Annual Alumni Awards

The Hugh Brenneman Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor presented to alumni. The award recognizes alumni who have brought distinction to the College through their professions, have set strong examples for others and have served their communities in one or more of the following ways:

• Personal accomplishments whereby the prestige of the College is enhanced.
• Distinguished service or achievement in any field of human endeavor, including family, community, business and industry, science or the professions.
• Unusual or singular contributions to the development of cultural and spiritual life in society.

The George and Bess Brown Hebert Award is presented to alumni for their loyalty and service to Alma College and to the Alumni Association. The award was named in memory of George Hebert, the 1920 alumnus whose love of Alma College and work on behalf of the institution was an inspiration to all alumni.

The Smith Distinguished Service Award is named in honor of Art ’38 and Carra Jones ’42 Smith. The recipient is a graduate who believes in Alma College and has assisted with student recruitment; provided career steps through offering internships or employment or visiting the campus to attend events or speak to a class; or served on a College council or board.

The Young Alumni Award recognizes an alumnus between 5 and 15 years post-graduation who is following through on the values of Alma College while attaining a high level of professional accomplishment and exemplary volunteer or other public service on a local, state, national or international level. Their volunteer/service can include participation in clubs, service organizations, and professional associations in addition to service to Alma College since graduating.

The Alma College Lynne Sherwood Women’s Leadership Award was created in 2024 to honor women in the state of Michigan from a variety of fields who have made an impact in leadership roles. The award is named after Lynne Sherwood, who served on the Alma College Board of Trustees from 2002-12.

Sherwood was one of only eight of the first women admitted to the Master of Business Administration program at Harvard Business School in 1963. She graduated from Harvard the following year and moved on to what was then known as Goldman, Sachs & Co., where she was the first female MBA to be hired by the firm.

Sherwood had a distinguished career with Goldman Sachs, serving for 35 years as securities analyst, vice president and associate director of special projects, before returning to Grand Haven.

She passed away in 2016, far too soon. Lynne Sherwood is remembered as a trailblazer for women who never forgot her roots in Michigan.

The Lynn Sherwood Women’s leadership award recognizes a female alumni or friend of the college who has made an impact in her field(s) and shows dedication to the advancement of women in Michigan.

The parade grand marshal for Alma College Homecoming is a figurehead who should represent the essence of Alma College and be a draw for alumni to return to campus.
The grand marshal shall be either:
• A former faculty or staff member who has retired on good terms
• A donor or friend of the College who has been very involved and invested in College proceedings over a significant span of time