Circle of Gold

Nominations for Circle of Gold open January 1.

The FSU Alumni Association’s Circle of Gold recognizes worthy individuals who, through their service and achievements, personify the university’s tradition of excellence. It is given to those alumni and/or friends of FSU who, through their dedication and loyalty to the University, exemplify the Alumni Association’s core values of Tradition, Leadership, Family, Spirit and Greatness.

Circle of Gold and Bernard F. Sliger Honorees will be recognized at the Florida State University Alumni Awards during Homecoming weekend.

Current Honorees

Jennifer Tankersley Collins
B.S. ’93, J.D. ’96

Andrea Friall, M.D.
B.S. ’93

Zach Heng
B.S. ’07

Cricket Mannheimer
BFA ’81, M.S.’ 94

Bob Sasser
B.S. ’73

Nomination Information

Requirements:

Individuals must be recognized for their service and achievements.
They should personify the university’s tradition of excellence.
Recipients must demonstrate dedication and loyalty to the university.
Exemplifies the Alumni Association’s core values, which include: Tradition, Leadership, Family, Spirit and Greatness

A complete nomination includes:

Nomination form: Please provide accurate and current information for the nominee and the nominator.
Statement of nomination: Please provide a statement of nomination describing the nominee's devotion to Florida State University.
At least two letters of support: A completed nomination will include at least two Letters of Support. A strong nomination will contain at least one letter from a respected colleague in the nominee's area of professional distinction.

Nominations:

Nominees must be placed in formal nomination each year with a completed online nomination form. Nominations can be made by anyone. Nominations will be solicited through the Florida State University Alumni Association’s newsletters, social media and alumni chapters and networks. All nominations must be received by the Alumni Association upon the designated due date each year.

Important Dates:

January 1, 2026 - Nominations open
March 31, 2026 - Nominations close
April-June - Verification and review process
Summer 2026 - Honorees are notified
Fall 2026 - Honorees are recognized during Homecoming

Process: A committee appointed by the Alumni Association National Board of Directors selects the recipients of the Circle of Gold. Each year’s recipients are notified upon approval of the Engagement Committee in the spring. If a nominee is not selected in a particular year, they may be re-nominated in succeeding years.

Self-nominations and FSU faculty/staff will not be considered. Exceptional nominations for non-degreed friends of Florida State University will be considered.

Florida State University Alumni Association reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine the final list.

Previous Honorees

1993 Honorees

Bernard F. Sliger

1994 Honorees

Charles D. Ausley
Robert C. Bowden
William M. Durham Jr.
Charles W. Ehrhardt
Daisy P. Floruy
Donald A. Gifford
Katherine B. Hoffman
Bolley L. Johnson
Leslie V. Pantin, Jr.

1995 Honorees

Gordon W. Blackwell
Milton S. Carothers
John E. Champion
Talbot D' Alemberte
Mary D. Findley
Mary P. Hutchinson
Betty Lou W. Joanos
James E. Joanos
J. Lester Kaney
George R. Langford
Dale W. Lick
J. Stanley Marshall
James H. Melton
Avery Roberts
T.K. Weatherell

1996 Honorees

Cassandra D. Jenkins
James E. King Jr.
Sarah L. Marxsen
R. Andrew Miller
Mary Loud Norwood
William M. Parker
William G. Smith Jr.
Guy M. Spearman
Beverly B. Spencer
June F. Strauss
H. Kenza van Assenderp

1997 Honorees

Reubin O' D. Askew
Richard W. Brinson
E. Eugene Deckerhoff
Paula S. Fortunas
Mark Hillis
Terry A. Johnson
James E. Kirk Jr.
Michael D. Martin
Sherry A. Quarello
C. David Smith
Gus A. Stavros
Stephen S. Winters

1998 Honorees

Joseph L. Camps Jr.
Steve Edwards, Jr.
Grace I. Fox
Charles D. Hall
Betty L. Harrison
Douglas L. Manheimer
James L. Miller
James E. Pitts
Melvin L. Pope, Jr.
James C. Smith
W. Godfrey Smith
Alan C. Sundberg
Norman E. Thagard
Cynthia S. Tunicliff

1999 Honorees

Charles E. Barnes II
Huge H. de Beaubien
Sue C. Boynton
C. Raymond Cottrell
N. Frank Fain
Davis P. Gaines
J. Sherman Henderson
L. Gregory Phifer
Wilma M. Rosenbloom
John E. Thrasher
Winston E. Scott
Don A. Veller

2000 Honorees

Roderick M. Brim Sr.
Thomas O. Goldsworthy
Sue D. Hall
Thomas C. Haney
W. Douglas Henderson
David F. Lyons
Mina Jo Powell
Ronald R. Richmond
William A. Tanner
Pearl Tyner
Thomas G. Wright

2001 Honorees

Michael D. Andrews
Robert L. Bannerman
JoAnne A. Graf
Robert A. Holton
James W. Horne
Wiley L. Housewright
A. Lawton Langford
John M. McKay
Guy A. Moore
Barbara J. Palmer
Durell Peaden, Jr.
Sherrill W. Ragans
Burton L. Reynolds
Patricia G. Smith
Nancy A. Turner
D. Eugene Walden

2002 Honorees

Lawrence G. Abele
Cheryl S. Beckert
Maxwell Carraway, Jr.
Clifford R. Hinkle
Lynda Keever
Walter T. Massey, Jr.
David D. Mobley, Jr.
Mabel Jean Morrison
Billy G. Smith
Thomas A. Waits

