Distinguished Service Award
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Sabrina DeFonce Bengel
Sabrina Bengel’s passion for service has had a significant impact at East Carolina University over the past decade. As a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors for seven years including a term as chair, Bengel presided during a time when programs expanded, membership grew, and scholarship awards increased. Her service to East Carolina extends beyond the Alumni Association. She is a current member of ECU’s Board of Visitors and Joyner Library Advancement Council, and is a former member of the ECU Foundation Board of Directors.
Outside her service to the University, Bengel is a local entrepreneur who represents the City of New Bern, NC First Ward as Alderwoman. Currently, Bengel is the managing partner of “The Birthplace of Pepsi” located in downtown New Bern showcasing Pepsi’s early beginnings. She also serves as president of New Bern Tours & Convention Services, a company she founded that manages New Bern’s Historic District trolley tours.
Born in Harrison, NY, she attended Quinnipiac College in Hamden, CT, before transferring to ECU in 1977. She married her college “blind date” Steve Bengel ’79 in 1980 and they have two children: Buddy, 30, and Becky, 28. Both she and her husband are Centennial Pirate members of the Alumni Association.
Bengel is also CEO of Riverfront Sports & Entertainment Group, parent company of the Morehead City Marlins baseball team, which is managed by her son Buddy. In February of 2011, Bengel and her husband Steve along with daughter Becky opened Baker’s Kitchen, a homestyle restaurant and bakery specializing in breakfast. They also partner in R.E. Bengel Sheet Metal Co., a family business started in 1910.
Her early business career started in the travel industry in 1980. She went on to own and operate NS Travel for ten years and then worked as the marketing manager for Quixote Travels for five years. She spent 12 years serving on the Craven County Tourism Development Authority, with two terms as chair, and was appointed to the NC Travel and Tourism Board of Directors in 2011 by the North Carolina Senate. Bengel was appointed by the UNC Board of Governors to serve on the UNC-TV Board of Trustees where she currently serves as Vice President. She has also served on various medical, historical, athletic and arts boards for her county and city. She was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 1994 by the New Bern Chamber of Commerce. She considers the people of eastern North Carolina our region’s greatest resource.
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Kay Haskell Chalk '76
Kay Chalk is a prolific volunteer with many service and leadership roles, but she is best known for her work to develop the Women’s Roundtable at ECU. Founded in 2003, the Women’s Roundtable acknowledges the contribution of women to East Carolina University’s legacy and encourages new levels of commitment by women to the university’s future. The Roundtable focuses on raising funds for Access and endowed scholarships, building a strong volunteer base of women for ECU and forming a deeper pool of women to be considered for other leadership roles at the university.
Chalk served as chair of the Women's Roundtable Board of Directors from 2006 to 2010. While chair, she coordinated the event “A Legacy of Leadership: One Hundred Incredible ECU Women” in 2007. She is now chair of the new Honors College Advancement Council.
Chalk earned her undergraduate degree in education from the University of Arizona and completed her master of arts in elementary education at ECU in 1976. She spent twenty years working in public education as a classroom teacher, reading specialist and administrative executive. Her husband Ken earned both his degrees at ECU and is now a member of the University Board of Trustees.
The Chalks are founding members of the Chancellor’s Society and members of the Order of the Cupola. Kay and Ken were among the first donors to endow an East Carolina Scholars Award, the university’s most prestigious scholarship. They have also supported the Access Scholarship program from its beginning in 2007. The couple is currently endowing the Kay Chalk Women’s Roundtable Access Scholarship.
In the past, Chalk has served on the Governor’s Business Council for the Arts and Humanities and on the NC School of the Arts Giannini Advisory Committee. She was active in the Wilson County United Way, serving as campaign chair and president. She was also president of the Wilson County Heart Association and leadership conference chair for the American Heart Association’s State Board.
The Chalks have lived in Winston-Salem for seventeen years. Kay is a past president of the Friends of Brenner Children’s Hospital and a past co-chair of their fundraising event, Cheers. She is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Old Salem Museums and Gardens where she also served on their executive committee and chaired the education committee.
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Robert S. Rippy '75, '96
Robert Rippy has been a supporter of ECU throughout his career. He has been a member of the Alumni Association board as well being involved with several other boards and organizations at the University. He is the owner of Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park in Wilmington, NC, after leading a distinguished career in the financial planning industry.
Rippy earned his bachelor of science education in biology from ECU in 1975. He also earned his master's of education in science from here in 1996. After teaching science at A.G. Cox Middle School in 1977-78, he became the owner of Car Wash Enterprises. From there he worked as the Vice President of EF Hutton and Co., and of Robinson Humphrey and Co. He then served four years as the Executive Vice President of The Equity Group from 1990 to 1994. He became President of Wrightsville Farms Management Group, which runs the fun park, in 1997.
He has been a chair of many organizational boards including the Cape Fear Community College Board of Trustees, Cape Fear Visitors Bureau, the Wilmington International Airport Authority, and the Friends of Airlie Gardens. He was also chair of the board for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, an industry organization that consists of 4100 members in 143 countries.
