Distinguished Service Awards

2012 Distinguished Service Awards

Recipients will be honored at the Distinguished Service Awards Luncheon, NOON-1:45 PM on Monday, for their extraordinary service and leadership in advancement.

E. Burr Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award

The Lifetime Achievement Award honors an individual whose professional accomplishments have made a significant and lasting impact on the field of advancement and whose life and character have earned the respect and admiration of his or her professional colleagues.

2012 Winner

Rita Bornstein, president emerita of Rollins College in Florida, is a nationally recognized leader in higher education and the advancement profession. Following a distinguished career in advancement and academia, she assumed the presidency of Rollins College in 1990. During her 14-year tenure, she guided Rollins through various levels of achievement, including its most ambitious fundraising effort that raised more than $160 million for academic programs, scholarships, faculty chairs and facilities. Bornstein was elected chair of the CASE Board of Trustees in 2005. As chair, Bornstein oversaw CASE's expansion into Asia-Pacific, Mexico and Africa as well as a renewed focus on ethics and diversity in the advancement profession. She has also served as a mentor to many professionals during the past 35 years and continues to build her influence and reputation through writing, speaking and assisting heads of institutions to be strong leaders.

The E. Burr Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award is supported by a generous contribution from the consulting firm Marts & Lundy.

Frank L. Ashmore Award

The Frank L. Ashmore Award for Service to CASE and the Advancement Profession recognizes outstanding volunteer service by a current or former staff member or Educational Partner to CASE and the advancement profession.

2012 Winner

Larry D. Lauer is vice chancellor for government affairs at Texas Christian University. He is a recognized expert in educational advancement, especially in integrated marketing, and has served as a speaker and author of many books and articles on the topic. Throughout his advancement career, Lauer has shared his marketing experience by volunteering as a faculty member at CASE conferences, a trustee on the CASE board and a member of the CASE Commission on Communications and Marketing. In addition to his leadership and marketing expertise, Lauer has served as a mentor to many in the profession and has brought his principles and practices of integrated marketing to institutions around the world.

Ernest T. Stewart Award

The Ernest T. Steward Award for Alumni Volunteer Involvement honors a volunteer for his or her exceptional overall service to his or her alma mater.

2012 Winner

Timothy H. Ubben is a 1958 graduate of DePauw University. For more than 30 years, Ubben has been an active volunteer and served as a member or leader of various boards and committees, including president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, member and chair of the DePauw University Board of Trustees and honorary chair of the National Campaign Committee. In his nomination letter, the president of DePauw University noted that Ubben has "elevated this institution's national reputation and redefined student and faculty opportunities" through his volunteer involvement and significant gifts that created several academic programs. This includes multiple gifts to establish 15 Ubben Endowed Chairs and an endowed lectureship that brings world leaders to DePauw's Midwest campus.

James L. Fisher Award for Distinguished Service to Education

The James L. Fisher Award for Distinguished Service to Education recognizes individuals, organizations, foundations, corporations or publications for extraordinary service to education of national or international significance, beyond service to a single institution or state.

2012 Winner

David M. Rubenstein is co-founder and managing director of the Carlyle Group. Throughout the years, he has provided significant financial and volunteer support to many institutions, including the University of Chicago Law School, Duke University School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins. His volunteer work includes serving as chair of the board of trustees at Duke University and trustee of the University of Chicago. Beyond his work with higher education, Rubenstein is involved in numerous other causes that advance education. This includes purchasing rare documents and sharing them with the public. Examples include the Magna Carta, a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation and a rare copy of the Declaration of Independence, which are housed at various sites in Washington, D.C.

Distinguished Friend of Education Award

The Distinguished Friend of Education Award honors an individual whose volunteer service has helped to advance education at a CASE member institution for which the nominee is not an alumnus/a.

2012 Winner

Jack R. and Mary Lois Wheatley are long-time supporters of Brigham Young University. They made their first gift nearly 40 years ago in support of an academic chair. Since then, they have played a significant role in various academic, cultural, building and beautification projects that have benefitted thousands of students and campus visitors. This includes purchasing thousands of trees for BYU, financing and helping design one of the most popular campus art museums in the western part of the United States and providing financial support for BYU students to spend a semester studying in Jerusalem. In 2008, the Wheatleys founded the Wheatley Institution to enhance the scholarship and academic experience at BYU. Mr. Wheatley has also served as co-chair of the BYU President's Leadership Council, co-chair of the institution's "Lighting the Way for the 21st Century" capital campaign and has devoted hundreds of hours to help conceptualize and plan numerous buildings on the campus.