Alumni Association Honors

Dinner
Thursday, October 29, 2015

Welcome
Dinner
Entertainment
featuring
The NSU Jazz Ensemble

Half Century Club Induction

Celebrating the Class of 1965

Alumni Association
Honoree Recognition
Bill John Baker 72
Distinguished Alumni

Darrell Sullenger 52
Distinguished Alumni

Kelly Bailey 97

Outstanding Young Alumna

Earl Sears 75 & 81

Presidents Award for
Community Service

2015 Alumni Association Honorees

Bill John Baker
Distinguished Alumni
Bill John Baker is a 1972 graduate of NSU and serves
as the 17th elected chief of the Cherokee Nation, the
largest tribal nation in the U.S. He will begin serving
his second term as Principal Chief with the August
14 inauguration. Prior to Bakers political career, he
built Baker Furniture into one of Tahlequahs most prominent and
respected businesses after purchas- ing it near the end of his time at
NSU in the 1970s.
Darrell Sullenger
Distinguished Alumni
Darrell Sullenger is a 1952 graduate of NSU. He
worked for 35 years at Atlantic Richfield as a financial analyst, retiring in 1990. Currently he serves as
a Trustee on the NSU Foundation Board. He is very
active in the NSU Athletic Association, serving on the
executive committee and he is the co-founder of the Fast Forties
alumni group. In 2005 Sullenger was inducted into the NSU Athletics
Hall of Fame.
Kelly Bailey
Outstanding Young Alumna
Kelly Bailey is a 1997 graduate of NSU and holds a
masters degree from the University of Oklahoma
and a Ph.D. from Walden University and Oklahoma
State University. Currently, Bailey serves as the CEO
of Sweet Adelines International, a worldwide organi
zation of 23,000 women singers who aim to advancethe musical art
form of barbershop harmony through education, competition and
performance.
Earl Sears
Presidents Award for Community Service
Earl Sears is a 1975 and 1981 graduate of NSU and
currently serves as a State Representative of the
11th District. He is also the Chair of the State House
Appropriation & Budget Committee. Each year, the
Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Young Alum
ni honorees are chosen by the Alumni Associations board of directors. The recipient of the Presidents Award for Community Service
is selected jointly by both the University president and the Alumni
Association president.