2003 Honorees

Ronald B. Diamond
W. Andrew Haggard
Louis Hill, Sr.
Mart P. Hill
Lee. F. Hinkle
Ryals E. Lee, Jr.
Susan D. McHenry
J. Michael Pate
Stephen C. Reilly

2004 Honorees

James M. Clark
Mary B. Coburn
Allen D. Durham
Linda A. Henning
Franklin D. Murphy
Ronald G. Smith

2005 Honorees

Allen G. Bense
Derrick D. Brooks
Bridget M. Chandler
Robert O. Fohl
DeVoe L. Moore
Shirley M. Moore
Thomas F. Petway,III
A. Gary Walsingham

2006 Honorees

Robert L. Akers
Kevin W. Cashin
Lee R. Corso
David B. Ford
Sandra A. Johnson
Donna H. McHugh
Eldon J. Nosari
Paula P. Smith
Larry O. Strom

2007 Honorees

F. Allen Boyd, Jr.
Warrick D. Dunn
Lucy Ho
Robert M. Johnson
Jeffrey D. Kottkamp
J.D. Rayburn, II
Wayne L. Rubinas
Hans W. Tews
Thomas L. Williams, III

2008 Honorees

Kathy Atkins-Gunter
Scott F. Atwell
Margaret H. Bindhardt
Dennis O. Boyle
Robert T. Carnes
Charles K. Hill
Ronald H. Hobbs
Maury R. Kolchakian
Christopher L. Kraft
Elvin G. Lightsey
W. Russell Morcom
Thomas M. Woodruff

2009 Honorees

Lucy M. Baer
Donald L. Eddings
Nancy C. Hillis
James A Riscigno
John Roberge
Betty J. Steffens
Kathleen A. Villacorta
Thomas A. Warren

2010 Honorees

Eric J. Barron
David K. Coburn
John E. Dailey
Carl J. Domino
Gordon D. Gaster
Jeffrey L. Hill
J. Wayne Hogan
Charlotte E. Maguire
Melquiades R. Martinez
Laurel A. Moredock
William L. Proctor
Janet. L. Stoner

2011 Honorees

James W. Apthorp
Richard G. Fallon
Patrick W. Hogan
Sally P. Karioth
John R. Marks
Jane W. Meigs
Joseph S. O’Shea
Sandra W. Rackley
Leo Sandon, Jr.
Mary Ann Stiles
Rosa Lee D. Tomberlin
Dorothy D. Whittle

2012 Honorees

Diane S. Ervin See Diane S. Ervin on YouTube
Garrett W. Johnson
Joel C. Padgett See Joel C. Padgett on YouTube
Sean A. Pittman
E. Ray Solomon
Gordon J. Sprague
Donald E. Stone
Gary D. Wilson See Gary D. Wilson on YouTube

2013 Honorees

Michele M. Adair See Michele M. Adair on YouTube
John R. Carnaghi
Marie E. Cowart
Kyle R. Doney
Hugh N. Durham See Hugh N. Durham on YouTube
Mark J. Edenfield See Mark J. Edenfield on YouTube
Ricky L. Polston
Eugene E. Stearns
Charlie Ward Jr. See Charlie Ward Jr. on YouTube

2014 Honorees

Donna Lou Askew See Donna Lou Askew on YouTube
Chip Baker
Bruce B. Blackwell
Ray Fielding
S. Dale Greene
Anne Hamilton
Connie Jenkins-Pye
Billie J. Jones
Richard A. Kurras
Mary L. Pankowski See Mary L. Pankowski on YouTube
Myron L. Rolle See Myron L. Rolle on YouTube
Janet Wells
David F. Westberry See David F. Westberry on YouTube
Virginia Wetherall
Mark T. Zeigler

2015 Honorees

Ruth Ruggles Akers See Ruth Ruggles Akers on YouTube
Billy R. Close See Billy R. Close on YouTube
Stella S. Cottrell See Stella S. Cottrell on YouTube
Jim Gladden See Jim Gladden on YouTube
R. Martin Hall
Gordon S. Holder
Thomas V. Hynes
Robert G. Perrone
Sue P. Semrau
Jesse W. Solomon

2016 Honorees

Sam Ambrose See Sam Ambrose on YouTube
Steve Brown
Yvonne Brown
Gerald Ensley See Gerald Ensley on YouTube
Tonya Harris See Tonya Harris on YouTube
Jim Jones
Jerry Kutz See Jerry Kutz on YouTube
Jack McCoy
Max Oligario
Steve Pattison
Delores Spearman

2017 Honorees

Florence Ashby
Molly Barron
Mary Champion
Ben Crump See Ben Crump on YouTube
Julie Dunn Eichenberg See Julie Dunn Eichenberg on YouTube
Ritesh Gupta See Ritesh Gupta on YouTube
Marilyn Lick
Craig Lynch
Shirley Marshall
Patsy Palmer
Billy Sexton See Billy Sexton on YouTube
Greta Sliger
Jean Thrasher

2022 Honorees

Craig Dewhurst
Dave Lane
Dazi Lenior
Nancy McKay
Ahli Moore

2023 Honorees

Peter Collins
Jeanne Curtin
Fred Flowers
Maura Hayes
Kathy Mears
Fred Tresca

2024 Honorees

Javier Borges
Jeff Boykins
Barbara Coen
Inez Cohen
Wayne Edwards
Lou Taormina