2018 Distinguished Alumni Luncheon
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2018 Distinguished Alumni Luncheon Welcome Bill Lyon, FHFE Board President Program MC Randy Smith, FHSD Board, OSBA President Distinguished Alumni • Dennis “Wildman” Walker • Bob Dames • Gary Philbin • Claudia Mills Anderson Distinguished Staff • Sandra Coleman Award Presentation Dee Stone, FHFE Executive Director Special thanks to Sue Price, Jodie McKinley, Stanley Jones, Susan Mackey and the Forest Hills School District. Dennis “Wildman” Walker Anderson 1969 Dennis was born at Good Samaritan Hospital on June 17, 1950. He lived in Norwood until he was 9 years old, where he attended kindergarten at Allison Elementary and grades 1-3 at St. Elizabeth School. His dad was a WWII veteran, who was wounded twice and was awarded the Bronze Star. His mom raised three sons and a daughter while working for Shillito’s/Lazarus for 20 years. In 1959, the family moved to Cherry Grove. Dennis attended Immaculate Heart of Mary for grades 4-8 and then progressed to Anderson High School, graduating in 1969, which was also Pete Rose’s greatest year in the major leagues. Following high school, he attended broadcasting school in Columbus, Ohio for six months, which “ended up not being worth the money.” He returned to Cincinnati with a “worthless” broadcasting school diploma and was turned away by every TV and radio station because he lacked experience. Needing a job, he followed his mom into the retail industry from 1970-1983, but eventually found himself in the right place at the right time. While attending a Reds game at Riverfront Stadium, the door opened for Dennis to work at WEBN radio. After toiling two years “pretty much for free,” a change in program directors at WEBN gave him his shot to join the revamped WEBN Dawn Patrol as the “Sports Commando,” along with the infamous Eddie Fingers, Robin Wood, and Craig Kopp. Soon “Wildman” Walker became a household name. He stayed with the Dawn Patrol for 27 years, until 2011, when executives canceled the show. During his time at WEBN, Wildman covered Super Bowls, NBA Finals, and Reds’ Opening Days, and interviewed scores of rock stars, starting with Billy Squire. In 1991, he was also the center of the second greatest promotion in WEBN history (surpassed only by the Labor Day end of summer fireworks show), when he spent 61 days on top of a billboard, waiting for the 0-8 Bengals to win a game. His position as “Sports Commando” led to the public announcer gig for the Cincinnati Cyclones hockey team, where he worked for 20 years. With the Cyclones he experienced both Kelly Cup championships and was awarded two Kelly Cup rings. Since 2013, he has worked for ClassX Radio, which is locally owned. His daily sports show (Monday through Friday from 3:00-6:00) includes some classic rock and keeps him involved in the two things that are his mainstays: sports and rock n roll! Bob Dames Turpin 1979 In 1971, Bob moved from New Jersey to Anderson Township, where he and his four siblings all graduated from either Anderson or Turpin High Schools. Bob attended Wilson Elementary, Anderson Middle School, Turpin Middle School, Anderson High School, and then Turpin High School, when it opened in 1976. At Turpin, Bob played three years on the varsity soccer team. He most enjoyed his final two seasons when he was joined on the field by his brother Mike. Bob attended Miami University and earned a degree in Political Science while playing men’s varsity soccer all four years. In addition, Bob founded and managed a campus club soccer team when Miami’s soccer program was eliminated for one year due to funding cuts. Upon graduation from Miami in 1983, Bob began a 27 year career in sales which required frequent overnight travel and eating at the best and worst restaurants across the land. A good burger and beer became Bob’s go-to meal and his wheels started turning. A 2008 diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease prompted Bob to set in motion his longtime dream of getting off the road and opening his own restaurant. In 2010, the first Flipdaddy’s Burgers & Beer opened in Mariemont. Its success was followed by three more Flipdaddy’s restaurants in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Plans are now in the works for a new concept, Alto Pizza + Cocktail Bar, set to open in Covington in 2018. In 2012, Bob and neighbor Paul Lake first collaborated on an event to raise both awareness of Parkinson’s disease and funds for research. Named Chipping Away at Parkinson’s (CAAP), this family-friendly daylong event features an 18-hole wiffle golf course, live music, food and drink provided by Flipdaddy’s and its vendors, raffles, a silent auction, and speeches by researchers and physicians from University of Cincinnati’s Gardner Center for Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders. In six years, the