The West Virginia University Alumni Association will recognize five graduates who have dedicated their time and energy to recruiting activities, community service projects, fundraising and networking events. The quintet will be honored during WVU s Homecoming festivities Oct. 10-11.

This years recipients of the WVU Alumni Associations chapter and service awards are Marc Chini of New Canaan, Conn.; EdwinEdFlowers of Morgantown; Russ Isaacs of Cottageville; Holly Metz of Rockville, Md.; and Sara Roth of Charleston, S.C.

This group of alumni represents the very core of who we are as a university,said Stephen L. Douglas, president and chief executive officer of the Alumni Association.Not only do these individuals work tirelessly to promote the University by recruiting new students, hiring our graduates and providing networking opportunities, they also are actively involved in making their communities a better place to live. These alumni always rally to offer their support to WVU , and we are pleased to recognize them for their outstanding service.

Marc Chini, executive vice president of human resources for NBC Universal, will receive the James R. McCartney Community Service Award. The award recognizes individuals for their outstanding citizenship and service to their community.

Chini graduated with a bachelors degree in business administration in 1980 and a masters degree in industrial relations in 1981, both from WVU . He began his career with GE in 1984 and has held numerous positions within the company, including manager of human resources for sales, service and marketing for GE Appliances.

In 2007, he was named NBC Universals executive vice president of human resources. As an officer for GE, Chini reports directly to Jeff Zucker, president and chief executive officer of NBC Universal.

Since graduating from WVU more than 25 years ago, Chini has been a life member of the WVU Alumni Association and loyal Mountaineer. He works with WVU students and graduates to assist them with career advice and employment/networking opportunities in the New York City area.

Ed Flowers is the recipient of the PaulBuckMartin Award. This award recognizes a member of the WVU Alumni Association who has worked to preserve, maintain and promote the traditions of WVU .

Flowers served as vice president for WVU s Institutional Advancement from 1983-97. During that time, he secured the adoption and commercial development of theFlying WVas the schools official logo.

Before joining the University, Flowers served as a federal bankruptcy judge for the Southern District of West Virginia where he gained national attention for his written opinions under the new bankruptcy code. He has written several books, including his most recent publication,Computer Smarts for Grandparents.

A former student body president, Flowers received a bachelors degree in 1952 and his law degree in 1954, both from WVU . He was president of Sigma Nu fraternity, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Mountain Honorary and the WVU Marching Band, among others.

Since his graduation, he has remained actively involved with the University, serving on the WVU Foundation board of directors and most recently as president of the WVU Alumni Associations Emeritus Club for 2007-08. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the Order of Vandalia, Most Loyal Faculty/Staff Mountaineer and the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Award.

He and his wife, Ellie, also a WVU graduate, have two children and reside in Morgantown.

This years recipient of the David W. Jacobs Lifetime Service Award is Russ Isaacs . This award recognizes support and lifelong service to the WVU Alumni Association.

Isaacs has quietly led behind the scenes, serving as an advocate for the University. He has volunteered his time and expertise by serving as a member of the WVU Foundation board of directors and the WVU Board of Governors. He previously served as a member of the West Virginia Board of Regents.

Isaacs is a life member of the WVU Alumni Associations Old Gold Club. He was a donor to and instrumental in raising additional funds for the former Erickson Alumni Center.

He graduated from WVU in 1958 with a bachelors degree in business administration. As a student, he was a member of Mountain Honorary and served as the first president of the WVU Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national accounting honorary.

Isaacs is a partner in Russell L. Isaacs&Co. He served as chairman and CEO of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund from 2003-05.

In addition to his service to WVU , Isaacs also serves on several boards, including United Bankshares of West Virginia and Tom Seely Furniture Manufacturing Co.

He is married to the former Jill Wilson, also a WVU graduate.

The John F. Nicholas Jr. will be awarded to Holly Metz , president of the National Capital Area Chapter. This award recognizes a member of the WVU Alumni Association who has given outstanding service and contributions to a local alumni chapter.

Metz graduated from WVU in 1986 with a bachelors degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. In 1996, she started Key Staffing Solutions Inc., a permanent placement, career-oriented recruiting firm in the Washington, D.C., metro area. In her position, she actively recruits talented WVU graduates for job opportunities in and around the area.

For more than 10 years, she has been an active member of the National Capital Area Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association. She has been responsible for recruiting new members; assisting with the State of the University Address, Crab Feast and other fundraising activities; and initiating social/networking opportunities for alumni in the Northern Virginia area.

Metz served as president of the chapter for the past two years. She participates in WVU s National Alumni Recruiting Network and attends college fairs to recruit prospective students to WVU . She and her husband, Bruce, live in Rockville, Md.

Sara Roth will receive the Margaret Buchanan Cole Young Alumni Award, which honors a WVU alumnus or alumna who graduated within the last 10 years and has provided outstanding service to the Alumni Association or a local chapter.

Roth, a native of Parkersburg, is president of the Low Country Mountaineers Chapter in Charleston, S.C., one of the associations newest chapters. Under her leadership, the chapter has developed numerous events and activities that help to reconnect alumni to their alma mater, including game watches, community service projects and family events.

In addition to her service to WVU , she also is a member of the Charleston Jaycees, Government Finance Officers Association of South Carolina and the West Virginia Postal History Society, and she serves as an instructor for the Yo-Yo Elite Baton Corps.

Roth received a bachelors degree in business administration in 1997 and a masters degree in public administration in 2000, both from WVU . While a student at WVU , she was a member of the WVU Marching Band and the Student Association of Public Administrators.

She currently serves as an administrative coordinator for the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium.

For more information about the WVU Alumni Association, visit http://alumni.wvu.edu .