Gettysburg College President Janet Morgan Riggs '77 presented these four Distinguished Alumni Award Citations during Spring Honors Day on May 15, 2010.

Marla Graff Decker '80
Commonwealth of Virginia Secretary of Public Safety

Marla Graff Decker, in dedicating your life's work to seeking justice and ensuring public safety, you have never strayed far from the family business. With your mother a nurse and both father and grandfather serving with the New York Police Department you were provided an early influence for your own remarkable career in law and your selfless volunteer work in emergency medical services. You even met your husband, Richard "Chip" Decker III, presently CEO of the Richmond Ambulance Authority, through your volunteer service.

As a campus leader during your undergraduate years, you served as parliamentarian of the Student Senate, chairman of the Student Conduct Review Board, and member of both the Academic Policy and Program committee and the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. After completing your major in political science from Gettysburg College in 1980, you earned your Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Richmond, where you have been a long-standing adjunct professor in the School of Law.

You began your legal career as Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 1991 you were appointed Deputy Attorney General of the Public Safety and Enforcement Division, comprising criminal and correctional litigation, health care fraud and elder abuse, special prosecutions, and organized crime sections. You held that position under two administrations until you were appointed Secretary of Public Safety in 2010 by Governor Bob McDonnell. The 14 state agencies you oversee as Secretary enforce criminal, highway safety, and alcoholic beverage laws; protect the public through corrections and criminal justice, train first responders, and plan and coordinate the state's emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts.

Gettysburg College is proud to recognize your extraordinary professional achievements and your dedication to public service by presenting you a Distinguished Alumni Award.

Francis "Bud" J. Dougherty '60
Retired United States Navy and President and CEO, Transformational Defense Industries, Inc.

Captain Francis "Bud" J. Dougherty, throughout your distinguished career in the United States Navy, you have demonstrated extraordinary leadership and enormous self-sacrifice in service to our nation.

Upon completing your major in English and graduating from Gettysburg College in 1960, you entered the Navy through Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island and were commissioned in 1960. You served two combat tours in Vietnam and commanded two F-14 Fighter Squadrons. In 1975 you received a pinnacle assignment as executive officer of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. John F. Kennedy and later commanded the U.S.S. Concord supply ship as well as a service squadron comprising five ships deployed to Cuba and South America. To rise through the ranks of the U.S. Navy requires the dedication and sacrifice of all members of the family and your wife Marilyn and daughters Allison, Felicia, and Laura provided loving support.

Upon retirement from the Navy you applied your leadership ability and military expertise to specialized programs within the defense industry, completing your tour of duty in the private sector as President and CEO of Transformational Defense Industries.

For courage, valor, and service you earned the Silver Star medal, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Meritorious Service medal, 14 air medals, and a Navy Commendation medal. The State of New Jersey recognized your commitment to community service with both a citation from the General Assembly and a certificate of appreciation. Your alma mater has benefited from your commitment to the DC Leadership Group and your assistance in planning the Class of 1960's 50th reunion .

Gettysburg College takes pride in your considerable achievements in service to our nation and recognizes your leadership by example by presenting you a Distinguished Alumni Award.

Read his remarks on receiving the award.

James "Biff" Houldin '63
International Team Leader, Habitat for Humanity

James "Biff" Houldin, with great ability you have deftly connected your commitment to serving others to your passions for education and adventure.

Upon completing your economics major and graduating from Gettysburg College, you blazed a singular career path through the insurance industry, farming, and teaching. Certain that confidence results when individuals are challenged to step beyond their known abilities, you and your wife Pam founded Stone Mountain Adventures, a summer camp in central Pennsylvania. Thousands of campers and staff have benefitted from the leadership training, personal growth, and sense of community that are hallmarks of the camp.

Your vision for a youth development program that combined community service, international cultural exchange, and adventure travel led to the creation of "Global Works." Since the first service trip to Puerto Rico to reconstruct homes in the wake of Hurricane Hugo, you established a rich network of international partners with whom you crafted authentic cultural experiences and meaningful service work for young adventurers.

Mindful that learning doesn't end with adulthood, you founded JourneyWays, and enterprise that established international community service and adventure trips for adults. Since 2008 you have applied your leadership and experience to work for Habitat for Humanity International. As international team leader, you brought volunteers to Romania, Hungary, and Portugal to build homes for local families.

For your substantial achievements in lifelong, experiential, and service learning, Gettysburg College is proud to present you a Distinguished Alumni Award.

G. Andrew Mickley Jr. '70
Professor of Psychology and Chair of Neuroscience, Baldwin and Wallace College

G. Andrew Mickley, you embody a scholarly approach to teaching demonstrates that rigorous scientific research and undergraduate instruction are not merely compatible but are complementary. Through your scholarship and your teaching you develop and mentor the next generation of researchers and educators.

You completed your psychology major at Gettysburg College and earned your master's and doctorate degrees in Physiological Psychology from the University of Virginia. You entered the United States Air Force, where you conducted extensive research in the brain sciences and authored a significant body of scholarly publications. You achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring in 1993 after 21 years.

You joined the faculty at Baldwin Wallace College and quickly found synergy in scholarly research and teaching, engaging students as full collaborators. Your scientific research attracts significant grant support, setting records for external funding at the college. Your professional activity comprises membership in a number of scientific societies, serving as journal referee or editorial board member for multiple acclaimed scientific publications, and acting as grant evaluator for some of the nation's most competitive sources of research funding.

You have been recognized for your excellence in teaching, including the Ohio Top Educator Award, Educator of the Year by the Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience, Ohio Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. You received the Strosacker Award for Excellence in Teaching from Baldwin Wallace, where you founded and serve as chair of the Neuroscience program. You serve as director for Faculty-Student Collaborative Scholarship and initiated a summer program for faculty interested in advancing scholarly teaching.

Gettysburg College is proud to add its recognition to your record of achievement by presenting you a Distinguished Alumni Award.