The Council for Advancement and Support of Education announced the 2019 recipients of its Distinguished Service Awards on June 10. The awards program honors individuals and organizations for extraordinary service in education and the field of educational advancement, which includes alumni relations, fundraising, communications, and marketing.

“Each year I am incredibly grateful to share the news about the CASE Distinguished Service Award honorees. The individuals who received these awards have devoted themselves to advancing education to transform lives and society” said Sue Cunningham, President and CEO of CASE. “They have demonstrated their commitment to education in unique and special ways, yet they share a deep commitment to making a difference through their support of education. It is our profound pleasure to name them as our Distinguished Service Award recipients.”

Judged by peers and colleagues, the following Distinguished Service Award winners epitomize the advancement profession’s highest standards.

The 2019 CASE Distinguished Service Award winners are:

• Connie Kravas, recipient of the E. Burr Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award. Connie is senior vice president, university advancement at the University of Washington.

Connie has worked in university advancement for more than 40 years, serving three universities during that time. A pioneer of the integrated advancement model, Connie has led many successful fundraising campaigns, recently exceeding a $5 billion-dollar campaign goal at the University of Washington, two years ahead of schedule and at a pace that stands as the largest among public universities in the country. Connie has held numerous volunteer roles within CASE including conference chair and faculty member, commissioner, district leader, and CASE 50 Forum participant. Throughout her career, Connie has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the professional development of others around her. Her mentorship of emerging talent has resulted in more than 50 people currently holding leadership positions in university advancement offices around the country.

“One way to measure Connie’s impact on our profession is in the sheer number of higher education advancement leaders who have emerged from her time [at] Washington State University. Beyond WSU, her mentorship of hundreds of advancement professionals throughout her career and the resulting ripple effect of Connie's leadership across the country and around the globe are tremendous,” said Mike Goodwin, president and chief executive officer at the Oregon State University Foundation and past chair of the CASE Board of Trustees.

• Anita Zucker, recipient of the James L. Fisher Award for Distinguished Service to Education. Anita is chairperson and chief executive officer at the InterTech Group.

A 1972 graduate of the University of Florida, Anita has gone on to support her alma mater in myriad ways. A reliable donor to the institution since 1981, Anita has provided multiple leadership gifts across many areas of the university, including the establishment of the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies, an interdisciplinary center at the university dedicated to advancing knowledge, policy, and practices in early childhood development. A former elementary school teacher, Anita also played a prominent role as chair of the “Starting Ahead. Staying Ahead” national early childhood summit that the university convened in February 2017.  Anita currently serves as a Board of Trustee at the University of Florida but has held many leadership roles in numerous education and philanthropic organizations including the College of Charleston, Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina, Clemson University, Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative, United Way, Yeshiva University, and Trident Technical College.

“To merely say Anita Zucker is a champion for education is an understatement. Education is entrenched in her soul. She has devoted her life to making the world better through the advancement of education,” said W. Kent Fuchs, University of Florida’s president.

 

• Scott Nichols, recipient of the John Lippincott Award for Global Advancement and Support of Education. Scott is senior vice president, development and alumni relations at Boston University.

At Boston University, Scott brought a new and powerful focus to expanding the institution’s advancement efforts beyond the United States. As part of that effort, he launched several structural innovations to support global outreach, including the International Advisory Board. Convened a decade ago, this group has collectively contributed 14% of the university’s current campaign. Scott has also been a strong advocate for CASE’s international efforts and for the internationalization of the advancement profession, serving on the CASE Board of Trustees, the Europe Board of Trustees, and as a recurring faculty member of the CASE Conference on International Advancement, among other things.

“CASE and its membership, in all parts of the world, owe a great deal of the vibrancy of our professional organization to the leadership and tireless efforts of Scott Nichols. We are represented by a far more successful and influential organization on the world stage because of his decades of commitment to serving the global advancement profession,” said Bill Walker, a former CASE trustee, staff member, and long-time volunteer.

• Jerry May, recipient of the Frank L. Ashmore Award for Service to CASE and the Advancement Profession. Jerry retired as vice president, development at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor in 2018 and currently serves as the vice president emeritus.

Jerry has a 30-year history of volunteering and supporting CASE, serving as a member of the CASE Board of Trustees, the CASE 50 Steering Committee, and faculty at numerous conferences, including the CASE Summit for Leaders in Advancement and the Big Ten Fundraising Institute. An early adopter of the principles of talent management in advancement, Jerry’s leadership in the creation of Michigan’s Development Summer Internship Program (D-SIP) is especially noteworthy. Now in its 13th year, D-SIP has produced 291 graduates, nearly a quarter of which work within development, 18 of them at the University of Michigan alone.

“Jerry believes passionately in the transformative power of public higher education and he has devoted his life to working with philanthropists who seek to support new innovations in science and technology, to find cures for debilitating diseases, and to teach students the joy of learning,” said Rhea Turteltaub, vice chancellor for external affairs at the University of California at Los Angles, and Lynette Marshall, president of the University of Iowa Center for Advancement, in a joint statement.

• Steven Minter, recipient of the Distinguished Friend of Education Award. Steven is executive in residence and fellow at the Center for Nonprofit Policy & Practice, Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University.

Steve has spent nearly three decades contributing to the success and advancement of Cleveland State University and by extension the city of Cleveland and surrounding areas. During 28 years with the Cleveland Foundation, including 19 years as president and executive director, Steve guided engagement and grant-making that impacted public education, jobs, housing, health care, neighborhood development, and the arts. He was instrumental in the creation and continuing success of Radiance—CSU’s annual scholarships fundraiser that has raised more than $6.1 million for scholarships since it was launched in 2010. An executive-in-residence at CSU’s Center for Nonprofit Policy & Practice since 2003, Steve has advised two presidents and facilitated collaborations between the university, business, and civic communities in this role.

“Steve is a highly respected and compassionate leader whose vision and work ethic have significantly impacted the city of Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, and many of this area's institutions, including Cleveland State University,” said Ronald M. Berkman, president of Cleveland State University.

• C. Michael Armstrong, recipient of the Ernest T. Stewart Award for Alumni Volunteer Involvement. Michael is the former chairman and chief executive officer of the AT&T Corporation.

Michael has served his alma mater for more than 40 years, becoming one of Miami University's most involved volunteers since he began his service on the Business Advisory Council in 1979.  Since then, Mike has generously given back to Miami University in a number of ways, including serving on the University Board of Trustees and the Farmer School of Business Board of Visitors. Mike played key leadership roles in one of the institution’s most successful fundraising campaigns—which surpassed its original $350 million goal by more than $200 million—thanks, in no small part, to Mike and his wife and fellow alum, Anne, who donated $32.9 million throughout the campaign. Their contributions went on to fund a number of initiatives, including the Armstrong Institute for Interactive Media Studies (AIMS), an interdisciplinary program that develops new approaches in the creation and use of digital technologies, and the Armstrong Student Center, a vibrant facility for students in the middle of campus to commemorate the university’s bicentennial.

“Mike has an uncanny ability to ask the most thought-provoking questions about the present and future. In so doing, he broadened the base of engagement, ensuring that Miami University was embracing the future in a most progressive fashion,” said David C. Hodge, former president of Miami University.

CASE will recognize these six recipients at a luncheon on Monday, July 15, in conjunction with the CASE Summit for Leaders in Advancement in Boston.