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Shorter College Presents Distinguished Alumni Awards
Shorter College’s Alumni Governing Board honored four Shorter graduates with its 2006 Distinguished Alumni Awards. The awards were presented during halftime of the college’s homecoming game on Saturday, Nov. 4. Dalton, Ga., residents Melvyn and Marilyn Ottinger, both 1962 graduates of the college, jointly received the Distinguished Service Award. Atlanta resident Timothy Tew, who graduated from Shorter in 1981, received the Distinguished Alumnus Award; and Rome resident Haley Walker Crider, a 1992 Shorter graduate, was named this year’s Distinguished Young Alumna.
Distinguished Service Award – Melvyn and Marilyn Ottinger
The Distinguished Service Award is presented to alumni who have given outstanding service to the college in leadership, volunteerism, on-campus service, recruiting efforts or financial support. The award committee honored the Ottingers for their long history of volunteerism and financial support for Shorter College. They have served for several years on the Alumni Governing Board, serving as co-presidents for the past four years.
The Ottingers are well known for their contributions to education in the Dalton area. Marilyn spent 14 years teaching the 4-year-old class at the Wee Learn Center, while Melvyn taught biology and coached basketball from 1966 to 2002 at Dalton Junior College [now Dalton State College]. During his tenure there, his teams compiled a record of 266 wins and 83 losses, and Melvyn was named Coach of the Year several times. He later served as athletic director and chaired the physical education department.
Melvyn and Marilyn are longtime members of First Baptist, Dalton, and have served on numerous committees and taught Sunday school. The couple also supports numerous charities and civic organizations, with Marilyn volunteering with Hospice for 23 years while Melvyn has served as a member and chairman of the Tree Board and the Recreation Department.
Distinguished Alumnus Award – Timothy Tew
The Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement, public service or accomplishment in the arts and sciences. The 2006 recipient, Timothy Tew, demonstrates all of these criteria.
Mr. Tew graduated from Shorter in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts in music. He went on to earn a degree in interior design and decoration from the Art Institute of Atlanta. In 1987, Mr. Tew established the TEW Galleries, which has become Atlanta’s premiere contemporary fine arts gallery. The gallery represents 33 emerging and career contemporary artists.
While building the international reputation of his gallery, Mr. Tew also has worked to build Atlanta’s art community. He is the founder and past president of the Atlanta Gallery Association, a consortium of more than 20 of Atlanta’s finest contemporary art galleries. He was instrumental in creating the annual visual arts event ATLart and served on the board of the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. The City of Atlanta awarded him the Phoenix Award in 2005 for his contributions to the city through culture.
A longtime member of Unity Midtown Church in Atlanta, Timothy has served in a variety of roles, including president of the board. He also has a long history of supporting charities, beginning with the Atlanta Union Mission. In 2006, he was honored with the Service to Youth Award from CHRIS Kids, an Atlanta charity know for its work healing children, strengthening families and building community.
Distinguished Young Alumna Award – Haley Walker Crider
The Distinguished Young Alumnus/Alumna Award honors Shorter College graduates from the past 15 years who have shown promise through their professional achievement, community service and/or dedication to the college. As director of public relations for the Floyd Family of Healthcare Services, Mrs. Crider has been a leader in Floyd’s quest for excellence. Under her leadership, the PR department has won 12 national Heathcare Advertising Awards and 19 Target awards for marketing and public relations.
Mrs. Crider has remained involved at Shorter. She assists the college’s Communications Department as an interviewer for student projects, provides internship opportunities, serves as a mentor to students, and speaks to classes about public relations issues and careers.
She is also active in the community, serving as Sustaining Fund chairperson for the Montessori School of Rome, on the board of directors with Blood Assurance and the Northwest Georgia Diabetes Council, and as publicity/communications chair for organizations including Kiki’s Kids and the American Diabetes Association Northwest Georgia Chapter. An active spokesperson for Breast Cancer Awareness, Mrs. Crider volunteers with Cancer Navigators, Women’s Information Network, and as coordinator of the Paint the Town Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign.
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