Honorary Alumni Award

Ron Bacon is a founding member of the Central Michigan University (CMU) Recreation Parks and Leisure Services (RPL) Professional Advisory board and has actively served on the board since its inception almost twenty years ago. Bacon offers valuable professional knowledge, connections, and expertise to advance the education of our students and their future success as recreation professionals. He advocates for and continually extols the outstanding reputation of the RPL department.

Bacon was awarded the Recreation Parks and Leisure Services Department's Honorary Alumni Award in 2006 and continues to share his professional expertise as a guest lecturer, curriculum consultant, accreditation contributor, and student mentor. He has encouraged other non-alumni professionals to become involved in the education of RPL students by serving as board members and providing service-learning and internship opportunities for RPL students.

Bacon has devoted many hours in service and feels a sincere, deep connection to CMU since his initial involvement with faculty in the RPL department years ago. As an educator and advocate of outdoor recreation and community education, Ron's outstanding record of service, volunteerism, advocacy, mentorship, and community outreach is widely recognized across the nation. 

Ron Bacon has contributed financially to CMU since 2006, most notably toward the establishment and continued growth of the Ron and Susan Bacon Outdoor Recreation Award. This scholarship is awarded to a junior or senior enrolled in the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Leisure Services pursuing a major in Outdoor Recreation.