Seth and Kelsey Lyons, Bill Falkner and Elijah Haahr.
More than 150 gathered to see nine honored at the 33rd annual Alumni Association Awards Banquet on Oct. 16 in the Fulkerson Center.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Dr. Kenneth Rosenauer ’74
Dr. Kenneth Rosenauer spent almost his entire teaching career at Missouri Western, beginning in 1979 and retiring in 2013. For many of those years, the professor of English also served as the advisor for the student newspaper, Griffon News. In 2003, he was inducted into the John A.
Matt Lillie, Larry Stobbs, Scott Graham, Ken Rosenauer and Andrew Halter.
Boyd Hall of Fame of the College Media Association for his years of service as Griffon News advisor.
Dr. Rosenauer is currently serving his fourth term on the Savannah R-III School Board, is a part-time minister and has been president of the Apple Blossom Parade since 2000.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Hon. Larry Stobbs ’74
Larry Stobbs graduated with a criminal justice degree and was a member of the Missouri Highway Patrol for 31 years. He retired as supervising sergeant of the Division of Drug and Crime Control.
Stobbs is one of Missouri Western’s most ardent supporters and an avid volunteer in the community. He is a 40-year-plus member of the East Hills Optimist Club, and has been a Boy Scout board member, a Chamber of Commerce board member, president of the Allied Arts Council and a member of the Southside Progressive Association. Stobbs served as the Mayor of St. Joseph from 1994-2002.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Scott Graham ’78
Scott Graham graduated with an agriculture economics degree from Missouri Western. He earned an MBA and worked for Bristol-Myers Squibb for 25 years, including several years as a district manager for the company. Graham earned the company’s top award in 2010.
He has been a member of the Gold Coat board for more than 15 years, is a member of the Missouri Western Athletic Hall of Fame, a committee he currently chairs. Graham also serves his community as a high school football official, and has been a basketball coach, referee and board member for a basketball program for youth.
Distinguished Alumni Award
Col. Andrew Halter ’86
Col. Andrew Halter was recently named the Air National Guard Advisor to the Director of Logistics, Installations and Security at Headquarters Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. He had been serving as Maintenance Group Commander at the 139th Airlift Wing, Missouri Air National Guard in St. Joseph. Col. Halter has been a member of the Air National Guard for 35 years and has served on all seven continents.
He earned a data processing degree from Missouri Western and a master’s degree in Aviation Safety from the University of Central Missouri. He graduated from Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College.
Herb ’35 and Peggy Iffert Award for Outstanding Service to the University
Hon. Bill Falkner
Hon. Bill Falkner is currently serving his second term as mayor of St. Joseph, and is an avid supporter of Missouri Western. Since he was elected, Falkner has worked closely with Missouri Western on the Kansas City Chiefs summer training camp, workforce development and more. He has become one of the University’s greatest promoters.
Falkner served one term on the City Council before running for mayor. As the city’s leader, he has developed great working relationships and partnerships with county and state elected officials, and businesses and organizations throughout the community.
GOLD Award – Graduate of the Last Decade
Hon. Elijah Haahr ’05
Hon. Elijah Haahr is a State Representative for Missouri’s 134th District in Springfield, elected to his first two-year term in 2012.
He graduated with a government/public affairs degree in 2005 and earned his juris doctorate from the University of Missouri School of Law. Haahr is an attorney with Aaron Sachs and Associates.
Haahr has been named one of 417 Magazine’s 20 Under 30, the Springfield Business Journal’s Forty Under Forty, the 2012 Springfield Jaycee of the Year, and Ozarks Technical Community College Distinguished Alumnus.
GOLD Award – Graduate of the Last Decade
Seth ’08 and Kelsey ’08 Lyons
In 2009, Seth Lyons, a 2008 graduate, was the first alumnus to be awarded a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory store as part of Missouri Western’s entrepreneurship and partnership between the University, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and Steve Craig. He and Kelsey, also a 2008 graduate, moved to Silverthorne, Colorado to open the store. Their success and willingness to mentor business owners in the program have greatly contributed to the growth and success of the program.
The Lyons paid off their store in less than three years. They opened a second franchise, Which Wich? Superior Sandwiches, in 2013.
Distinguished Faculty Award (Posthumous)
Don Lillie
Don Lillie was an associate professor of theatre at Missouri Western when he passed away in February 2015. As word spread of his passing, theatre students, both past and present, gathered in the Potter Hall Theater, where Lillie had lovingly served the University for 25 years.
He was a graduate of Moorhead State University and served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. At Missouri Western, Lillie taught all areas of theatre, including stagecraft, stage combat and historical fencing.
In 2009, Lillie wrote a play, “Marlowe,” which was performed not only on campus, but in London and in Shakespeare’s hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Lillie’s son, Matt ’04, accepted the award.