2010 Ashland University Alumni Association Award Winners
The Outstanding Alumnus Award
Alan Roth, a resident of Cincinnati, is principal and chief operating officer of MARSH and brings extensive expertise in the areas of strategic vision, business development and general management. Prior to being named as the COO of MARSH, Roth was on the company’s board of directors and continues to serve in that critical role. MARSH Inc. is an independent design agency concentrating on strategic design for consumer-packaged goods, retail and restaurant clients since 1938.
With three decades of global general management, business development and organizational leadership experience, Roth spent 25 years at Procter & Gamble where he held a variety of executive positions in North America, Japan and Western Europe, in the paper products, cosmetics, fragrances, skincare and pharmaceuticals business units. Most recently, Roth was CEO of Microdyn Corp., a privately held global water purification company, and prior to that he was chief operating officer for dunnhumbyUSA.
Roth has traveled and worked extensively in Europe and Japan. He holds a bachelor of science degree in marketing from Ashland University. He is a member of the Business Advisory Council for the Dauch College of Business and Economics at Ashland University as well as a member of the Ashland University Board of Trustees.
Drushal Humanitarian Award
Krista Aukeman Englert is currently a licensed practical nurse in the Orthopedic Rehabilitation Unit at the Highlands Living Center in Pittsford, N.Y. Recently, she also served as Staff Sergeant 68WM6 being a health care specialist and combat medic. Englert has experience in assessment and treatment of patients in emergency care settings as well as leading a small trauma team during major combat operations.
Englert helped coordinate and execute “combined medical exercises” in remote Iraqi villages, which provided basic medical care to citizens with the least access to medical facilities. She also assessed medical infrastructure and provincial budget allocations to determine short term and long term needs. After partnering with the U.S. Department of Justice Corrections Advisors to implement improvements in Iraq’s largest prison, she helped negotiate with the Ministry of Health to construct a comprehensive medical clinic at the prison.
She received her bachelor of arts degree in economics with a minor in ethics from Ashland University and is currently enrolled in the Accelerated Program for Non-Nurses at the University of Rochester.
The Distinguished Service Award
Dolores (Dee) Keplinger graduated from Ashland College in 1952 with a bachelor of music degree and taught music near New Pittsburg, Ohio, in Wayne County. Robert Keplinger was a 1951 graduate of Ashland College and they were married on Aug. 5, 1953. Robert graduated from Ashland Theological Seminary in 1954 and was pastor at several churches during his time in the ministry, including Trinity Brethren Church in Canton; the Mission Church in Levittown, Pa.; Washington Brethren Church in Washington, D.C.; and Linwood Brethren Church in Linwood, Md.
While living in Washington, D.C., Dee completed graduate studies at the University of Maryland and also taught music in Prince George County. She continued to work with her husband through the music ministry at the church. During Robert’s time in the ministry, he was elected to the Ashland University Board of Trustees in 1977 and was serving as trustee emeritus at the time of his death.
Following retirement, the Keplingers moved back to Ashland to be close to their two sons -- Thomas (Tom) and Charles (Chip). Tom is currently a teacher at Lincoln Elementary and Chip is a manager at AU’s dining hall. The Keplingers have four grandchildren -- Robert, Jeffrey, Kristin, and Lauren.
The Raymond W. Bixler Award
Dr. Frank Pettigrew, a Ravenna, Ohio, native, received his bachelor of science degree in education from Ashland College and earned a master of arts degree from Kent State University and a doctor of philosophy degree in education from the University of Idaho. He has served as a faculty member at Ashland University, Kent State University, University of Idaho and Northwestern University.
Pettigrew’s educational administrative tenure at Ashland includes serving as provost, his current position; dean of the Dwight Schar College of Education; and chair of the Sport Sciences Department.
Pettigrew has been listed in several editions of Who's Who Among American Educators. Throughout his career, Pettigrew has presented and published numerous articles regarding the instructional aspects of education and published two editions of an instructional textbook that focuses on pedagogical preparation for sport educators. He and his wife, Amy, have two children: Emily and Hallie.
