Past Recipients - 2000-2019
Award Information
The Order of the Hornet Award was presented from 1972-1985. In 1987 the awards became known as the Distinguished Service Awards, periodically giving Order of the Hornet (*) designation to selected recipients.
Later added were Honorary Alumnus/a (**), Lifetime Achievement (***) and Rising Star (****) categories.
Faculty/Administrator awards are designated (^).
2019
Distinguished Service Awards
Saori Choulos '92, EMBA ’12
Jeff Dern '98
Dr. Maridith A. Curfman-Janssen '82
Patrick C. McClain '88
Jackie Morris-Henderson '87, '92
Lifetime Achievement Award
Gary ’65 and Judy Quattrin ’66, MS ’99***
Rising Star Award
Dr. Meagan O’Malley, MA '06****
2018
Distinguished Service Awards
Margot Bach '72
Ana Klein ’95, MBA '10
Bill Mueller ’90
Dr. Joseph Tuscano ’84
Rising Star Award
Tracy Young '08
2017
Distinguished Service Award
Kimo Ah Yun '90 (video/full story)
Kraig Clark ’91 (video/full story)
Carol Garcia ’80 (video/full story)
Gilbert Herdt, MA ’72 (video/full story)
Andrei Tokmakoff '89 (video/full story)
Angelo A. Williams, MA '06, MA '07, EdD '10(video/full story)
Rising Star Award
Ryan Harrison, MS ’11**** (video/full story)
2016
Distinguished Service Award
Christine ’92 and Michael ’92 Ault (video)
Tim Murphy ’91 (video)
Craig ’77 & Ann ’78, MA ’92 Perez (video)
Deborah Ross-Swain ’73, MS ’75 (video)
Rising Star Award
Justin Knighten ’08**** (video)
Honorary Alumna Award
Susan McGinty** (video)
2015
Order of the Hornet
President Alexander Gonzalez (video)
Lifetime Achievement Award
Jan Scully*** (video)
Distinguished Service Award
Cate Dyer (video)
Pat Fong Kushida (video)
Jim Gomez (video)
Lee Ritchey (video)
Tami R. Bogert and Scott Yuill (video)
Rising Star Award
Philip I. Person**** (video)
2014
Distinguished Service Award
Maureen Bauman
Chris Higdon
James P. Mayer
Javed Siddiqui
Kerri Thomas
2013
Distinguished Service Award
David Bugatto
Cheryl Dell
Michael Kuhlmann
Garry Maisel
Rhonda Staley-Brooks
Rising Star Award
Christina Preston****
2012
Lifetime Achievement Award
Joseph F. Sheley***
Distinguished Service Award
Greg J. Hagwood
John & Margi Herzog
Kit Miyamoto
Mark Otero
Rising Star Award
Robert Meza****
Janay Swain****
2011
Distinguished Service Award
Thomas M. Gilbert
Paul Lau
Ted Puntillo
Tina Treis
Rising Star
Krista Bernasconi****
Honorary Alumni Award
Dr. Alexander Gonzalez
Patricia Clark-Ellis
2010
Distinguished Service Award
Douglas Curley
Helena Fitch-Snyder
Eddie Kho
Cristina Mendonsa
Michael Reinero
Holly Tiche
Rising Star
Baldwin Chiu****
2009
Lifetime Achievement Award
Larry Cook***
Distinguished Service Award
Karen Bakula
Charles E. Bell
Alejandro Garcia
Jan A. Nolta
Honorary Alumnus Award
George Crandell**
2008
Distinguished Service Award
Michael Carter
John Gesek
Greg Knapp
Sia Nemat-Nasser
Walt Schaub
Paulette Trainor
Honorary Alumnus Award
Mark Drobny**
Pamela O. Stewart**
2007
Lifetime Achievement Award
Roger Valine***
Distinguished Service Award
Larry Augusta
Lauren Hammond
Kim Hughes^
Scott W. Maxwell
Gloria Nomura
Alice D. Perez
Lloyd O. Snelson
Larry Williams
Karen Zamarripa
Daniel Zingale
Honorary Alumnus Award
Daniel Cole**
2006
Lifetime Achievement Award
William Campbell III***
Distinguished Service Award
Jack Bertolucci
Patrick Fenwick
Jack Higdon
Marilyn Hopkins^
Theresa Parker
Randy Reynoso
Rene Syler
2005
Distinguished Service Award
Michael L. Brown
Sonney Chong
Todd Murch
Albert Najera
Kirk B. Sturm
Scott C. Syphax
Ann Weldy^
Rosemary Younts
2004
Distinguished Service Award
Fred Dalkey
Kayla Gillan
Craig T. Johnson
Kenneth A. Macias
Robin Martial
David H. Mering
Scott J. Modell^
Melba O. Mosher
Pamela G. Saltenberger
Robbie Waters
Mary Jane Young
Honorary Alumnus Award
Ray Clemons**^
2003
Distinguished Service Award
Virginia Avila
Robert Dean
Edward Del Biaggio^
Mike Dourgarian
Jim Fitzpatrick
Gail Hullibarger
Judy Quattrin^
Ben Roberts
Marlene Von Friederichs-Fitzwater
Honorary Alumnus Award
Rosemary Clemons**
Gary Hart**^
Nicholas Windeshausen**^
2002
Distinguished Service Award
Christopher Cabaldon
Dale Carlsen
Richard C. Johns
Suzanne Kingsbury
William H. Lee
Mary Louise Mack
Gil Moore
Robert Perry-Smith
Felicenne Ramey^
H. John Shaw, III
Fred Teichert
Honorary Alumnus Award
Roy Brophy**
Lifetime Achievement Award
Angelo Tsakopoulos***
Distinguished Service Award
Patricia Cochran
Ron Davis
Gregg Lukenbill
Kathleen McGrath
Kitty O'Neal
Ray Shaddick
Michael Ubaldi
Robert Waste^
Order of the Hornet
Dennis Gardemeyer*
Gary Kimmel*
Honorary Alumnus Award
Muriel Johnson**
2000
Lifetime Achievement Award
Joe A. Serna, Jr.***^
Distinguished Service Award
Suzanne Adan
Louis Blanas
Jesus Fernandez Jr.
