2024 Award Recipients

Young Alumnus Award

Justin DeBo graduated from Millikin in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems and a minor in Music. During his time at Millikin, DeBo was a James Millikin Scholar and was active in campus life, including serving as President of the Student Senate, a member of the Millikin PAS Club (Percussive Arts Society) and a Senior Consultant for MU Performance Consulting. As a member of Millikin’s Latin Jazz Project, DeBo traveled to Cuba to perform at the Havana International Jazz Festival, an experience he cites as his favorite MU memory. He is also a Scovill Prize winner and was Millikin’s 2017 Lincoln Laureate.

DeBo has a Master of Business Administration degree from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He is a Senior Consultant with Slalom, a business and technology consulting company and regularly serves as adjunct faculty in the Tabor School of Business, teaching Management Information Systems (MIS) classes. DeBo has co-published two papers in the Information Systems Education Journal with Tabor School of Business Dean RJ Podeschi ’02/MBA ’04 and was selected to present at HashiCorp’s 2022 HashiConf Global Conference on the work he has done with Millikin’s MIS System Administration courses.

DeBo faithfully supports Millikin with his time, talent and treasure. He is a member of Millikin Associates; established the endowed Viette-Huffman-Pepping Internship Fund to provide stipends for Human Services or Art Therapy majors serving in nonprofit internships; and provides financial support for the Millikin Fund, Annual Scholarships, the Center for Theatre & Dance and the School of Music. DeBo further supports his alma mater by recruiting and mentoring students, serving as an advisor for James Millikin Scholars and Honors student projects, and featuring as a guest speaker in classes.

DeBo lives in St. Louis and is engaged to Emily Long, a Millikin alumna from the Class of 2020.

Loyalty Award

A 2007 Millikin graduate, Kendrick Tunstall was a double major, earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and International Business. He played a vibrant role in campus life as President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.; a member of the Football team; an EDGE Mentor; and a member of numerous student organizations including Black Student Union, Millikin Marketing Association, Rotoract and more. A Service Learning Scholar, Tunstall was the recipient of several awards at Millikin, including Millikin Business Plan of the Year, the Exceptional Student Leader Award, and the Helen Moffett Russell Community Service Award. Tunstall’s experience with Alpha Phi Alpha is the source of some of his best MU memories, as was serving as a student worker for former Dean of Students David Womack and his Administrative Assistant, 2020 Faculty/Staff Award recipient Tammy Morrison.

Tunstall is a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones Investments, where he has won the company’s Client Service Excellence Award and is a three-time Edward Jones Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference Qualifier. He has his Series 7, Series 66 and life insurance licenses and has his Accredited Asset Management Specialist designation from The College of Financial Planning. Tunstall serves his community on the Perry Senior Citizens Services Board, as part of Greenwood Business Networking International, and as a Leadership Fellow with the Indianapolis Urban League Exchange.

Tunstall is a dedicated, engaged Millikin alumnus, supporting the Millikin Fund; the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Tau Iota Chapter Scholarship; Annual Scholarships; and the Rick Bibb Scholarship, named in honor of this year’s Faculty/Staff Award winner, Jon F. “Rick” Bibb. He has also served Millikin as a member of the University’s Alumni Association Board.

Tunstall is the son of Earnest and Michele Tunstall and lives in Indianapolis with his wife, Brooke, and their children: Jasmine, Jackson and Jenia.

Merit Award

Rear Admiral Darin K. Via graduated Summa Cum Laude from Millikin in 1987 with his Bachelor of Science in Biology. A James Millikin Scholar, Via was a member of Alpha Epsilon Delta — an honor society for preprofessional health students — and was also a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He met his wife, Terri Freeman Via ’89, at Millikin; his greatest memories on campus involve their relationship, including his proposal to Terri.

