Mountaineers are generous in their service and commitment to West Virginia University. Five graduates who exemplify that commitment will be recognized during WVU Homecoming festivities Sept. 30-Oct. 1. Rawnette Murray, Brian Martin, Juli Hatcher, Jeffrey Layne, and Sandy Barton will be honored as the 2011 WVU Alumni Association Chapter/Service award recipients during the halftime celebration of the WVU-Bowling Green game.

“Alumni volunteers are vital to everything we do as an Alumni Association and as a University,” said Steve Douglas, president and CEO, WVU Alumni Association. “Each of these individuals has given their time and passion to helping raise money, recruit students, preserve tradition and enhance the overall mission of our alma mater.”

Rawnette Murray

Rawnette Murray will be awarded the Paul “Buck” Martin Award for Traditions. This award recognizes those individuals who work to preserve, maintain and promote the traditions of WVU.

Born and raised in Uniontown, Pa., Murray serves as a program analyst in the Office of Management and Policy – Office of Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Labor. Earlier in her career she served as the staff assistant to the chief of staff in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor.

Murray is a member of both the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Committee and the National Alumni Recruiting Network. As part of her service to the network, Murray has volunteered at college fairs throughout northern Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia, where she has been instrumental in recruiting students to WVU.

Murray graduated from WVU in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. While at WVU, Murray was the recipient of a Storer Scholarship, a W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship and was a member of Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity. Murray lives in Alexandria, Va.

Brian Martin

The James R. McCartney Community Service Award will be presented to Brian Martin for his outstanding citizenship and service.

Martin graduated from WVU in 1994 with a bachelor’s degree in advertising. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Currently, he is a regional sales manager for Q1 Labs in Maryland.

Martin has remained actively involved with his alma mater on a number of fronts and was recently recognized for his gift to the WVU Alumni Association honoring his late friend, Jim Samuel, who was killed during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The University seal, the gift from Martin and his family, is located at The Erickson Alumni Center in honor of Samuel.

In addition to his service to his alma mater, Martin is the director of basketball for Middletown Valley Athletic Association and serves as the assistant women’s basketball coach at Hood College in Frederick, Md. Martin and his wife, Laura, have three children named Collin, Bryce and Mckenna.

Juli Hatcher

Juli Hatcher will be awarded the Margaret Buchanan Cole Young Alumni Award. The award is presented to an alumnus who graduated within the last 10 years and has provided outstanding service to the WVU Alumni Association or local chapter.

Hatcher graduated from WVU with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history in 2003. Hatcher was a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, Student Government Association and Mountaineer Maniacs. She interned for the West Virginia State Legislature and the WVU Alumni Association.

In 2005, Hatcher opened her own business, JH Records Research, Inc., where she conducts criminal and civil background searches in North Central West Virginia. She recently expanded her business to cover the entire state.

Hatcher, a native of Ripley, W.Va., currently serves on the Kappa Kappa Gamma Advisory Board, Kappa Kappa Gamma House Board, Advisory Board for the Mountaineer Maniacs, Generation Morgantown and Public Record Retriever Network. She is also vice president of the University Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association.

Jeff Layne

The John F. Nicholas Jr. Award recognizes a member of the WVU Alumni Association who has given outstanding service and contributions to a local alumni chapter. This year’s recipient is Jeff Layne.

Layne bleeds gold and blue. He is proud to be a life member of the WVU Alumni Association, and he is a proud father of a current WVU student. Layne served as president of the Central Virginia Chapter of WVU Alumni Association from 2003-2009. Today, he and his wife, Madonna, volunteer their time as chairs of the Mountaineer Parents Club in Richmond, Va.

Layne graduated from WVU in 1990. After graduation, he began his financial services career and was named Advisor of the Year in 2010. During that year he also joined Farmers Insurance Group and was the Farmers Eastern Market Operation Cup Winner. From 2002-2003 he served as the Society of Financial Service Professionals, Richmond Chapter President. Today he serves as Region III vice president for NAIFA and is a Life and Financial Sales Specialist for Farmers Insurance Group.

In addition to his service to WVU, Layne also coaches a big league team in the Richmond area. He and Madonna are the proud parents of six children.

Sandy Barton

Sandy Barton has lived a life full of service and support to the WVU Alumni Association. In recognition of this extraordinary service, he will be awarded with the David Jacobs Lifetime Service Award. This award was named for David W. Jacobs who served as director of the WVU Alumni Association for more than 37 years.

Barton, a native of Grafton, W.Va., is manager of State Treasurer John D. Perdue’s Morgantown Regional Office. As a field representative for the Treasurer, every year Sandy helps return thousands of dollars in unclaimed property back to individuals and businesses in the Morgantown area. He also works to promote the SMART529 College Savings Program, the West Virginia Retirement Plus Plan, the NetWorth Financial Education initiative and other programs administered by the Treasurer’s Office.

Prior to working for Treasurer Perdue, Barton owned the Mountaineer Hut and worked closely with the WVU Alumni Association to sell and donate items. Barton graduated cum laude from WVU in 1979 with a major in political science and a minor in speech communications. While at WVU he served two terms on the Student Government Association Board of Directors and was also a member of Alpha Omega national service fraternity. He was also a Truman Scholarship candidate.

With a passion for politics and civic duty, Sandy has donated much of his spare time to educating voters. He served as an alternate delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention and was chosen by the Monongalia County Democratic Executive Committee in 2006 as the Outstanding Democrat of the Year.

Sandy and his wife of 23 years, Mary Ann Guido of Morgantown, have two children Dena and Frank. Sandy and his family live in Morgantown.

For more information about Homecoming activities, visit: http://homecoming.wvu.edu/.

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-WVU-

CONTACT: Tara Curtis, WVU Alumni Association
304-293-0972, tecurtis@mail.wvu.edu

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