WASHINGTON, DC —The Council for Advancement and Support of Education has announced the 2018 recipients of its Distinguished Service Awards. The awards honor individuals and organizations for extraordinary service in education and the field of educational advancement, which includes alumni relations, fundraising, communications and marketing.

CASE will recognize eight recipients at a luncheon on Monday, July 16, in conjunction with the CASE Summit for Leaders in Advancement in New York City.

The 2018 CASE Distinguished Service Award winners are:

• Susan Washburn, recipient of the E. Burr Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award. Washburn has had a significant impact on the field of advancement, especially in fundraising, through her work as a senior advancement practitioner, a long-time volunteer for CASE and a founding principal of Washburn & McGoldrick. Washburn led advancement programs at St. Lawrence University, Centenary College and The Evergreen State College before launching her consulting firm with Bill McGoldrick in 1995. Throughout her 40-plus-year career, she has shared her knowledge and expertise with advancement practitioners as a faculty member at CASE conferences, including the CASE Summer Institute for Educational Fundraising, and as chair and member of the CASE Board of Trustees. In addition, Washburn is a dedicated supporter of Franklin & Marshall where she currently serves as the first alumna to chair its board of trustees. The E. Burr Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award is supported by a generous contribution from the consulting firm Marts & Lundy.

• Frederick Ruiz, recipient of the James L. Fisher Award for Distinguished Service to Education. Ruiz is chairman emeritus and co-founder of Ruiz Foods. The University of California, Merced nominated Ruiz for his long-time support of the institution and the University of California system. Ruiz is a founding member of the UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees and served as regent on the University of California's governing board from 2004 to 2016. His financial support includes several endowments, including the Ruiz Family Chair in Entrepreneurship; the Fred and Mitzie Endowed Fellowship for graduate students who contribute to diversity; and the Rose R. Ruiz Endowed Scholarship and Fellowship Fund to support first-generation or undocumented college students. In addition, Ruiz was the lead donor in establishing a $1 million UC Merced Foundation Board of Trustees Presidential endowed chair, which will recognize an outstanding scholar at the campus.

• Germán Campos Valle, recipient of the John Lippincott Award for Global Advancement and Support of Education. Campos is director, institutional development, with the Universidad Anáhuac México. He has worked in university advancement for more than 20 years and has been an active member of CASE since 2005. In addition to serving as a member of the CASE Board of Trustees, Campos has spearheaded multiple CASE projects as a senior volunteer. In addition, he played a key role in elevating the advancement profession's profile in Latin America, and his strong advocacy helped launch a pilot program to bring advancement services to Central and South America, which has since evolved into a regional office based in Mexico City-CASE Latin America.

• William Walker, recipient of the Frank L. Ashmore Award for Service to CASE and the Advancement Profession. Walker began his advancement career in 1971 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and since then, he has helped shape the communications and marketing programs at several institutions, including Skidmore College, the College of William and Mary, Rutgers University, Dartmouth College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has also been a leader in the advancement profession, serving six years on the CASE Board of Trustees and four years as chair of CASE's Commission on Communications and Marketing, and was on the committee that created the CASE Summit for Leaders in Advancement. In addition to serving as a mentor for advancement practitioners, Walker provided support for CASE as interim vice president, advancement resources, and later as senior communications adviser to President and CEO Sue Cunningham.

• Abraham Mitchell, Mayer and Arlene Mitchell, recipients of the Distinguished Friend of Education Award. The University of South Alabama nominated Mr. and Mrs. Mayer Mitchell and Mayer's brother and business partner Abraham Mitchell for their more than 40 years of service as active volunteers and philanthropic leaders of the institution. Mayer Mitchell served on the board of trustees for 36 years, including a term as chair pro tempore. Arlene Mitchell accepted appointment to the board in 2007 and continues to serve. Abraham Mitchell has served on the leadership teams of two comprehensive fundraising campaigns and is a long-time member of the advisory council for the USA Mitchell College of Business. The Mitchell's collective philanthropic support of the institution exceeds $108 million and has been used to create faculty chairs in the USA College of Medicine, the Mitchell College of Business and at the USA Mitchell Cancer Institute. In addition, the Mitchell Scholars Program attracts and supports academically gifted students at the Mitchell College of Business.

• Belle Turner Lynch, recipient of the Ernest T. Stewart Award for Alumni Volunteer Involvement. Lynch has supported Oglethorpe University since she graduated from the institution more than 50 years ago. Throughout this time, Lynch has been an active volunteer and philanthropic leader. In addition to establishing several endowments, she helped fund the construction of new dormitories and a campus center and provided the lead gift for the university's first comprehensive campaign-OUR TIME. Beyond her financial support, Lynch served on the institution's board of trustees for 35 years during which she chaired multiple committees and served a term as board chair-the first woman to lead the board. She also co-chaired the OUR TIME campaign (2010-2012) and currently serves as honorary co-chair for the campaign to raise support for the I.W. "Ike" Cousins Center for Science and Innovation.