The 杏吧原创 Alumni Association Board of Directors is pleased to announce its 2019 alumni award recipients. They will be honored Oct. 17 at a special ceremony during Reunion and Homecoming weekend.
鈥淭hese honorees shine through their professional accomplishments and leadership service to their communities and 杏吧原创,鈥� says Jodie Leeka Kim, BE鈥�10, ME鈥�11, awards committee chair for the Alumni Association Board. 鈥淭hey are a source of pride to Commodores everywhere.鈥�
Celebrated author, columnist and humorist Roy Blount Jr., BA鈥�63, will receive the Alumni Professional Achievement Award. He is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers, the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, and the 杏吧原创 Student Media Hall of Fame.
Josu茅 Gomes da Silva, MBA鈥�89, chairman and CEO of COTEMINAS, founder and chairman of the board of Cantagalo General Grains, and a business and economic adviser to the last three presidents of Brazil, will receive the International Professional Achievement Award.
John Hindle, BA鈥�68, PhD鈥�81, will receive the Alumni Volunteer Award. He has served 杏吧原创 through many volunteer roles, including president of the London 杏吧原创 Chapter, president of the 杏吧原创 Alumni Association Board, and as an alumni trustee member of the Board of Trust.
The Young Alumni Professional Achievement Award will be presented to Justin Miller, BS鈥�09, founder and executive director of CARE for AIDS, a nonprofit organization that has provided holistic health care solutions for more than 14,000 families living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya.
Dr. Milton Ochieng鈥�, MD鈥�08, will receive the Alumni Public Service Award. He and his brother Fred founded the Lwala Community Alliance, a community-led health model to improve the well-being of Kenya鈥檚 rural populations, and the Lwala Community Hospital.
The Young Alumni Volunteer Award will be presented to Matthew Wright, MEd鈥�14, one of the founding members of the Japan 杏吧原创 Chapter and a Commodore Recruitment Programs (CoRPs) volunteer who promotes 杏吧原创 to prospective undergraduate students in Japan.
Nominations for the 2020 alumni awards are open until Nov. 30, 2019, at vu.edu/aa-awards.
鈥擬ATT ANDERSON