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Alumni Association selects leadership for 2009-10

July 15, 2009

KALAMAZOO--Fourteen officers, executive committee members and directors have been elected to serve on the 2009-10 Western Michigan University Alumni Association Board of Directors, effective July 1.

Officers
One-year term

  • President--Richard D. Bailey II of DeWitt, Mich., former president of commercial banking at Republic Bank in Lansing. Bailey earned a Master of Business Administration degree from WMU in 1985. First elected to the board in 2003, he has served two terms as vice president and previously served two terms as treasurer. He also has served on the Executive, Finance and Scholarship committees.
  • Vice president--Sue Neumann of Wildwood, Mo., senior vice president at Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., in Creve Coeur, Mo. Neumann earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1976 and Master of Arts degree in 1984 from WMU. Most recently elected to the board in 2003, she has co-chaired the Alumni Engagement Committee and has served on the Executive, Marketing, Nominating and Distinguished Alumni committees.
  • Treasurer--Margean Gladysz of Tinton Falls, N.J., senior vice president and regional director at National Executive Service Corps in New York. Gladysz earned a Bachelor of Science degree from WMU in 1975. First elected to the board in 2004, she is serving her first term as vice president. She also has served two terms on the Executive and Finance committees and has served on the Scholarship, Nominating, Bylaws and Distinguished Alumni committees.
  • Past president--Christopher Womack of Atlanta, executive vice president of Southern Co. in Atlanta, and Southern's president for external affairs. Womack earned a Bachelor of Science degree from WMU in 1979. First elected to the board in 2004, he served on the Executive Committee for three years. He also has been chairperson of the Alumni Membership Committee as well as a member of the Scholarship and Distinguished Alumni committees.

Executive Committee
One-year term

  • Charles Binder of Bay City, Mich., U.S. magistrate judge, Eastern District of Michigan, B.A. degree from WMU in 1971
  • Lucy Caldwell of Grand Rapids, Mich., B.S. degree from WMU in 1971
  • Michelle Olmsted of Royal Oak, Mich., vice president at Compass Group of Birmingham, B.S. degree from WMU in 1986
  • William Parsons of Plainwell, Mich., B.A. and M.S. degrees from WMU in 1967 and 1971, respectively

Directors
Three-year term

  • Larry Lueth of Portage, Mich., president and senior lender at First National Bank of Michigan, B.B.A. degree from WMU in 1974
  • W. Craig Misner of Kalamazoo, president of Southwestern Michigan Leadership Institute, B.A., M.A. and Ed.D. degrees from WMU in 1969, 1972 and 1984, respectively
  • Annette Baron Popiel of Dearborn Heights, Mich, director of business development at AIREA Inc. in Farmington Hills, Mich., B.S. degree from WMU in 1986
  • Mercedes Varasteh of Birmingham, Mich., associate attorney at Frank, Haron, Weiner and Navarro in Troy, Mich., B.A. degree from WMU in 2003
  • Randy Watkins of Lansing, Mich., senior investigator for the State of Michigan, B.S. and M.P.A. degrees from WMU in 1976 and 1985, respectively

Two-year term

  • Mark Murvay of Lake Angelus, Mich., president and owner of M.A. Murvay Inc. in Warren, Mich., B.A. degree from WMU in 1961

The WMU Alumni Association, with more than 12,000 dues-paying members throughout the world, serves the University and its graduates by providing alumni with a continuous link to WMU and each other. Visit wmich.edu/alumni more information about the association.

Media contact: Jeanne Baron, (269) 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu

WMU News
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