He has been a member of the ECU Board of Visitors, the ECU Foundation, Cape Fear Community College Foundation, and the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. He also lent his financial expertise to the Pirate Club Investment Advisory Committee. He is a member of ECU’s Health and Human Performance Advancement Council and former member of the College of Education Advancement Council. He also has been a member of the UNC-Wilmington School of Business Advisory Board and the UNCW Entrepreneurial Advisory Board. He also earned an Outstanding Alumni Award from the ECU College of Education in 2007.
Rippy is married to Jennifer Jones Rippy ’73. They live in Wilmington, NC.
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Honorary Alumni Award
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Dr. Charles R. Coble
Dr. Charles Coble is a tireless advocate and renowned expert in teacher education. Coble joined the ECU Department of Science Education in 1972. He was selected dean of the then-named School of Education at ECU from 1983 to 1996. While dean, he led in the creation of ECU’s first non-medical doctoral program, the EdD in educational leadership.
Coble served as vice president for University-School Programs for the UNC system from 1996 to 2005. In that role he created the UNC Center for School Leadership Development for teachers and administrators and statewide NC TEACH program. Upon his retirement from UNC, he was named vice president for Policy Studies and Programs for the Education Commission of the United States, in Denver, Colorado.
Coble has directed more than $12 million in grants and is the author or co-author of ten books and more than 80 published articles. In June 2002, he was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest honor given to civilians in the state of North Carolina. He holds an associate of arts degree in science from Mars Hill College and a bachelor’s degree in botany, a master’s degree in science education, and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, all from UNC Chapel Hill.
From his first job as a high school science teacher in Wilmington to his current status as a national consultant and professor emeritus of science education at ECU, Coble has worked to improve the education of teachers in North Carolina and all over the U.S. Recently, he defended the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program to the state legislature, since he was dean of education when the ECU Teaching Fellows program was initially established.
Currently, Coble is co-founder and partner of Teacher Preparation Analytics, LLC. He is also the founder of The Third Mile Group, which focuses on education and social policy. In addition, he currently serves as the co-director of the Science and Mathematics Teacher Imperative under the Association for Public and Land-Grant Universities in Washington, D.C. He also serves as a consultant to the National Commission on Teaching for America’s Future and to several state systems of higher education. Today he lives in Chapel Hill with his wife, Diana, a former lecturer in the ECU School of Business and a counselor with ECU Family Medicine.
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Edgar R. Loessin
East Carolina is widely regarded as a premier destination for students aspiring to a career in theatre arts; a distinction born out of the founding vision and transformational leadership of Edgar Loessin.
Originally from Houston, Texas, Loessin earned his bachelor’s degree in dramatic arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master of fine arts in directing at Yale University’s renowned School of Drama. Later, he worked at the famed Actors Studio in New York.
After serving two years in the U.S. Army, Loessin resumed his directing and producing career in New York City. On Broadway, he was stage manager for Carol Channing’s Show Girl and the national tour of Gypsy with Mary McCarty and Jules Munchin. He also directed plays off-Broadway and in numerous summer theaters in New England.
In 1962, at the invitation of President Leo Jenkins, Loessin came to East Carolina and created the Department of Drama and Speech, which later became the School of Theatre and Dance. From the start, Loessin’s drama program stressed practical preparation for theater careers – training students in all aspects of theatre production, both on stage and behind the scenes.
Although he originally planned to return to New York, Edgar remained the constant throughout twenty-eight years of growth and change at East Carolina. Under his leadership, the faculty and staff grew, the program expanded, graduates found professional work, and entered top graduate schools. Offering a variety of musicals, dramas and comedies, his productions fulfilled a need for fine arts in the region. The tradition of excellence in theatre arts that Edgar Loessin began in 1962 continues today at East Carolina University.
For his work and service, Loessin was presented with the UNC Board of Governors O. Max Gardner Award, the Roanoke Island Morrison Award, and the Carolina Playmakers Outstanding Alumni Award. In 1987, Loessin received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the highest honor bestowed upon a citizen of North Carolina, from Governor Jim Martin. His students and colleagues remember him as a gifted producer and director, and as an engaging teacher.
Loessin passed away in April of 2011 but his legacy lives on in the faculty he inspired, in the students he educated, in his family including his beloved wife Amanda, and in the program that is a source of great pride for the University.
His name now adorns a number of the programs he built including the ECU/Loessin Playhouse, the ECU/Loessin Summer Theatre and with this honor he joins the ranks of generations of ECU alumni.
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Outstanding Alumni Award
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Dr. Sharon Allison-Ottey '95
Dr. Sharon Allison-Ottey is a doctor whose life's mission is to educate and empower patients to be active participants in their health. A native of Kannapolis, NC, she knew from a very early age that she wanted to be a doctor. Since earning her medical degree from ECU Brody School of Medicine in 1995, she has gone on to be an author, speaker, advocate and community health leader. She is devoted to addressing minority health disparities and improving women’s health.
