Jerry B. Hale, ‘73
Distinguished Alumnus Award

Jerry is the retired Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Eastman Chemical Company, a Fortune 500 company with an annual revenue of approximately $7.5B.  He is currently a part-time consultant with Microsoft, where he has the opportunity to share his experience as an Information Technology (IT) executive with other IT professionals.  After graduating from Berea with a B.A. in Mathematics, Jerry began his career with Eastman as a Trainee in Information Technology.  He held various positions in Information Technology, Human Resources, Manufacturing and Treasury before moving back to IT and later becoming the top executive for Information Technology.  As CIO of Eastman, Jerry led a major transformation of the IT organization and participated in a highly successful turnaround of Eastman Chemical Company.  Jerry was honored by ComputerWorld as a Premier 100 IT leader and Eastman frequently ranked in the top ten of Information Week’s Top 100 IT organizations.  Eastman’s IT function was also ranked in the top 100 best places to work in IT.  Jerry was founding member and board member for the Chemicals Information Technology Center, Chairman of the Board for the Chemical Industry Data Exchange (CIDX), and served on executive advisory committees for SAP-AG and Mercury Interactive.  He was also an IT advisor for a venture capital firm, served on a Computer Science Curriculum Advisory Committee for Mountain Empire Community College, and was a member of the Technology Board of Advisors for East Tennessee State University and the IT committee for Wellmont Healthcare Systems.  Jerry was the Distinguished President of Indian Springs Optimist Club, President of the Greater Indian Springs United Way, and a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman for Strategy Committee of Contact-Concern.  He also helped organize soccer and basketball programs for the community, coached soccer for 12 years and basketball for 3 years and served on various committees at two different churches.  Jerry and his wife, Nancy Walker Hale, ’73, reside in Kingsport, Tennessee.  They have two sons, Matthew and Mark. 

Donna Sabino Butt, ‘90
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award

Donna began teaching shortly after graduation from Berea College and quickly became an instrumental force in creating guidelines for Pulaski County’s current Preschool Program.  She organized a developmentally appropriate assessment instrument for the Pulaski County School District and raised much-needed awareness about critical issues specific to the preschool.  She was recognized by First Lady Laura Bush for her efforts.  She coauthored two books, Hey! I Can Read This! The Interactive Book Experience and Books to Read & Sing.  She was recognized by the Kentucky General Assembly and the House of Representatives for her innovative teaching methods.   Her contributions have given validity to the preschool program and have continued to spotlight the importance of the preschool mission both locally and nationally.  Her classroom ideas are shared in The Mailbox- The Idea Magazine for Teachers.  Donna has presented at state and local conferences in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida, helping to raise awareness about issues pertaining to early childhood development.  Her classroom is recognized as a Kentucky Preschool Resource Classroom.  She provides workshops for the Berea Regional Training Center, created an authors workshop for Gifted and Talented students, and is involved with the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program.  Her interactive books are listed as a reading resource for the Kansas State Department of Education and are recommended by language arts supervisors across the state of Ohio. The Southern Kentucky Festival of Books nominated her for the Kentucky Literary Awards for excellence in non-fiction publications.  Donna also served as head coach for 5th and 6th grade girls’ basketball and directed the Intramurals Program at Nancy Elementary School. She volunteers with the Somerset Parks and Recreation Department and was elected by her peers to serve on the Site Based Decision Making Council.  Donna is called upon annually to instruct parent workshops for the school district and was recognized by the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce for her positive influence in the community.  She has also worked on a panel to share her expertise with Somerset College’s Interdisciplinary Early Childhood classes. Donna and her husband, Greg resides in Somerset, KY.

