Announcing the 2023 National Alumni Awards recipients
CMU honors outstanding alumni and supporters
The National Alumni Awards are the highest honors presented by the CMU Alumni Association. These awards are given to those who have made significant achievements professionally and within their communities. Award recipients are nominated annually and selected by alumni, faculty, and friends of the university because of their strong connection and affinity for Central Michigan University.
The CMU Alumni Association is extremely proud to recognize the following people for the 2023 National Alumni Awards:
Distinguished Alumni Award: Robert “Bob” Oros ’90
As the chairman and CEO of Hightower Advisors in Chicago, Robert “Bob” Oros uses his bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from CMU to help recruit, retain, and support financial advisors. He is active in the community, particularly in the areas of mental health and financial literacy and education. Bob chairs the board of the Mental Health Association of Greater Chicago and is a board member of EEqual, providing advocacy and support to students experiencing homelessness.
Dick Enberg Alumni Commitment Award: The McGuirk Family
The McGuirk family through the efforts of Jim McGuirk as well as Leroy & Ginger McGuirk has a generational tradition of commitment to supporting CMU. Lifelong Mount Pleasant resident Jim McGuirk built the city’s largest provider of student housing, and with a lead gift in his family’s name, the university’s basketball facility was renamed McGuirk Arena in 2010.
Jim along with his niece Sandy Dean and nephews Rick and Chuck McGuirk, pictured, have proudly continued that legacy of philanthropy.
Rick McGuirk and his wife Julie are proud CMU Graduates of 1995 and just 10 years after graduating Rick joined CMU’s Advancement Board and served on the national campaign steering committee for the Fired Up for Excellence campaign. Chuck McGuirk shares his knowledge of contracting and construction — as well as in-kind gifts — for projects focused on athletics and improving the fan experience. And Sandy, Rick, and Chuck oversee the family’s gifts of land and funding to benefit athletics, the ROTC, and the United Apartments McGuirk Family Scholarship which was established in 2018 to benefit CMU students. In addition, the McGuirk Family of Companies has sponsored several Registered Student Organizations and community events hosted by CMU.
Honorary Alumni Award: Vicki Loss Lautzenheiser
For more than 30 years, Vicki Loss Lautzenheiser has treated CMU as her adopted alma mater.
In 2020, she and her husband Dennis gave the university a $100,000 gift for the Chippewa Champions Center, and the fueling station there was named in their honor. Vicki was instrumental in this philanthropic decision.
Additionally, she and Dennis established a scholarship at Northwest High School in honor of their two sons. The graduating senior must attend CMU or WMU (their younger son’s Alma Mater). To date, all recipients have chosen to attend CMU.
Alumni Service Recognition Award: Daniel Stoudt ’70
Dan Stoudt puts his MBA from CMU to work as senior vice president at First Community Bank in Traverse City. He works with a wide range of clients for any commercial banking needs, from manufacturing and medical to real estate investment and hospitality.
Dan was one of the founders of CMU’s Grand Traverse Scholarship Golf Outing. The annual golf event, marking its 35th year this summer, has awarded more than 135 students with over $295,000 in CMU scholarships.
Future Alumni Leader Award: Tyler Zimmerman ’24
Tyler Zimmerman is a Leadership Advancement Scholar, a Maroon & Gold Scholarship recipient working toward a degree in environmental health and safety with a minor in leadership, graduating in December 2024.
Throughout his time at CMU, Tyler has been active in the campus community. He is currently the President of the Student Government Association, Senator on the Academic Senate, Chaplain for the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, former president of the Refugee Outreach Collective, and has been a member of the Leadership Safari Core Staff and served as a Leadership Safari Guide.
Please join us in congratulating the Central Michigan University 2023 National Alumni Award winners! To see all previous award winners, please click here.
Written by: Robin Miner-Swartz