The Young Alumnus Award
Dustin Ness is a 2004 graduate of Ashland University with a major in accounting and finance and was a member of the varsity track and field team. He began his career in 2003 as a financial advisor with A.G. Edwards & Son’s Inc. in Mansfield, Ohio. In 2005, Ness became investment executive in charge of the Sandusky, Ohio, office for the regional brokerage firm, Stifel Nicolaus. He transitioned his business to his new office on Lake Erie at the new firm. After completing his transition he began to grow and expand his wealth management business, helping clients in nearly every state in the U.S. and internationally in Mexico. By 2007, at age 26, Dustin became the youngest vice president in company history at Stifel Nicolaus, a firm that was founded in 1890.
In 2010, Ness accepted a position as senior financial advisor and vice president at Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management, and in January of 2011 he will take over as associate resident director of the Sandusky, Ohio, office as one of the global company’s youngest managers.
Ness and his wife, Lori, who met on the Ashland campus in the fall of 2002, live in Huron, Ohio, and Lori teaches special education for Sandusky City Schools. Ness is a member of the Business Advisory Council for the Dauch College of Business and Economics at Ashland University, Ashland University Eagle Investment Group Advisory Board Member, Sandusky area YMCA Board of Trustee member, treasurer for the finance board, executive council, at Zion Lutheran Church, Sandusky; and a member of the North Coast Young Professionals.
The Special Achievement Award
Fred Broad is owner of Packaging Specialists LLC in Cheswick, Pa. His company focuses on point of purchase displays and industrial packaging and currently operates three manufacturing faculties employing 130 people.
Obtaining a bachelor of science degree in business administration degree at Ashland University, Broad double majored in economics along with marketing, and graduated in three and a half years. After that, he began his career with Packaging Corporation of America as a sales representative until he co-founded his company in 1982.
Broad is married to Anne, who is a speech and language pathologist for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. They reside in Pittsburgh with their son, Jeffrey, who is a student at Shadyside Academy. Their daughter, Kelly, is a graduate of the University of Colorado. Broad currently serves on several charity, political, and business boards in the Pittsburgh area.
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The Honorary Alumnus Award
Richard Ruhl graduated from Michigan State University in 1960 with a degree in business. Soon after, he joined the Ford Motor Company in their graduate training program. Later, he joined Volkswagen of America and became a zone manager and then a sales manager for a Volkswagen distributor. Ruhl eventually became the vice president and general manager of the distributorship. He then became president of Dick Ruhl Ford Sales Inc., after obtaining the Ford dealership franchise in 1976.
Although currently retired, Ruhl remains active in his community. He has been a trustee in both city and state dealer organizations and also served as the national president of the Ford Dealers Alumni Association. Ruhl also served as chairman of the Ford Dealers Advertising Association for Ohio and served as a trustee of the Children’s Hospital in Columbus for 12 years. Ruhl serves as director of the Commerce National Bank in Columbus and is on the board of directors for the Columbus YMCA.
The Dr. Glenn L. Clayton Award
Sue Ramsey is the current women’s basketball coach at Ashland University and boasts a career record of 330-314 (23 years) and her record with the Eagles is 235-186. Ramsey owns the most wins of any women's basketball coach in school history. Her coaching career began at Noblesville, Ind., High School in 1979-82 where she was twice selected as the county coach of the year. She was a graduate assistant coach at Illinois State (1982-83), and an assistant coach at Miami (1983-84) and Cincinnati (1984-86). Before coming to Ashland in 1995, Ramsey was the head coach for eight seasons at the University of Dayton.
She is also the advisor for Ashland's Student Athlete Advisory Council. Ramsey is currently on the board of directors for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and is serving as the Division II legislative chair. Her background includes serving four years as a member of the NCAA Division II women's basketball committee.
Ramsey graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical education from Miami in 1978 and earned her master's degree in educational administration from Dayton in 1988. She played basketball for three years at Indiana University (1974-77) where she was the first woman to receive a basketball scholarship and served as a co-captain. She also played one year at Miami (1977-78), where she was a co-captain.