Three honored at Distinguished Alumni Award dinner

By Megan McDonald

Western Herald

The Western Michigan University Alumni Association presented three former students the Distinguished Alumni Award, their most prestigious honor, during the annual Distinguished Alumni Award reception, Friday Oct. 23 in the Bernhard Center’s East Ballroom.

The award was created in 1963 to honor WMU graduates who have achieved a high level of success in their career and life after college. 

The 2009 recipients included Susan Martin Bunda, executive vice president of content development and strategy for CNN Worldwide in Atlanta; Nancy J. Diehl, recently retired chief of the Felony Trial Division for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office; and Kenneth J. Miller, vice president and chief operating officer of Havirco, an investment-management firm in Kalamazoo. These three individuals join 132 WMU past alumni who have received this award over the last 46 years. 

Bunda graduated from WMU with a bachelor’s degree in communication and journalism in 1986 and joined CNN in Atlanta as a producer and writer a year later. She was not able to be at the award dinner Friday night due to a scheduling conflict, but she did prepare a video message that was played during the event.

Diehl earned her bachelor’s degree in political science at WMU in 1975 and her juris doctorate from Wayne State University Law School in 1978.  She joined the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office in 1981 and recently retired in April 2009.

“From that first day that I arrived on this campus, I felt like this was home,” Diehl said as she recalled why she decided to come to WMU. “And President Dunn, this is my home.”

The event was not only to honor the three award recipients, but also to recognize all WMU alumni and for them to celebrate their pride in being a Bronco.

“I love this university and I love the people that love this university,” Miller said.

As a business and marketing major at WMU, Miller earned his bachelor’s degree in 1969 and master of business administration degree from WMU in 1970.  

Miller is a co-owner and vice president of Havirco, he is also the majority owner of the Millennium Restaurant Group, which owns and operates restaurants around the area such as Epic Bistro, The Union Cabaret and Grille, Fieldstone Grill, and the Idler. He currently serves as chair of the WMU Board of Trustees.

“Western was transforming for me,” Miller said. “The first four years here gave me tremendous purpose. It gave me direction. It gave me confidence. On top of which it gave me what I believe to this day was a foundation of an excellent education.”

Dunn summarized the event by saying, “The most important thing I can say here tonight is that we are here to honor you, to thank you and to also remind you that we want you to come home often. Please, please come home, come home often.”

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Posted by heraldstaff on Oct 25 2009. Filed under Campus, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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