Via enlisted in the Navy Reserves between his sophomore and junior years at Millikin, where he was later introduced to Uniformed Services University, enrolling after graduation to pursue his interests in science, medicine and military service. He earned his Doctor of Medicine in 1991 and completed a Master of Healthcare Delivery Science degree from Dartmouth College in 2014. Via has had an illustrious career with the U.S. Navy and was confirmed by the United States Senate in 2023 to serve as Navy Surgeon General. Prior to this appointment, he most recently served as the Deputy Chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery/Deputy Surgeon General of the Navy/Director, Medical Resources, Plans and Policy Division. Via has accumulated a wealth of military accomplishments throughout his career. He served as Expeditionary Medical Facility Director during Operation Iraqi Freedom, was the first Navy Surgeon to be selected as U.S. Central Command Surgeon, was the first Medical Flag Officer to be activated as Deputy Director of Chief of Naval Operations N44 and was the first Navy Commanding Officer of a NATO “Role Three” field hospital.

Via credits Millikin, its dedicated faculty and the value of a liberal arts degree with being instrumental to the success of the University’s students. He plays a role in continuing the institution’s good work and the future accomplishments of the next generation of MU students through his support of the Millikin Fund and Annual Scholarships.

Via and Terri live in Virginia Beach, Va.

Faculty/Staff Award

Jon F. “Rick” Bibb was an Associate Professor of Marketing in Millikin’s Tabor School of Business from 1982 to 2012 and was awarded Emeritus status upon his retirement. During his tenure at Millikin, he served as a James Millikin Scholar Advisor and was selected by his fellow faculty members as the University’s Distinguished Faculty Lecturer in 2006.

Bibb has extensive teaching and leadership experience. In addition to his time as a member of Millikin’s faculty, he has served as Assistant Professor of Marketing at Illinois State University, as a Visiting Instructor at the University of Texas-Austin and as an Instructor at Central Missouri State University.

While working at Millikin, Bibb was instrumental in providing educational and professional development opportunities for students. He established the Millikin Marketing Association and assisted students in various other Marketing and Business student organizations. He also advised the International Marketing Program, which played an instrumental role in helping three international companies position themselves to do work in the United States. While Bibb’s professional accomplishments are many, students best remember him as always going the extra mile. He helped students who needed assistance at every turn — even if he had never had them as students — and he often contacted new graduates to help them forge career paths.

Bibb has faithfully contributed to Millikin University’s mission for decades, supporting such initiatives as the Millikin Fund, the Lindsay Medallion, the Sharon T. Alpi Scholarship, Blue Connection, the Tabor School of Business, the Dr. C. Richard Decker Scholarship and others. He also donated his former home in Decatur to the University through a deed of gift.

Bibb lives in Warsaw, Mo.

Alumnus of the Year

A graduate of the Class of 1983, Douglas Basler received his Bachelor of Science degree in Production Management from Millikin University. He was an active member of campus as part of Millikin’s Sailing Club and Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and he was also a pole vaulter for Men’s Track & Field. One of his best memories of his time at Millikin involves a class trip to the Bahamas during winter term with Dr. Steve Dodge, former Professor of History. The trip required the students to sail a boat from island to island; Basler gained a great appreciation for not only the interactions he had with the local residents, but also the sailing skills he learned along the way. The trip also had historical significance for the students, as they learned about the election of President Ronald Reagan and the freeing of the Iranian hostages at the end of their excursion.

In addition to his Millikin degree, Basler earned a master’s degree in Management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business. He began his career in the production management group of an architectural signage business. After gaining experience in that industry, he left to join his family’s business, United Conveyor Corporation (UCC), which provides engineering, material handling and environmental systems for coal-fired power and other industrial plants. Basler rose to the position of President and led the organization’s strategic focus on emerging international markets before being promoted to CEO. In 2015, UCC acquired Pangborn, an industrial equipment business that served metal-finishing needs manufacturers, and Basler focused his efforts on leading Pangborn. Currently, Basler is the founder, principal family member and CEO of United Generations, LLC, a family-owned holding company that provides operating support for organizations in the industrial manufacturing industry. 

Basler is a devoted champion of his alma mater. He was a member of Millikin’s Board of Trustees from 2008 to 2017 and was named Emeritus Trustee at the end of his final term. He is also a member of Millikin Associates and has been a guest speaker for the Tabor School of Business. He has generously supported many Millikin initiatives, including the Millikin Fund, the David J. & Debra C. Rathje Athletic Center, the Douglas E. Zemke International Fellows Program, the Exercise Science & Sport Facility, the Center for Theatre & Dance, the Scovill Hall Endowed Maintenance fund and many others.

Basler and his wife, Mary Jo, live in Wilmette, Ill. They have one daughter, Lauren, and one son, Michael.

