2014 Jesse S. Heiges Distinguished Alumnus Award

Seven individuals are recipients of the 2014 Jesse S. Heiges Distinguished Alumnus Award, one of four awards presented during Alumni Weekend 2014 at Shippensburg University.Recipients of the Heiges Award are Melissa J. Balogh, Class of 1992; Brian L. Heckler, Class of 1984; Dr. David B. Peichert, Class of 1977; Ray W. Reber, Class of 1955; Randal T. Rhoade, Class of 1993; Marcie (Ditzler) Taylor, Classes of 1992 and 1997M; and Randall L. Taylor, Classes of 1993 and 2000M.

Brian Heckler, '84 with Interim President, Jody Harpster

Brian Heckler of Evanston, Ill., graduated with a degree in accounting and is a partner in the Chicago office of KPMG LLP where he was recently appointed as the National Advisory Industry Leader for the Diversified Industrial segment, overseeing a portfolio of more than 300 national clients. He is also a member of the US Transactions Services Leadership Team at the firm, focusing on accounting and reporting consultation to clients on mergers, acquisitions, initial public offerings, restatements, joint ventures, and divestitures. He also served a two-year Professional Accounting Fellowship within the Office of the Chief Accountant in the United States Securities Exchange Commission. In addition, he serves or has served on various community and civic organizations including for the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago and as a board member of the Children’s Play Room Inc. in Harrisburg, a child abuse prevention organization. He also received the university’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.

Picture, from left, are John Muscarella, SU Alumni Association president,
Randal Rhoade, '93, and SU Interim President Jody Harpster.

Randal Rhoade, of Palmyra, graduated with a degree in business administration and began his career in Harrisburg with the Pennsylvania State Treasury. He then began work in various non-profit service agencies around the world. He is currently assistant country director-finance and administration in Laos for CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. He served several years in the Peace Corps in West Africa followed by work as office manager for Hospital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti and then service there as finance and administrative specialist and country director for Habitat for Humanity. His other positions have included working with Action Against Hunger and the American Refugee Committee in various countries including, the Dominican Republic of the Congo, Chad and Kenya. While working in South Sudan operations, he and two colleagues were taken hostage by rebel groups and held for three months in the Somali desert before being released.