CWU News

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Central Washington University will honor 11 individuals who symbolize the university’s ideals, spirit, and mission at this year’s Distinguished Alumni Awards on April 5 in the Student Union and Recreation Center Ballroom on CWU’s Ellensburg campus.

“This group of distinguished alumni embrace the Wildcat Spirit and have demonstrated a record of giving back to Central Washington University,” said Robert Ford, senior director of alumni relations. “It is through the service and support of the alumni that represent our institution that we are able to create transformative experiences for our students and make a positive impact on our community.”

This year’s distinguished alumni include:

4 Under 40 Leadership Award recipients

• Jason Goetz is a 2005 graduate who is currently an Operations Manager at PCL Construction. He has over a decade of experience in the construction industry on a wide variety of projects with an emphasis on GMP and Design-Build projects.

• Jennifer (Bean) Schwope is a 2001 graduate and is now the Human Resource Lead in Commercial Software Engineering for Microsoft. She had over 17 years of experience, including 12 years leading HR for international subsidiaries and 13 in leadership.

• Nolan Teasley is a 2007 graduate who now works as the Director of Pro Personnel for the Seattle Seahawks. He began with the Seahawks as an intern and worked hard to be promoted into his current role of director. He is also a former running back for the Wildcats and member of the CWU Hall of Fame.

• Emily Von Jentzen is a 2005 graduate who is now an attorney for Kaufman Vidal Hileman Ellingson. She is a high-achieving alumnus with a deep commitment to community, family, human rights and social justice who also raises money for charities that support children with life threatening diseases.

Distinguished Alumni Award recipients

• Rachel Harry is a 2004 graduate of the College of Arts and Humanities who has taught drama at Hood River Valley High School for 30 years. In 2017 she received the Tony Award for Excellence in Theatre Education and used the cash prize to help HRVHS establish a costume library.

• Amy Hanson is a 1990 graduate of the College of Business and founder of Hanson Consulting Group. She has over 20 years of finance, IT, business operations, and management experience and has also become a champion of student success by providing scholarship support to CWU students who are pursuing STEM degrees.

• Teresa King is a 2002 graduate of the College of Education and Professional Studies and is currently a Cabin Technology Development & Integration for The Boeing Company. She is also a tireless advocate for STEM education and spends her time volunteering as an afterschool science and math teacher promoting engineering as a career choice.

• Scott McGuane is a 1995 graduate of the College of the Sciences. He currently works as the Executive Director of Risk Management for JP Morgan Chase & Co. His career path has been a steady arc of success, which has seen him rise to senior leadership in some of the largest financial institutions in America.

Young Philanthropist of the Year

• Andrew Mork graduated in 2011 and is now the Account Vice President of Wealth Management at UBS Financial Services. At just 30 years old he is giving generously to Wildcat Commons, Athletics Scholarships, and support of the CWU Alumni Association.

Philanthropists of the Year

• Ben (’79) and Nancy Remak invest their time, talents, and financial resources across the CWU campus. In addition to providing full-tuition scholarships in law and justice as well as history, they also financially support CWU volleyball, football, the Wildcat Commons, and the Freedman-Remak Student-Athlete Success Center. Ben currently serves on the CWU Law and Justice Department Advisory Board while Nancy recently joined the College of Arts and Humanities Advisory Board.

Alumni of the Year

• Doug (‘68) and Sharon (‘90) Andrews show their support for Central in many ways. They have established a scholarship to assist students through CWU’s Disability Support Services and also made a significant contribution to Wildcat Commons, helping to change the conversation around alumni support and what is possible at Central.

Distinguished alumni are selected for their personal accomplishments, professional achievements, community service involvement, and/or contributions made to CWU.

Tickets for the event, which begins at 5 p.m., are limited and can be purchased at: http://www.cwu.edu/alumni/distinguished-alumni-rsvp.

Media Contact: Robin Burck, UA Communications Content Developer, 509-963-2846, robin.burck@cwu.edu