The following story concludes continuing coverage of the Geneseo Distinguished Alumni.
By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current
Nine Geneseo graduates were inducted into the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame at ceremonies held Feb. 29 in the DePauw Theater at Geneseo High School.
The 2024 Distinguished Alumni Inductees are Edith Dunham Foster, Tom Holtz, William Ogden “Doc” Farber, Col. Andrew Nash, Robert Cherry, Greg Hinrichsen, Gary Stahl, Gib Pritchard and Marvin Kleinau.
Travis Mackey, former GHS principal; and Linda VanDerLeest, former GHS guidance counselor) who both serve on the Distinguished Alumni Board of Directors, said there are so many deserving alumni that it decided in 2019 to begin recognizing those people at programs each year.
Five community members serve with Mackey and VanDerLeest on the Board of Directors of Distinguished Alumni Awards.
The Award is the highest honor bestowed on an alumnus/alumna and is given to alumni who have reached the pinnacle of their careers and have brought credit to themselves and to the Geneseo School District through distinguished accomplishments in these areas:
-business or professional life.
-community affairs at local, state or national levels.
-exceptional accomplishments in a chosen field.
“We have chosen to showcase the distinguished alumni for their experiences, their wealth of knowledge and a bit of history about how they were so influential in Geneseo and beyond,” VanDerLeest said.
The program is designed to totally recognize those who are being honored as well as their family and friends.
There is a nomination form for the Distinguished Alumni Award available on the Geneseo School District website.
Col. Andrew Nash, left, (Class of 1993) and Travis Mackey, a member of the Distinguished Alumni Board of Directors, are photographed at the Geneseo Distinguished Hall of Fame ceremony. Photo by Claudia Loucks
Sam Rimington, left, his mom, Molly Rimington, visit with Bethany Winkleman at the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame program on Feb. 29 in the GHS DePauw Theater. Photo by Claudia Loucks
Greg Hinrichsen (Class of 1970) was inducted into the GHS Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame at ceremonies on Feb. 29. In the photo he is visiting with his sister, Sue Hinrichsen, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019. Photo Claudia Loucks
Linda VanDerLeest, left, a member of the Distinguished Alumni Board of Directors, chats with Brian Stahl, his brother Gary Stahl, (Class of 1978) who was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Feb. 29; and the Stahl brothers’’ mother, Pat Stahl. Photo by Claudia Loucks
Ted McAvoy shared remarks about Marvin Kleinau (Class of 1948), who was also inducted into the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. Photo by Claudia Loucks
As some of the inductees into the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame are deceased, family members of those people or community members spoke in their behalf. Shown with the awards are, from left, Brian Gernant, who spoke for his grandfather, Gib Pritchard (Class of 1922); Greg Hinrichsen, Gary Stahl, Andrew Nash, Curt Farber, who spoke for his uncle, William Ogden “Doc” Farber (Class of 1928); and Dr. Michael Gernant, who also spoke for his grandfather, Gib Pritchard. Photo by Claudia Loucks