event has raised over $150,000 for the Michael J. Fox Foundation and UC’s Gardner Center. Over the years, Bob has coached both boys’ and girls’ soccer and boys’ basketball in Anderson Township. Bob was recognized by LEAD and Venue Magazines in 2014 with its C- Suite Award for his contributions to his organization and his community, and in 2015 with the John F. Barrett Entrepreneurship Vision Award for his vision, strength of character, and determination in his journey as an entrepreneur and business owner. Bob and his wife, Kelly, reside in Clermont County and have three adult children, Molly Jeffcott, Michael Dames, and Maggie Dames. Gary Philbin Anderson 1975 Despite being part of a large graduating class of over 700 (the last class before Turpin High School opened), Gary fondly remembers many of the great teachers and mentors who impacted him at Anderson High School: Jean Harris who taught critical writing and analytical skills (not to mention the perfection that was expected on term papers - no white-out allowed even to correct the smallest of errors); Mrs. Quinlan who somehow made advanced algebra fun and was a wonderful, kind lady; Dick Sininger, who taught his students to read for assignments and for enjoyment; and Roger Grooms, whose quirky facts, stories, and love of theater made him much more than a history teacher… and first base umpire at the Reds stadium during strike season. These teachers and others gave Gary a foundation that paved his way in college and beyond. Their dedication, work ethic, and people skills were the academic “DNA” that he took with him from Anderson HS to Miami University, to Xavier University for his MBA, and into his 30-year career in the retail food industry, starting as a bagger with Kroger in Mt Washington, and leading today to his position as CEO of Dollar Tree Stores in Chesapeake, VA. Gary, his wife Glenda, and daughter Kylie are still actively learning today through their travels, through helping others, and as they keep their eyes open for that next interesting thing to embark upon. Gary’s work at Dollar Tree Stores includes participation in Operation Homefront, which delivers school supplies and gifts at Christmas to veteran’s families, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, which aid our most at-risk youth in underserved neighborhoods. Gary’s enthusiasm for swimming, an interest developed later in life, has turned into a continued search for iconic open water swims with swimming partner Cathy (Craig) Burton, AHS ’75. These adventures have included swimming from Alcatraz Island to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge Swim in Annapolis, Maryland, and swimming from Europe to Asia across the Hellespont in Turkey. Claudia Mills Anderson Turpin 1984 Claudia’s favorite memories of Turpin High School all center on her time in band. She loved being one of Mr. Fecker’s band geeks and carried that enthusiasm with her to Purdue University, where she played in the Purdue “All-American” Marching Band all four years as she pursued a demanding degree in engineering. While in the Purdue band, Claudia met her husband, John, who is also an engineer. In addition to her undergraduate bachelor’s degreee in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue, Claudia earned a master’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan and a master’s in Engineering Management from the University of Detroit Mercy. She considers her love of learning the key to her success. Claudia began her career as a design engineer with Ford Motor Company in 1988, earning several patents for her designs, before advancing into leadership roles at both Ford and Visteon Corporation. In 2010, she accepted a position as Vice President at TE Connectivity where she currently leads the Continuous Improvement, Quality and Customer Experience efforts for the Fortune 500 company. Claudia enjoys working with TE teams across the globe to accelerate improvement in areas most important to TE’s customers and their business. At TE, Claudia actively supports the advancement of women through her role as an executive sponsor of the Women In Network (WIN) employee resource group. The organization provides opportunities for women to develop leadership capabilities and advance their careers. Outside of TE, Claudia volunteers with FIRST Robotics, both as a member of the Board of Directors in North Carolina and as a judge at high school level competitions. She is inspired by the teamwork, enthusiasm and real-world problem solving skills that the students demonstrate as they tackle the challenges of designing and competing with a robot. The FIRST motto, “Gracious Professionalism,” resonates with Claudia as it truly reflects her own work approach. Claudia and husband John enjoy travel and time on the lake with their two children who are both in college. Not surprisingly, both are studying engineering.