Men’s Golf

Jim Butts of Centerville, Ohio, has the distinction of being a major contributor to the early success of Big Blue Golf. Jim was the first MU golfer to win two CCIW Championships. Millikin’s first CCIW Golf Championship came when Jim and fellow underclassman Ed Leach ’56 led Millikin to a whopping 37-stroke victory over Elmhurst and Illinois Wesleyan in 1949. From that championship team, Jim was elected team captain for both his junior and senior years. And none of MU’s 19 golf championships to date compare to the stirring comeback made by Millikin to win its second CCIW Golf Championship in 1951 — which happened to be Jim’s final round of college golf. On the final round of that day, Millikin was in third place, 11 strokes behind Lake Forest and Carthage. However, Jim’s final collegiate shots — a tee-shot that landed 12 inches from the cup, followed by a tap-in birdie — gave Millikin an undisputed conference title. In his honor, the Big Blue Men’s Golf invitational is named The Jim Butts Classic.

Jim graduated from Millikin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. After graduating, he served four years in the U.S. Navy then worked nearly 40 years for NCR Corp, where he retired as Assistant Vice President for NCR’s Dayton Pacific region in 1993.  Jim and his wife, Peg, have one son, one daughter, five grandchildren and one great-grandson.   His sister, Ruth Butts Murray, and her husband, Art Murray, were members of the Classes of 1955 and 1952, respectively.

Men’s Track & Field and Men’s Cross Country

Steve Schmidt of Clarkston, Mich., was an exemplary runner in both Track & Field and Cross Country, where he lettered in both sports all four years and was named Cross Country MVP (1980, 1981) and captain of Cross Country (1981).  In 1980, he set a school record for the five-mile run in Cross Country, and he still holds second place all-time at MU for the best time running the steeplechase. He also still holds fourth place for all-time at Millikin in the 10,000 meters (1982).

Steve graduated from Millikin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. Since graduating, he has stayed active as a standout runner and is one of only four runners worldwide to complete six decades of completing a sub-three-hour marathon time. In addition, he was a National Champion in his age group for the 2021 USATF Masters Outdoor Track & Field Championship in the 5,000 meters and the 10,000 meters, won first place in the 2021 Chicago Marathon, and competed in the 2022 London Marathon after being the top point scorer for his age group at the 2021 Abbott World Majors Championship. 

Steve is married to his wife, Janice, and he retired as a DEA Special Agent/Pilot for the Department of Justice in 2017. He has eight family members who are Millikin alumni, including his grandfather, Duane Garver ’38, a 1972 AHOF inductee.

Women’s Golf

Diane Imburgia Scearce of Indianapolis was a record-setting member of the Big Blue’s Women’s Golf team. During her four years of golf, Diane helped lead her team to win two Conference Championships (2001, 2002) and was named CCIW Individual Conference Champion in 2001. She was named All-Conference Golfer four times and qualified three times for the NCAA Division III Tournament, where she was recognized with All-American Honorable Mention (2002-03) and named to the All-American Second Team (2002-03). In addition, she ranked in the top five in MU history for lowest 18-hole score (73), lowest 36-hole score (151) and lowest career average (83.55).

Diane graduated from Millikin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and graduated from the Indiana School of Dentistry in 2008. She formed, owned and operated a private dental practice for 13 years and now works part-time as a General Dentist. She and her husband, Zach Scearce, have two sons and one daughter.

Women’s Track & Field

Brittany Sherron of West Lafayette, Ind., excelled as a student-athlete in Women’s Track & Field, where she was named Millikin MVP in Outdoor Track & Field events (2010, 2011) and CCIW Indoor Champion in weight throw (2012). She was also three-time CCIW Conference Champion, named CCIW All-Conference 14 times and named Academic All-Conference four times. In the discus, she was named a 2010 All-American and qualified three times for the National Championships, plus was twice named CCIW Outdoor Champion in discus (2010, 2012). A 2012 recipient of the Lindsay Medallion, she also reached the Millikin top five in record-scoring, including setting an All-Time Best for outdoor discus that still stands today (152’5”).

Brittany graduated from Millikin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. She has since graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis in 2020.  She currently works as an OB-GYN in Indianapolis. She is married to James Rickmon. 

