Dr. Carol Weaver and Alumna Maureen Benoliel to Receive Alumni Awards

(February 7, 2013) President Stephen Sundborg, S.J., along with the Seattle University's Alumni Board of Governors and the Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to announce the university's 2013 Alumni Awards recipients, who will be honored at the 28th Annual Alumni Awards Celebration on April 16, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in Campion Ballroom.

Distinguished Teaching Award:  Carol Weaver, PhD

Carol Weaver, PhD, of the Seattle University College of Education is an outstanding teacher who can engage and lead, and understands how to challenge and connect students to the material while enabling them to succeed. Weaver is in her 23rd and final year of teaching at Seattle University. She was the first full-time faculty member of the Adult Education and Training Program in the College of Education. She has acted as a mentor and counselor for faculty in her college. Her exemplary teaching style is well-regarded by her students who consistently place her in the highest decile of faculty rankings.
 
Weaver's empathy, leadership, service to others and teaching abilities make her deserving of this honor. She has made an impact on more than 600 students as well as countless faculty and university programs. We are forever grateful for her talent, leadership and commitment to her students and to the College of Education. She will leave a lasting legacy of distinguished teaching at Seattle University.

University Service Award:  Maureen Benoliel, '71

Each year, the University Service award is given to an individual who has demonstrated commitment to the Seattle University community. Maureen Benoliel is such an individual. Benoliel graduated from Seattle University in 1971 from the College of Education where she currently serves on the Advisory Board. She was a founding member of the College of Education Leadership Council. Since 2001, Benoliel has been a member of the Board of Regents where she served a two-year term as president and worked tirelessly to recruit individuals to join the board.

Benoliel also takes an active role in the professional development of Seattle U's students, mentoring those looking for help with resumes, networking and internships, giving her time to the SU's Fostering Scholars program and setting up scholarships for students in the School of Law. Benoliel is a true ambassador for the university. She has helped alumni rekindle their relationship and introduced future students to Seattle University for the first time. We are honored to present her with the 2013 award for Service to the University

The following individuals will also be recognized:

Alumnus of the Year:  Gordon McHenry, '79

Gordon McHenry, Jr. is the 28th Annual Alumni of the Year Award Winner! Gordon holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Seattle University and earned his juris doctorate from the Georgetown University Law School.

This past October McHenry was named president and chief executive of Solid Ground, a Seattle-based nonprofit social-services organization. Prior to this role, McHenry held the position of executive director for Rainier Scholars. According to the organization, his unique blend of private and public sector experience in the Seattle Community made for an ideal leader. A Seattle native and father of three, McHenry has developed a strong commitment to his community. His commitment to community has led him to serve on the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust Board of Directors as well the governing boards of the United Way of King County and Seattle Public Library.
 
Prior to his appointment as executive director at Rainier Scholars, McHenry served as the director of Global Corporate Citizenship for Boeing's Northwest region and worked as an attorney with Perkins Coie in Seattle. McHenry was raised with a strong respect for education, his father being the first in his family to graduate from college and the first African American to be promoted to a management role at Boeing.

McHenry's connection and commitment to Seattle University is vast. He has served as a trustee to Seattle University since 2002. Prior to becoming a trustee he was a member and the chair of the Board of Regents, and a member of the Alumni Board of Governors. While a student at SU he was ASSU president. His wife Dorina Calderon-McHenry is also an SU alum.
 
Professional Achievement Award: Deborah Limb '88

After graduating in 1988 with a degree from the College of Science and Engineering, Deborah Limb began her distinguished career at Boeing. She rose quickly through the ranks to become the fleet manager and chief engineer for the 747 and 746 programs. In 1998, Limb was promoted to director of Customer Quality for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and in early 2003, she joined the 787 team when the program was in its infancy. There she led the international arm which was responsible for the design, build and support of the 787 model. In 2007, Limb was again promoted, this time to director of Structures Engineering where she leads a team of 300 Puget Sound employees who provide support for all commercial airplane programs.
 
Limb is just as dedicated to the community as she is her career. She currently is chairman of the Board of Trustees for Crista Ministries, serves on the Board of the Bethany Christian Service adoption agency and is a member of the Seattle University Science and Engineering Advisory Board. We are very pleased to honor such an accomplished member of the Seattle University community.
 
Community Service Award: Rick Friedhoff '67

Rick Friedhoff graduated from the Albers School of Business and Economics in 1967. Friedhoff returned to Seattle University 17 years ago to complete his MAPS degree, but after a year he felt drawn to a different path. He left the MAPS program and his successful law practice to become executive director of Compass Housing Alliance, which provides much-needed food, shelter and support for the homeless community of Seattle. During his tenure, Friedhoff increased the number of facilities serving the homeless under the Compass Housing Alliance umbrella.

According to the organization, "Under Rick's leadership, the 100-year-old building at 77 South Washington became the foundation on which Compass ushered in a new era of growth and a fresh approach to battling homelessness in King County. Thanks to his vision, Compass Housing Alliance now serves a broad spectrum of individuals and families struggling with homelessness and poverty, offering a range of services from meeting basic, immediate needs to attaining permanent stability." Now, after 16 years as the executive director, Friedhoff is retiring. He embodies the Jesuit commitment to providing for those less fortunate, and for this reason we are happy to honor him.

Please join us on April 16 as we celebrate the achievements of these outstanding Seattle University alumni. Click here to register or to host a table, e-mail .