All across the country, alumni devote their time and efforts to promote and support West Virginia University while giving back to their communities.

As part of the 2009 Homecoming celebration, the WVU Alumni Association will honor five alumni for their exemplary service. These dedicated Mountaineers will be honored during the WVU-UConn game (Oct. 24).

The 2009 alumni chapter and service award recipients are: Thomas E. Bold Jr., of York Haven, Pa.; Robert “Bob” Mayhew, of Romney, W.Va.; Kevin Nodianos, of Reston, Va.; James “Doc” Wilson, of Glen Dale, W.Va., and Sonja Wilson, of Rivesville, W.Va.

Tom Bold
Bold, president of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter in Harrisburg, is the recipient of the John F. Nicholas Jr. Award. This award recognizes an alumnus/a who has given outstanding service to a local alumni chapter.

Mr. Bold graduated from WVU in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering. He is the chief of the preparedness, enforcement and security section of the Division of Dam Safety for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

A resident of Harrisburg, Pa., Bold has remained active in his community. During his three years as president of the chapter, he has helped to establish programs and increase activities for alumni and friends. Under his leadership, the chapter’s scholarship program has grown, in large part, due to the organization’s annual golf tournament which raises funds for scholarships for local students attending WVU. He also has worked to organize watch parties, networking opportunities and other activities for alumni and friends living in central Pennsylvania.

Bob Mayhew
Mayhew, owner of Mayhew Chevrolet, is receiving the James R. McCartney Community Service Award. This award honors a member of the WVU Alumni Association who has given outstanding citizenship and service to their community.

Before becoming president and CEO of Mayhew Chevrolet, formerly Pancake Chevrolet, he worked at Jim Stutzeman Chevrolet. Mayhew is active in his community where he devotes much of his time to numerous causes, including the Romney Fire Department, Romney Rotary Club, Hampshire County Chamber of Commerce, Hampshire County Community Foundation, and Central Hampshire Public Service District. He currently serves as president for the Loy Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving history and arts in Hampshire County.

Bob received two degrees from Fairmont State University and attended WVU for undergraduate and post-graduate work. He and his wife, Kim are members of the Old Gold Club and life members of the association. They have four children and two grandchildren.

Kevin Nodianos
Nodianos is the recipient of the Margaret Buchanan Cole Young Alumni Award. This award honors alumni who graduated from WVU within the last 10 years and have provided outstanding service to the alumni association or a local chapter.

With a passion for banking and business, Nodianos founded the first WVU alumni business council – the Mountaineer Alliance – for his local chapter in the Washington, D.C. area. This group provides WVU alumni and friends the opportunity to promote products/services, as well as their individual businesses. The program also provides networking opportunities for Mountaineers.

Nodianos is an assistant manager at PNC Bank in Sterling, Va. He and his wife, Bridget Giles Nodianos, who is also a WVU graduate, live in Reston.

Dr. Jim Wilson
The David W. Jacobs Lifetime Service Award will be awarded to Dr. Jim Wilson. This award recognizes support and lifelong service to the WVU Alumni Association.

Wilson graduated from WVU in 1963 and has remained actively engaged in the life of his alma mater. He served on the WVU Athletic Council and the WVU Alumni Board of Directors where he served as president from 2000-01. Wilson currently serves on the WVU School of Dentistry Visiting Committee.

In addition to his service to his alma mater, Dr. Wilson has volunteered his time to numerous community organizations, including the Marshall County School Board, serving 20 years; the State School Board Association where he served for 15 years; and the Ohio River Valley Council Boy Scouts of America, dedicating 25 years of service to the organization.

Dr. Wilson and his wife, Ann, have three children – all WVU graduates.

Sonja Wilson
Wilson will be awarded the Paul B. “Buck” Martin Award. This award honors a graduate who strives to preserve, maintain and promote the traditions of WVU.

Sonja, a 2008 graduate of WVU, has been employed at WVU since 1984 spending the majority of her career in human resources and student affairs.

A loyal supporter of university and alumni activities/events, she serves as senior programming coordinator for WVU’s Student Affairs where she directs all functions for Mountaineer Week, Mountaineer Idol, the Student Affairs Hall of Fame Program, and WVUp All Night. One of her primary responsibilities is serving as the advisor and scheduling coordinator for the WVU Mountaineer Mascot. Sonja also organizes a reunion for former Mountaineer mascots every five years as part of the Mountaineer Week celebration.

Sonja was named WVU’s Employee of the Year in 1989 and Most Loyal Staff Mountaineer in 2007. She currently serves on the State Board of Directors for the Miss West Virginia Scholarship Organization.

Sonja and her husband, Mark, also an employee of WVU, have two children, Ben and Kaylee who both graduated from WVU in 2009.

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CONTACT: Tara Curtis, WVU Alumni Association
304-293-4731, tecurtis@mail.wvu.edu