Larry and Nancy Shinn
Honorary Alumnus Award

Larry Dwight Shinn
Larry Dwight Shinn was born on January 16, 1942, in Alliance, Ohio.  He was the second of four children born to Dwight and Doris Shinn and reared on a small farm.  Dr. Shinn graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. degree from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1964 where he majored in religion and minored in history, and psychology.  He played football (co-captain), was named to the Methodist All-American team, ran track, and was named Baldwin-Wallace's Outstanding Athlete for 1963-64.  He married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Lee Albright, in 1963, and after graduation, the couple went to Ramallah, Jordan, to teach in Quaker mission schools (1964-65) under the auspices of Baldwin-Wallace's Jordan Mission Project.  He later graduated from Drew Theological School in 1968 with a B.D. degree, summa cum laude, and received his Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1972.  His specialization at Princeton was in the Hindu bhakti (devotional) traditions associated with the Indian deity Krishna and his dissertation was on the tenth century A.D. Hindu (Krishna) scripture called the Bhagavata Purana.  Dr. Shinn taught at Oberlin College for the next fourteen years and rose through the academic ranks of Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, and was named the William H. Danforth Professor of Religion. Upon his move to Oberlin in 1970, Dr. Shinn was ordained as an Elder in the East Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church.  In 1984, Dr. Shinn moved to Bucknell University to assume the position of Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and he was also appointed with the rank of Professor in the Department of Religion.  He was later appointed to the position of Vice President for Academic Affairs.  Dr. Shinn was appointed the eighth president of Berea College in 1994. Since coming to Berea, Dr. Shinn has led an ongoing strategic planning process that resulted in Being and Becoming: Berea College in the 21st century. Dr. Shinn has instituted a team-oriented decision making process at the college that has affected virtually every area of activity from the student life and academic planning to development and facilities renovation.  One of the most notable results of Dr. Shinn’s strategic leadership is Berea College’s sustainability initiative, which is evident in the creation of the Sustainability and Environmental Studies (SENS) program, the ecological renovations of several campus buildings, and the establishment of a residential Ecovillage for student families.  Dr. Shinn also provided leadership for the “Extending Berea’s Legacy” campaign that celebrated the 150 years of Berea’s work in the region.  With a goal of $150 million, this six year campaign raised $162 million for endowment to support student scholarships, and fund undergraduate research, a new technology program for students, study abroad, an entrepreneurship program, and other key initiatives.  Dr. Shinn enjoys his teaching and scholarly career in a variety of forums.  He is a frequent guest speaker in Asian religions courses, has served as the faculty sponsor for student independent studies on “John Fee and Berea’s Early History” and “Imaginative Christian Literature,” and has lectured on leadership studies in Berea’s Entrepreneurship for the Public Good (EPG) program.  Dr. Shinn co-taught a course on Peace and Social Justice during the 2007 Short Term that enabled him to introduce his work on Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.  Dr. Shinn is a frequent speaker at regional and national meetings on such topics as Berea’s ecological sustainability, student work as learning, and on leadership in today’s world.

Nancy Shinn
Nancy Shinn always knew that she wanted to be a teacher.  After graduating from Alliance High School, she attended Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio and earned a BS in Education in only three years.  After advanced work at the McGuffy School (Miami of Ohio), she earned a Masters of Education from Bucknell University with a specialty in Early Childhood Education.  For 25 years she taught first grade and kindergarten until coming to Berea College in 1994.  Community involvement is an extension of her passion for working with children.  She is presently serving on the Citizen Review Panel for the Southern Bluegrass area.  At Union Church she serves on the Board of Deacons and has served on the Christian Education Board and developed a plan for the Nursery and Kindergarten rooms.  She attended the America’s Promise President’s Summit in Philadelphia and worked on the Children’s Action Network (CAN) Board.  Other past board involvement includes Kentucky River Foothills Board, Headstart Board, and Hospice Care Plus Board.  As Special Assistant to the President, Nancy travels extensively with Larry, hostesses numerous events in the President’s Home, and plans and executes activities on campus in conjunction with the alumni, public relations, and development offices.  

Last year Larry and Nancy Shinn completed their thirteenth year of work together at Berea College.  Their family includes two daughters, Christie and Robyn, their husbands, and five grandchildren.

Students for Appalachian and People Who Care
Legacy of Service Award

Since 1968 Students for Appalachia and People Who Care, two of Berea College’s oldest community service programs have set the tone for exemplary student-led service and community partnership at Berea.  This special award presentation is in recognition and celebration of 40 years of student service, leadership, and learning, in partnership with the communities of Berea, Madison County, Appalachia and beyond.  The award is in honor of the legacy of those who have served in the past, the commitment of those serving today, and the future of those who will serve, lead and learn in the years to come.

