Susan P. Davis and Richard P. Davis receive
the 2008 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from Wright State University Alumni Association.
This
award is presented to Wright State graduates who have achieved success in their
chosen career while making a positive impact at the local, state, national, or
international level. The standards of integrity and professionalism exhibited,
have earned them the respect of colleagues, associates, and the university
community.
Susan graduated from Wright State in 1984 with a bachelor’s
degree in Accountancy. Dick is a two-time graduate of Wright State University.
In 1978, he earned both a Masters in Social and Applied Economics and an M.B.A.
in Finance from the Raj Soin College of Business.
Since graduation, Sue and Dick have gone on to achieve
outstanding professional accomplishments in the world of finance and money
management. Dick is the Founder and former President of Flagship Financial
Inc., and Sue served as the Company’s Treasurer. Flagship, a company which
started in 1970 as the money management division of the Mead Corporation,
quickly grew in stature and reputation, ultimately managing over $4.4 billion in
assets in 31 mutual funds for over 100,000 investors.
In 1992, Flagship received the Newcomen Society Award, and in
1993, was honored as “Entrepreneur of the Year” in the Miami Valley Area. In
addition to their business acumen, the Davis’s have been champions for
education, the arts, and health and human services in the Miami Valley. Both
Sue and Dick have served on several not-for-profit boards and committees
throughout the community, and have made significant contributions to several of
those organizations along the way—including providing a leadership gift for the
completion of our own MTC Trading Center in the College of Business.
Sue and Dick exemplify the spirit of giving and community that WSU was built
upon, and instill in our students each day.
Jon P. Ramey
receives 2008 Athletics Alumni Award of
Excellence from Wright State University Alumni Association.
Jon graduated from
Wright State in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in Financial Services from the Raj
Soin College of Business. While at WSU, Jon was a 4-year letterman in men’s
basketball, playing from 1991-1995, and serving as Team Captain during his
senior year. During his tenure, the Raiders played in the 1993 NCAA tournament
and just missed the 1995 tournament—placing second in the Midwestern Collegiate
Conference tournament.
Right after
graduation, Jon began his career in the financial advisory business. He’s now a
First Vice President in Wealth Management with Smith Barney, has become a
respected member of the investment community, and has served as a mentor to many
young financial advisors.
Jon has
remained an active member of the Wright State community. He’s served on the WSU
Alumni Association Board of Directors, has been a member of the Athletic
Department’s Giving Club since he graduated, and was also the color commentator
for eight years for the Wright State Basketball Radio Network.
Valerie A. Gray
receives 2008 African American Alumni
Society Award of Excellence from Wright State University Alumni Association.
Valerie earned her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication in 1987 from WSU, and
a master’s degree in technical and scientific communication from Drexel
University in 1997. She has completed post-graduate courses at The Pennsylvania
State University in pursuit of a doctoral degree in composition and rhetoric.
Valerie
is currently the Chair of the Department of English, as well as an
Associate Professor of English, Technical and Business Writing, at
Harrisburg Area Community College in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She is
also a non-fiction children’s author for Enslow Publishers, with books
that include Jason Kidd Star Guard and The Court Martial Trial of Cadet
Johnson Whittaker. Her upcoming project is a children’s book that
chronicles the life of civil rights activist, Benjamin Mays. In addition
to teaching and writing, Valerie is active in her community, teaching
creative writing to gifted children, reading books to children, judging
writing contests, and presenting various workshops.
Another joy of Valerie’s is traveling—a passion which began when she was
14 years old. She has visited much of the U.S., as well as 12 other
countries, and plans to add two more countries to her list within the
next 12 months: England and China.
Teresa Ditmer
receives 2008 Volunteer Service Award of
Excellence from Wright State University Alumni Association.
Teresa
Ditmer earned her masters degree as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Health
Nursing from Wright State’s College of Nursing & Health in 2007, and is already
making a major impact on the health care needs of her community. A project
which began while she was still a student at Wright State, Teresa
founded the Compassionate Care of Shelby County—a new, free, faith-based
clinic for uninsured and under-served populations. She has worked
tirelessly to locate resources and equipment, secure donations—including
gifts of land and a building, written numerous proposals, and built
community support for the clinic. Since her graduation from WSU, she has
worked at the clinic as a care provider, as well as the manager of
operations. I know you will agree that Teresa is certainly an
inspiration to everyone – especially nurses who wish to improve the
health of vulnerable populations by improving access to health care.
Dr. Harry R. VanderWal Jr.
receives 2008 Recent Graduate Award
of Excellence from Wright State University Alumni Association.
Dr. VanderWal
is a 2002 graduate of the WSU Boonshoft School of Medicine. After
completing his Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency here in
Dayton, Dr. VanderWal practiced medicine in rural Idaho. It was during
this time that he established “The Luke Commission”—a volunteer team
that provides free medical help to the international community. Dr.
VanderWal, his wife, and their four boys now spend eight to 10 months a
year in Africa on medical missions, which have been mainly concentrated
in Swaziland, southern Africa. Here, they provide free medicines, HIV
testing and counseling, optical diagnoses, and eyeglasses. They also
donate clothes and Bibles, which have been translated into the local
dialects.
The
Luke Commission has been so well received that they have been asked by
four other African countries to replicate the program in their
respective country.
