Against all odds on a gridiron in South Bend, , Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, in twenty-seven seconds, carved his name into history books as perhaps the most famous graduate of the . The son of an oil refinery worker and the third of 14 children, Rudy rose from valleys of discouragement and despair to the pinnacles of success. Today, he is one of the most popular motivational speakers in the United States. It took years of fierce determination to overcome obstacles and criticisms, yet Rudy achieved his first dream - to attend Notre Dame and play football for the Fighting Irish. As fans cheered "RU-DY, RU-DY," he sacked the quarterback in the last 27 seconds of the only play in the only game of his career. He is the only player in the school's history to be carried off the field on his teammates' shoulders. In 1993, TRISTAR Productions immortalized his life story with the blockbuster film, RUDY. Written and produced by and , the award-winning team who brought us HOOSIERS, the critically acclaimed RUDY received "Two Thumbs Up" from Siskel and Ebert and continues to inspire millions worldwide. To learn more about Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger please visit his website- Rudy International!

William (Bo) Mills is the Director of Public Works with the City of Germantown, Tenn., and has been in that position for thirteen years. His duties include the direct supervision of the programs and personnel associated with the following areas: Animal Control; Parks/ROW Grounds Maintenance; State Street Aid; Stormwater Maintenance; Street Maintenance; Water Production and Distribution; Sewer Collection; and many utility- related CIP projects. Prior to becoming the Director of Public Works, Mills served the City of Germantown as Assistant Director of Public Works for seven years and Solid Waste Coordinator for six years. He has spent his entire 32-year working career with the Germantown Public Works Department.

Mills has been an APWA member since 1989. At the chapter level, he served as the Tennessee Chapter’s West Branch director for six years, working through the chapter’s officer positions until becoming Chapter President in 2005. He served as the Chapter Delegate from 2000 through 2010 where in 2008, Mills was selected to the House of Delegates Executive Committee and was named HOD Chair in 2010-11. He has also served on the chapter’s Membership, Awards, Education, and Past President’s Advisory Committees. At the national level, Mills has served on the Board of Directors for the past six years as Director of Region III and President-Elect. He served three years on the Membership Committee and two years on the Transportation Committee, chairing the Roadway Safety Subcommittee for both of those years. He also served on the Professional Development Committee. More recently he has served on APWA's Rodeo Task Force, Government Affairs and Finance Committees.

Keith Pugh has spent his entire 28-year career with two organizations: the City of Greensboro, N.C. and the City of High Point, N.C. In 1988 he was in charge of the City of Greensboro’s traffic safety program and the request for services program. After receiving his Professional Engineer’s license in 1995 he worked for Greensboro’s Engineering and Inspections Department as the Construction Contracts and Assessments Section Manager. In 2000 he was named Greensboro’s Facilities Engineering Manager overseeing renovation and construction of public facilities. In 2004 he began working for the City of High Point as the Engineering Services Director. As the head of the Engineering Services Department, Pugh oversees design specifications; in-house infrastructure design and construction administration; plan review of public utilities, stormwater, roadway, and sidewalk projects; enforcement of erosion control regulations; collection and maintenance of survey data; and inspection of city and private projects.

Pugh’s leadership in APWA began in 2001 when he was selected to serve on the Engineering and Technology Committee. At the chapter level, he began attending conferences and workshops immediately after joining APWA in 1996. He was elected to the North Carolina Chapter’s Administrative Management Division board in 2003, and has served in various capacities including Administrative Management Division President (2006), Chapter Director (2007), Chapter Awards Committee (2008-present), Chapter President (2011), and Chapter Delegate (2014-present, currently serving on the Council of Chapters Steering Committee). Pugh has served on APWA’s Government Affairs Committee since 2011 (committee chair from August 2013-August 2015).

John Gardner began his career in 1991 as a patrol deputy with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office. He spent several years with narcotic investigations before moving to K9 as a handler and later as K9 team trainer. He recently retired as Captain at the Travelers Rest Police Department in northern Greenville County and commanded operations. John currently assists Furman University Police for special events and teaches throughout the Carolinas. Captain John Gardner has been married for 25 years and has a teenage son.

Current Instructor certifications: Firearms instructor, pistol, shotgun and patrol rifle SCCJA Basic Instructor Development Patrol/Narcotic K9 Team Instructor ALLERT I Instructor (active shooter response) PACOP Instructor “ LASER Instructor “ MAC/TAC Instructor “ ALLERT II Instructor “ (with medical) Dispatchers Response to Active Shooter Instructor ALERRT Civilian Response to Active Shooter Instructor