Humboldt State University has been recognizing the achievements of alumni since 1960 when it launched its annual Who’s Who Award. Distinguished alumni are individuals recognized as leaders in their fields, and/or outstanding contributors to their community, nation, or Humboldt State University.
We are currently accepting nominations for the 2010 Distinguished Alumni Awards, scheduled for Spring 2010.
Nominate a distinguished alumni that you know.
2009 Distinguished Alumni Awards
Humboldt State University bestowed the 2009 Distinguished Alumni Awards to Francisco Chavez, John Diaz, and Richard Winnie in recognition of their leadership and contributions.
John Diaz (B.A. in Journalism, 1977) has had a distinguished career in journalism for nearly 30 years. He has been editor of the San Francisco Chronicle’s editorial page since 1996 and has won numerous awards for editorial writing. His enthusiasm and high performance set him apart early on as a journalism student at HSU, and he continues to give back by mentoring journalism students and young reporters in the San Francisco area.
Francisco Chavez (B.S. in Oceanography, 1977) has had an illustrious career in biological oceanography. He is a Senior Scientist at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, where he has been on staff for 20 years. In 2005, Chavez was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of the Sciences for his research on the impact of climate variability on oceanic ecosystems and global carbon cycling.
Richard Winnie (B.A. in Economics, 1969) has been solving complex regulatory problems as counsel to all levels of government for over 30 years. He is currently the County Counsel to Alameda County and has served as staff attorney to the California cities of Berkeley, Oakland, and Santa Rosa in addition to significant international work. He has a long history of civic accomplishment dating back to his time at HSU, where he served on the Associated Students Council, volunteered with the campus Young Democrats, and gave the valedictory address to his graduating class.
2008 Distinguished Alumni Awards
In 2008, we were proud to honor Richard Cuneo, Terry Grosz, Lyle Laverty, and Robert Thomas at a banquet in the Kate Buchanan Room on Friday, April 18, 2008.
Richard Cuneo ('62)
Richard
Cuneo is credited with helping earn the Sebastiani name a place among
Sonoma County's finest wineries. He has had a long and successful
career with Sebastiani Vineyards and Winery, where he is currently
Chairman of the Board. Richard earned a BA in Business Administration
from Humboldt State.
Read an expanded bio on Richard.
Terry Grosz ('64 & '66)
Terrry
Grosz is an award-winning writer whose stories have been made into
television specials on Animal Planet. The inspiration for his writing
came from his distinguished career as a wildlife law enforcement that
culminated in service as a Senior Special Agent for the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. Terry earned his BS and MS in Wildlife Management
fron Humboldt State.
Read an expanded bio on Terry.
Lyle Laverty ('65)
Lyle
Laverty, the current U.S. Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish,
Wildlife and Parks oversees policy for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service as well as the National Park Service. Prior to being confirmed
to this position in 2007, he oversaw the creation of two new state
parks as Director of Colorado State Parks. Lyle earned his BS in
Forestry from Humboldt State.
Read an expanded bio on Lyle.
Robert Thomas ('85)
As
a Professor of Geology at University of Montana Western, Robert Thomas
is known for teaching outdoors in the natural lab of southwestern
Montana. A highly published and nationally respected leader in the
field of geology, he recently received the 2007 Distinguished Service
Medal from the Geological Society of America. Rob earned his BS in
Geology at Humboldt State University.
Read an expanded bio on Rob.
2007 Distinguished Alumni Awards
The
Humboldt State University Alumni Association recognized three
exceptional alumni during its 2006-2007 Distinguished Alumni Awards
banquet dinner. Nearly 140 guests were in attendance to celebrate
honorees Ken Fisher, Wesley Chesbro, and Michelle Kelly, who have each
exemplified great leadership and contribution within their respective
professions, as well as the community and environment that has long
been part of the Humboldt Spirit.
Kenneth L. Fisher ('72)
Kenneth
L. Fisher earned an Economics degree at Humboldt State in 1972, and is
now one of the world’s leading financial advisors. Fisher Investments
manages more than $35 billion for Fortune 500 companies, prominent
institutions, and affluent individuals. He has also written four
finance books, including the New York Times Business Bestseller, “The
Only Three Questions That Count (Investing By Knowing What Others
Don’t)," released in December 2006.
Read an expanded bio on Ken.
Wesley Chesbro ('69-'73)
Wesley
Chesbro attended HSU from 1969 to 1973 and majored in Natural
Resources. It was here that he began his political career – starting
with Associated Students, which his son Alan is involved with currently
– and eventually led to an eight-year term as a state senator. Chesbro
also chaired the Senate Budget Committee, where he was a champion for
environmental protection, higher education, K-12 education, local
government and rural health care, and regularly meets and works with
fellow alums involved with statewide and large-scale environmental
initiatives.
Read an extended bio on Wes.
Michelle D. Kelly ('85)
Michelle
D. Kelly earned her degree in Nursing in 1985 and through her chosen
vocation as a nurse she has helped civilians affected by war. Her
volunteer humanitarian efforts have taken her from the first job as an
RN in nearby Hoopa reservation to far-off locations such as
Afghanistan, Angola, Iraq, Kashmir, Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda, Sri Lanka,
Kosovo and Uganda. While she’s not off doing humanitarian work, she
inspires a new generation of HSU students as a lecturer in the
Department of Nursing. But as she was awarded Distinguished Alumni of
2007, she said, “I’m very, very humbled.”
Read an expanded bio on Michelle.
2006 Distinguished Alumni Awards
The
honorees – Richard Corsi, Eric Ramos, and Kevin Daum – were recognized
for their great leadership, career accomplishments, and outstanding
contribution to the community.
Richard Corsi ('83)
Richard
Corsi, representing the College of Natural Resources and Sciences,
earned a degree in environmental resources engineering at HSU in 1983.
Read an expanded bio on Richard.
Eric Ramos ('96)
Eric
Ramos, earned his degree in business administration and accounting from
HSU in 1996, representing the College of Professional Studies.
Read an expanded bio on Eric.
Kevin Daum ('86)
Kevin Daum, representing the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, earned his degree at HSU in theatre arts in 1986.
Read an expanded bio on Kevin.