Bill Bowman
Honorary Alumnus Award

Bill Bowman was born in Chattanooga, TN and graduated with a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  At age 24, Bill became the youngest Fellow of the Society of Actuaries at Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company – the youngest Fellow in the company’s history at that point.  Bill continued his career with Capital Holding Corporation, which later became Providian Corporation, and later became AEGON Insurance Group.  He served on the Board of the Louisville Habitat for Humanity affiliate, the Board of the Presbyterian Community Center, and served as an Elder in his local Presbyterian church.  He volunteered on several committees at the Metro United Way, and also served a term as President of the Southeastern Actuaries Conference.  He left full-time employment in 2002 as Second Vice President and Actuary at AEGON.  Bill currently works part-time as a consulting actuary and has time for tennis and volunteer activities.  He is President of the Phi Beta Kappa Association of Kentuckiana, serves on the Steering Committee of Presbyterians for Restoring Creation (a national environmental group), and is Moderator of the Appalachian Network of Living Waters for the World (a mission project of the Presbyterian Church USA).  He volunteers as an Elder with his local church, as a construction volunteer with Habitat, and as a worker for Project Warm (a non-profit home weatherization program). Bill first heard about Berea when he was 12 years old, during a family trip to see his brother who was a student at the University of Kentucky.  Bill’s family foundation has supported Berea College students for the past 12 years and Bill has served on the President’s Advisory Council.  Bill has also been active in planning Berea College events and activities in Louisville and considers Berea his extended family. He and his wife, Linda, reside in Louisville, KY and have two children, Beth and Mike.

Hilda Karlsson Roderick, ‘48
Alumni Loyalty Award

Hilda Roderick was born in 1927 to German and Swedish immigrant parents.  At the time, her family lived on a farm in Maryland.  She graduated from Berea College in 1948 with honors, majoring in chemistry.  She received a master’s degree in biochemistry from Oklahoma State University and high school teaching credentials from the University of California, Berkeley in 1952.  In addition to being a homemaker, Hilda worked part-time for many years at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory as a research assistant.  She has been a substitute teacher, PTA officer, candy-striper, Deacon of the Congregational Church, Girl Scout leader, and council president, receiving several awards and various recognitions.  She has faithfully coordinated Berea College alumni gatherings in Maine for the past 26 years.  She enjoys traveling, reading biographies, keeping up with family and family history, walking, gardening and knitting.   She is married to Dr. Thomas H. Roderick and they have two children, twins, Margarethe and George.  The Rodericks reside in Bar Harbor, Maine.

Dr. Buelon R. (Pete) Moss, ‘60
Distinguished Alumnus Award

Dr. Buelon R. (Pete) Moss, ‘60 was born in Adair County, KY and grew up on livestock-crop farms in Kentucky and Illinois. After graduating from Berea in 1960, he taught high school for three years and later earned his Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from the University of Tennessee. As a Professor at Montana State University (1969-1983) and Auburn University, AL (1983-2003), he taught and advised graduate and undergraduate students, conducted research, supervised dairy farms and advised the dairy industry as an Extension Specialist. During numerous visits to Vietnam, China, Thailand and Taiwan, he worked extensively with the university and government agencies, the USDA/ATO/FAS and US industries to strengthen the country’s dairy industry through research, presentations and advising dairy operations.   His contributions have been recognized with several awards including two teaching awards, Alabama Extension’s Superior Service and Professional Excellence awards and the American Dairy Science Association’s Southern Section Award of Honor.  He was selected as a Fulbright-JFK Scholar for Thailand in 1998 where he and his wife Sue Barnes Moss, ’59, worked nationwide with various entities.   “Dr. Pete”, as he is called by many, retired as Professor Emeritus from Auburn in 2003 to the Glasgow, KY home farm, but has continued work with Auburn University, international assignments and agriculture industries.  He and Sue have three daughters, two in Southern California and one in Southern Florida.  They have six grandchildren who reside in Florida ranging in age from 7-18.