Women’s Swimming

Kaley Wittrock Refenes of Lansing, Kan., a four-year MVP of the Big Blue Women’s Swimming team, set three school records — two of which still stand today: the 500-yard freestyle (5:08.58) and the 200-yard butterfly (2.07.77). Kaley also was a four-time CCIW Academic All-Conference athlete and three-time CCIW Swimmer of the Week. During her notable CCIW Championship performances, Kaley excelled in the freestyle and butterfly and set five school records at the meets.  A 2013 Lindsay Medallion recipient, she also helped coach local Special Olympic swimmers and the Decatur Swim Club while a student.

Since graduating from Millikin with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Mathematics, Kaley earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Emporia State and has worked at USD District 453 in Kansas for 11 years. She taught math at Richard Warren Middle School, where she was named 2018 Building Teacher of the Year, and she coached club and high school swimming for six years. Kaley was also a 2015 Horizon Award nominee for her first year as a Kansas teacher. Kaley is married to James Refenes and has one stepdaughter, Maclee.

Coach Award, Swimming

Carl Johansson, Millikin’s first Swimming Coach, coached the Big Blue Swimming Team from 1969 to 1975. During that time, he coached at least seven CCIW individual champions, and his team won two CCIW Championships (1972, 1973) and reached one Top 15 NAIA finish. Included among his student-athletes was Marcia Morey ’78, who won seven National Championships, was captain of several USA national teams — including the 1976 Olympic team — and was named to the MU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1992. She was the first woman to swim for Millikin.

Carl also developed the Decatur Swim Club into an outstanding group, which helped encourage many individuals to join Millikin and the Swimming Team. After coaching at the Big Blue, Carl coached Women’s Swimming at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1977 to 1992.

Between them, Carl and his wife, Georgia DeFever, have two daughters, two grandsons and one granddaughter.

Team Award

From 1947 to 1955, the Millikin Men’s Basketball Team won six Conference Championships, but the 1950-51 team remains the most notable and memorable. The team finished second in the nation at the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball (NAIB, now NAIA) National Tournament in Kansas City in 1951. Star player and Captain C. Scott Steagall ’51 especially received national attention for his prowess on the court, including scoring 888 points over the course of the season. Steagall and four other starters for the team — Bob Kowa ’53, John Luttrell ’53, Alex Sarran ’51 and Gerald “Jeep” Althoff  ’52 — were said to have “won the crowd in Kansas City but lost the game, 69-61.”

More than 4,000 fans cheered on the team and its coaches, Ralph Allan ’37 and Jack Allen ’49, when they returned to Decatur, and H. Ray Myers ’26, head of the Millikin Alumni Foundation, established a scholarship named for seniors Steagall and Sarran. Other team members include Harry Dubinick ’53, George Fyke ‘51, Richard Lewis ’52, Manager Douglas Lukey ’53, Arthur Murray ’52, Charles Mueller ’54, Kermit Radloff ’52 and Leo Rozycke ’54.

The team was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986.

Team Award

Nineteen Big Blue Men’s Golf Teams have won CCIW Championships, the most championships won by any Millikin sport team. Thirteen of those teams played in the NCAA Division III National Golf Tournament but one team — the 1985 Men’s Golf Team led by Coach Doug Neibuhr ’75 — was the most successful. At the National Tournament, the 1985 team finished in third place, with two California teams taking first and second place. In addition, Bob Jan ’86 placed third and Steve Halvachs ’88 placed fourth individually in a field of players from 18 college teams.

The team’s journey to the National Tournament was also memorable, as the Big Blue defeated second-place Augustana for the CCIW Championship by 39 strokes. It was then the largest margin of victory in the 76-year history of CCIW Tournaments. All five Millikin golfers finished in the top seven at the CCIW Tournament, with Brad Kay ’85 winning medalist honors for the third year in a row as the team won its third straight CCIW Championship. 

Other members of the 1985 team include Paul Bridgman Jr. ’88, Frank Bruno ’88, Doug Evak ’86, Bruce Hartrich ’85, William Scott Kellogg Jr. ’87, Henry “Hank” Mazurek ’86, Brian Peoples ’87, Linc Schneider ’85, Michael Voeller ’88 and Garrett “Gary” Yuenger ’86.