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ASU Alumni Association Names Distinguished, Honorary Alumni

September 10, 2010

The Angelo State University Alumni Association will recognize three distinguished alumni and an honorary alumnus during the annual Wells Fargo Homecoming Dinner on Friday, Oct. 22, in the ASU Houston Harte University Center, 1910 Rosemont Drive.

Dan Herrington, Class of 1979, assistant vice president for IT operations for the United Services Automobile Association (USAA); Dr. Tamara Olive, Class of 1978, assistant professor of education at Sul Ross State University; and 17th District Court Judge Melody Wilkinson, Class of 1985, will be honored as 2010 Distinguished Alumni.  Fred Key, president and CEO of Foster Communications in San Angelo, will be recognized as an Honorary Alumnus.

The evening’s activities are open to the public and will begin with a social gathering at 5:30 p.m. and dinner served at 6:15 p.m. in the University Center’s C.J. Davidson Conference Center.  Tickets are $30 each and available from the Alumni Association.  Complimentary valet parking and a cash bar will be provided.

Distinguished ROTC and Carr Scholar alumni will also be honored along with several ex-students, current and retired faculty, and staff members.

For more information and/or tickets to the dinner, call 942-2122 or go online to www.angelostatealumni.com.

Dan Herrington – Distinguished Alumnus

In his current position at USAA, Dan Herrington played an integral role in vaulting the company to the No. 1 position on Computerworld magazine’s 2010 list of “Best Places to Work in IT.”  Also the executive sponsor of USAA’s University Recruiting Program, Herrington has helped bring more than 35 ASU students to work in IT at USAA since 1997.

Still active in the ASU community, Herrington is a member of the ASU College of Business Advisory Council and the College of Sciences Alumni Advisory Council.  On the business council, he is aiding in efforts to gain accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).  On the science council, he helps the university guide curriculum to ensure ASU students are learning the skills needed in today’s workforce.

After graduating from ASU in 1979, Herrington went to work for Aramco Services in Houston, then transferred to Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.  It was there that he and his wife, Terri, who he met at ASU, had their kids, Jason, 28, and Stacie, 25.  He returned to the U.S. in 1990 to start at USAA.

Dr. Tamara Olive – Distinguished Alumna

An internationally known authority on the Hispanic journey toward college, Dr. Tamara Olive teaches at both the main Sul Ross State University campus in Alpine and at a new satellite campus in Abilene.  However, she remains based in San Angelo, where she maintains a private counseling practice.

Her research into first-generation Hispanic college students led to Olive being invited to present her findings at the annual meeting of the 2009 International Human Science Research Conference in Norway and the 2010 International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at Cambridge University in England.  Her work is also scheduled to be published in the International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences.

Olive has taught at Sul Ross since 2005.  Prior to that she taught English and speech at San Angelo Central High School, then worked in several capacities with Shannon Health System, as marketing director at River Crest Hospital and at Live Oak Counseling.  She has also been active in the local Rape Crisis Center, Junior League, United Way and Concho Valley Home for Girls.  She has two sons, Jason Pearce and John Mark Olive.

Melody Wilkinson – Distinguished Alumna

A 1985 ASU graduate, Melody Wilkinson earned her law degree from the Texas Tech University School of Law and began her legal career in Tarrant County, where she has been an active litigator since 1988 in commercial cases, product liability, labor law and professional malpractice.  She was elected 17th District Court judge as a first-time republican candidate in the 2008 general election.

A leader in the legal community, Wilkinson has served as president of the Tarrant County Bar Association and on the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors.  She is also active in the American Bar Association in chair law and the public service committee for tort challenge.

Wilkinson is also active in the Fort Worth community with the YMCA, Fort Worth Parks and Recreation Department Sports Advisory Council, youth volleyball and basketball, and in her church.  She is married and has three children.

Fred Key – Honorary Alumnus

Under Fred Key’s guidance, Foster Communications radio stations have long been the home of Angelo State athletics.  His stations KKSA-AM, KIXY-FM, KWFR-FM and KCLL-FM broadcast ASU football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball regular season and postseason games.  Key has also been an active supporter and board member of the Angelo State Athletic Foundation.

Also an active member of the San Angelo business and civic communities, Key continues to hold leadership positions in the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce, West Texas Rehabilitation Center, United Way, March of Dimes, San Angelo Symphony, Hospice of San Angelo, San Angelo Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Shannon Medical Center Children’s Miracle Network, among many others.

Key has also been recognized on a state level by two U.S. presidents-to-be on opposite ends of the political spectrum.  He has been designated both as an “Arkansas Traveler” by then-Gov. William J. Clinton and as an “Admiral in the Texas Navy” by then-Gov. George W. Bush.