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Westminster College to Award Alumni Citations Oct. 11

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Posted on Friday, September 27, 2013

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Westminster College will award Alumni Citations to Todd S. Cole, David D. Deal, Timothy W. Kaiser and Rebecca A. Rickard at the annual Distinguished Alumni Dinner 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11, in the John S. Witherspoon Room of the McKelvey Campus Center.

The Westminster College Alumni Citations were created to recognize alumni who achieved significant accomplishments in their profession or made meaningful contributions to the community or Westminster. 

Todd S. Cole `83 has spent more than 30 years making an impact on the lives of children. An award-wining teacher in the Laurel School District, Cole was a first grade teacher for 25 years and has spent the past six years in fourth grade classrooms. As an educator, Cole consistently urges parents to encourage the education process by reading to their children at home, and has been turning his fourth graders into published authors by working with the company, Every Child an Author, which publishes students' writings in a book format.

Cole was named Teacher of the Year by the Laurel Community Foundation, Lawrence County's Educator of the Year, and was named one of the top three early educators for Disney Teacher of the Year.

David D. Deal `86, a former four-year letterman player on the Westminster football team and three time winner of the NAIA scholar-athlete award, is now the vice president and regional market manager of NV Homes. Deal has recruited nearly 30 alumni to serve on his team at NV Homes, and all have similar words about his character: leader, committed, dedicated, driven, and altruistic. In addition, Deal has served as a speaker for the Westminster Career Center, offering guidance and insight to students entering the job market.

Timothy W. Kaiser `85, an Oakmont native, earned his degree in telecommunications, and within five years he was the producer of one of the greatest television sitcoms of all times - "Seinfeld." He also went on to produce another long-running show, "Will and Grace." He is currently working on the hit CBS comedy "Two Broke Girls," now in its third season. Kaiser has earned two Emmys, a Golden Globe and a People's Choice Award. Additionally, he has self-produced "Rock Prophecies," a documentary about rock and roll photographer Robert Knight, and has helped launch the career of rising rock-pop guitar prodigy Tyler Bryant.

Rebecca A. Rickard `98 will receive this year's Outstanding Young Alumni Award. The award honors a graduate of the last 15 years for serving his or her community, Westminster, or profession with distinction and shows great promise for the future.

Rickard, who was a theatre major and music and broadcast communications minor at Westminster, began her career at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. From assisting the theatre's artistic and executive director to later becoming its group sales and audience development manager, Richard was determined to "keep the arts alive in Pittsburgh." Rickard is now an account executive with Pittsburgh Magazine, a monthly lifestyle magazine about all things Pittsburgh.

She is a board member to Lending Hearts, a nonprofit organization in the Pittsburgh area that provides educational and recreational programs for children with cancer. She is a member of the Westminster Alumni Council and the Pittsburgh Regional Alumni Committee. In 2004, the College selected Rickard as Distinguished Lecturer. She has routinely volunteered her time to network with students, offering insight into her chosen career and helping to guide Westminster students.

Reservations are required. Please contact the alumni office by Oct. 2 at 724-946-7364 or email.