Above: Chancellor John W. Bardo (third from left) and Philip Preston (right) present awards to, from left, Errol Kilgore, Jim Lanning, Jeff Ryan and Genevieve Whitmire Burda.

Western Carolina University honored three distinguished alumni – a geological researcher, the chief operating officer of a grocery store chain and an award-winning pharmaceutical sales representative – and recognized the contributions of a former trustee as part of 2009 Homecoming activities Saturday, Oct. 17.

Chancellor John W. Bardo and Philip Preston, a member of the WCU Alumni Association board of directors, presented the awards during a ceremony in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center. Honored was Mars Hill resident Genevieve Whitmire Burda, who served on WCU’s board of trustees for 10 years; Tampa resident Jeff Ryan, researcher and chair of the geology department at the University of South Florida; Asheville resident Jim Lanning, president and chief operating officer of Ingles Markets based in Asheville; and Asheville native and Chicago resident Errol Kilgore, a senior biopharmaceutical representative for the bone health division of Amgen.

Burda, who shared her time and leadership for a decade on WCU’s board of trustees, was honored with the Distinguished Service Award. She took on additional board responsibilities, including serving as secretary and chair of the administration and finance committee, and she earned a reputation for advocating for energy efficiency and green building practices at WCU. In addition, she has been a leader and participant in establishing multiple scholarships at Western Carolina.

“I loved my work with the board of trustees,” said Burda. “It was interesting to learn about the deep workings of the university, to see how the university budgeting process works, and to see how the audit system protects the public as well as the students. I admire that very much. I also have a huge appreciation for the university personnel. I accept this award on behalf of all who do distinguished service, and the faculty and staff who work so hard.”

Ryan, a 1983 graduate with highest honors, won the Academic Achievement Award. He has earned international acclaim for his research, academic work and leadership in promoting science and science education. Ryan served as a National Science Foundation program director for two years. His research may lead to a better understanding of why and when volcanoes erupt, how mountains are formed and how mineral deposits, such as lead and gold, develop. In addition, Ryan serves as a professor and chair of the USF geology department and won the Florida Professor of the Year Award from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching/Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

“As geology students at WCU, we were always rooting around looking for things,” said Ryan. “We were out in the field a lot, which is what the campus facilitates. That was a real benefit. There were rich information resources all around.”

Lanning, a 1980 alumnus, was honored with the Professional Achievement Award. He began his career with Ingles at age 16 bagging groceries at a store in Skyland. He went on to be a stock clerk, grocery manager, assistant manager, district manager and, now, president and COO of the entire supermarket chain, which has more than $3 billion in annual sales and is ranked by Forbes as one of the “400 Best Big Companies in America.”

“In the past I would have been in the minority—someone working in the grocery business who has a college education, but today the size of the stores has grown from 30,000 square feet to 80,000 square feet, requiring huge computer systems for ordering and other operations,” said Lanning. “It is a demanding career field, and we have a lot of college graduates.”

Kilgore, a 1999 graduate of WCU, received the Young Alumnus Award. Shortly after graduation, Kilgore began work as a pharmaceutical representative for Johnson & Johnson and quickly racked up awards, accolades and promotions in both the pharmaceutical and medical devices industry that led him to Amgen, an international biotechnology company.

“About a dozen times, people who I have never met have literally come up to me after seeing the name of a drug on my bag and thanked me,” said Kilgore, a native of Asheville. “It made me feel good to know that the medications and devices that I represented over the years have helped people who had debilitating conditions be able to do common activities like cooking and walking again – activities that we often take for granted.”

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Last Modified: Monday, Oct. 19, 2009