During her time at ECU, Dr. Sharon served as President of the Student National Medical Association’s (SNMA) campus chapter. Later she became one of the first female chairs of the national Board of Directors for SNMA and the first female to be named chair emeritus.
Dr. Sharon is one of the founding members of the COSHAR Foundation, a national non-profit dedicated to improving world health one community at a time through sharing culturally relevant healthcare information with whose health is vulnerable due to lack of access or socioeconomic barriers. Under the foundation, Dr. Sharon developed the National Health Ministry Network (NHMN), which provides information and programs to thousands of member houses of worship and community organizations.
She has held numerous leadership positions in medical and non-medical organizations, including previously serving on the Board of Trustees of the National Medical Association (NMA) and as chair of the Council on the Concerns of Women Physicians. She was the youngest recipient of the Scroll of Merit in 2002, the NMA’s highest award. She was a founding board member of the Partnership for Clear Health Communications, which focused on improving health literacy in the U.S.
In addition to her community health work, Dr. Sharon is an accomplished author of several books, a greeting card line and many medical articles. She is also a nationally sought-after speaker for medical professionals but also civic and community organizations. Dr. Sharon has hosted a popular radio show, appeared on local and syndicated television programs and has been quoted in several nationwide publications like USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Essence and Ebony magazines.
Today, she lives in Maryland and continues to attempt to make a difference in the lives that she touches.
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Robert Paul Benzon '71
Bob Benzon is a decorated military veteran who worked to make flying safer for passengers and pilots for almost 30 years with the National Transportation Safety Board. He likes to say that he was trying to put himself out of business; in other words, if his organization succeeds through complete and thorough safety investigations, then it is no longer needed.
Benzon earned his bachelor of arts degree in history from ECU in 1971. After graduating, Benzon became a commissioned Air Force officer and immediately went to flight school in Mississippi. He then flew combat missions over Vietnam while stationed at Da Nang Air Force Base.
Benzon’s military service earned him numerous Air Medals, Air Force Commendation Medals, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor designation, and the Republic of Vietnman Cross of Gallantry with Palm.
Upon leaving active military duty in 1984, he joined the National Transportation Safety Board in its Chicago Field Office. There, he investigated 64 fatal general aviation accidents. In 1987, he transferred to the NTSB headquarters in Washington, D.C. Since then, he has been the Investigator in Charge of 33 major domestic aircraft accident investigations and the official U.S. representative in a similar number of international aviation accident investigations of U.S. interest.
He was the investigator-in-charge of the investigation of the famed “Miracle on the Hudson” in 2009. In that accident, Captain Chesley Sullenberger landed US Airways Flight 1549 safely on the Hudson River with no fatalities or major injuries after hitting a flock of geese, which disabled both engines. He also led the team of the NTSB investigators at the World Trade Center site following the September 11th terrorist attacks. Benzon received the NTSB’s highest annual honor for investigators, the Chairman’s Award, in 2006.
He retired from government service last year and currently lives in Fredericksburg, VA, with his wife, Susan Benzon.
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Robert George Rankin IV '70
Bob Rankin is a distinguished artist who has not only crafted his own works, but also taught hundreds of students how to create their own. He has encouraged over 100 students to major in art at ECU. As a refocused high school art teacher, he maintains an active studio in Raleigh and one in Leesville Lake, VA. He also conducts art workshops across the country and in Italy.
Rankin earned his bachelor's degree in art education from ECU in 1970. While at ECU, he was a member of the Kappa Alpha order as well as a cheerleader and head cheerleader from 1967-1970. He then studied at the NC State University School of Design and the American Institute of Foreign Study in London. Then Rankin taught for more than 25 years at Sanderson High School in Wake County. From 1982 to 1985, he served as the co-chairman of the NC Art Education Association, Secondary Division.
His artwork has been exhibited in New York City, Philadelphia, Aspen, and many cities across the U.S. The former King of Morocco even has one of his paintings after an international invitational show in Marrakesh. His work hangs in many corporate and private collections around the world.
Rankin is an enthusiastic world traveler. His travels often inspire his work, such as a series of paintings representing scuba diving adventures in Fiji and the Red Sea. One of his paintings incorporated volcanic ash to create texture. He has sailed under the Harbor Bridge in Sydney, Australia, skied the Tasman Glacier in New Zealand, hiked the Virunga Volcano to see the mountain gorillas in the Congo, glided in a hot air balloon across the Seregeti, walked the Great Wall of China and floated on the Ganges and the Nile.
Rankin has received many awards in his career. He was honored as the Secondary Art Educator of the Year by the NC Art Education Association. He is a seven-time Spectator/Metro Magazine Best Artist in the Triangle winner. He won the Raleigh Medal of Arts in 1992. He started Raleigh’s premier art festival Artsplosure. He is currently a member of the Raleigh Arts Commission. Under his guidance, Sanderson High School earned National Scholastic Art Awards and became recognized as one of the nation’s premier high school art programs by the National Scholastic Art Awards Organization.
Rankin currently lives and creates in Raleigh.
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