Dick Enberg CMU Alumni Commitment Award
Gary and Cathy Collins '69, '71; '98
2026 Dick Enberg CMU Alumni Commitment Award: Gary and Cathy Collins
Gary Collins, 1969, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Education; 1971 M.A., College of Education and Human Services, Secondary School Administration
Cathy Collins, 1998, CMU Online, Organization Administration
This award is named after legendary sports broadcaster and alumnus Dick Enberg, ’57. Throughout his career, Enberg gave endlessly of his time, talent and treasure, building an endowment that would do for thousands of others what CMU had done for him — and a quarter million other alumni.
For Gary Collins, ’69, M.A. ’71, and Cathy Collins, ’98, CMU is not simply a place where they earned degrees — it’s the place where their life began. It’s the campus where they studied and also where they met; it’s where they were married while still students; and it’s where their two children were born. More than 50 years later, that bond has only deepened — and it has grown to include a new generation, as a granddaughter recently completed her sophomore year at CMU. Their daughter received her master’s degree through CMU Online.
Gary graduated in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in education, majoring in social sciences and minoring in geography, and earned his master’s degree in secondary school administration in 1971. Cathy later earned her degree in organizational administration through CMU Online in 1998. As a student, Gary was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and served as president of the Inter Fraternity Council — a role that, he says, created friendships that lasted a lifetime and gave him his first real experience of what it means to lead. Gary was an ROTC cadet at CMU and was commissioned an infantry officer in the U.S. Army Reserves upon graduation.
Gary built a successful career in the manufacturing industry and retired as senior vice president of human resources. His career took Gary and Cathy to other states, but CMU was never far from their minds or hearts. Through reading Centralight and CM Life, attending athletic events and staying active in the alumni community, they kept the university at the center of their story. They became founding members of the 1100 Club and the 1896 Society, and they established the Gary and Cathleen Collins Endowed Scholarship — a fund that supports students who study abroad, reflecting a shared belief in the transformative power of global experience.
Gary’s service to the university runs deep. Among his leadership roles, he has served on the Advancement Board for 25 years, chairs the Annual Giving Committee, and has been an active participant in both of CMU’s previous capital campaigns. Their commitment has never been passive: they have spent years encouraging family members, friends and colleagues to attend CMU and build the same kind of lifelong connection they have shared.
“As donors, we have demonstrated our love for CMU and helped support the same foundation that we built our lives on,” Gary said. For the Collins family, being CMU Chippewas is not a label — it’s a legacy, one they have invested in for more than five decades and continue to build, one generation at a time.
The Central Michigan University Alumni Association is proud to announce Gary and Cathy Collins as recipients of the 2026 Dick Enberg CMU Alumni Commitment Award.