Mary Hargrave
Janet McWilliams
Kenneth Owens
Tony Saca
Michael Stevens
Robert Thomas
Order of the Hornet
Catherine MacMillian*
Dixie Schneider*
Honorary Alumnus Award
Stan Atkinson**
1972-1999
1999
Distinguished Service Award
Lory Heron
Albert Hurtado
Joseph Mohamed Sr.
Randy Paragary
Gail Tom^
Charles Trainor
Order of the Hornet
Phillip Cowan*
Melinda Melendez*
Paul Robins*
Honorary Alumnus Award
Alex Spanos**
Harry Sweet**
1998
Distinguished Service Award
Edward Chavez
Christine Dean
Daniel Decious^
Daniel DeFoe
Clarke J. Dominguez
Kelvin K. Lee
Mike McGowan
Ted Morse
John Moulds
Paul Sax
Order of the Hornet
John Messner*
Bev Short*
Honorary Alumnus Award
Thomas Hobday**
1997
Distinguished Service Award
Janice Rogers Brown
Irvin Faria^
Giselle Fernandez
Roger Fong
Joseph J. Kearns
Steve Pleau
Roger Valine
Richard Weaver
Tom Weborg
Order of the Hornet
Steven Yamshon*
Honorary Alumnus Award
Cal Boyes**^
1996
Distinguished Service Award
William Collard
Gloria Glyer
Kenneth Kerri^
Duane Lowe
Denise Mazzucca-Barrett
William Popejoy
Jan Scully
Honorary Alumnus Award
Josef Moorehead**^
1995
Distinguished Service Award
Mary Buehler
Al Geiger
Robert Metcalf^
John Poswall
Pauline Roccucci
Raymond Valdez
Order of the Hornet
Isabel Hernandez-Sema*^
Frank LaPena*^
Honorary Alumnus Award
Louis Desmond**
Enlow Ose**
Past Recipients 1972-1994
1994
Distinguished Service Award
Allen Johnson
Gregory Kondos
Dave Lucchetti
Sylvia Minnick
Barbara O’Connor^
James Shelby
Order of the Hornet
John Smith*^
Jack Waymire*
Honorary Alumnus Award
Donald Gillott**^
1993
Distinguished Service Award
Phil Boyer
Jamie Candelaria
Kenneth Hansen
June LaVerne Long
Antonia Lopez
Sam Pannell
Dennis Tootelian^
Order of the Hornet
Ron W. Smith*
Honorary Alumnus Award
Fred Anderson**
1992
Distinguished Service Award
Felicia Bessent
Ward Connerly
Linda Dixon
William Dorman^
John Fitzgerald
Elizabeth McClatchy
Don Zingale^
Honorary Alumnus Award
Fred Hummel**
1991
Distinguished Service Award
Fred Uhl Ball
Grantland Johnson
Said Kaki
Trong Nguyen
Leticia Quezada
Joe A. Serna Jr.^
Order of the Hornet
Robert W. Bell*
Gary Quattrin*
1990
Distinguished Service Award
Deborah Colberg^
C. Carson Conrad
Fred Dawkins
M. Wayne Thiebaud
Malcolm Weintraub
Order of the Hornet
David Morse*
John Ranlett*^
Honorary Alumnus Award
Norman J. Phillips**
1989
Distinguished Service Award
Dr. W. Richard Cobb^
Marjorie Geiszler
C. Stanley Gilliam
Robert Mange
Robert Rivinius
Order of the Hornet
Winnie Leung*
1988
Distinguished Service Award
Margo Murray
Jean Runyon
William Whitehead^
Order of the Hornet
William Campbell III*
Robert Curry*^
1987
Distinguished Service Award
John McNamara
Frank Borgia
Nick Floratos
Order of the Hornet
Dorothy Lombard*
Coach Bob Mattos*
1985
Order of the Hornet
Lloyd Connelly
John P. Kearns
1984
Order of the Hornet
Carl Ludwig^
Thomas Willoughby
1983
Order of the Hornet
W. Lloyd Johns^
1982
Order of the Hornet
Steven Arvizu
Sandra Baker
1981
Order of the Hornet
George Creel^
Rod Hamilton
Ann Reardon
1980
Order of the Hornet
Henry A. Bamman^
Phillip Isenberg
Gordon P. Martin^
George Sumner
1979
Order of the Hornet
Keith B. Kenny
J. Harold Severaid^
1978
Order of the Hornet
Lewis Crowl^
Joe A. McGowan^
Stanley Pretzer^
Efra Zollinger^
1977
Order of the Hornet
Robert Gustafson
Harold B. Roberts^
1976
Order of the Hornet
Donald Bailey^
John W. Baker^
1973
Order of the Hornet
Hubert McCormick^
1972
Order of the Hornet
Gordon D. Schaber
Robert Wyman