Five alumni, who advance the mission of university through volunteer efforts — ensuring the university’s impact on our community and future generations of students — will be honored Thursday, May 3, at the 51st Annual Outstanding Alumni Service Awards. All alumni are invited to attend the event, hosted by the George Washington Alumni Association.
The 2012 recipients:
Christopher L. Barley, SMHS MD ’93, is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and has built a highly respected private medical practice in New York City. Dr. Barley’s expertise in patient care and interest in geo-political health care systems is global. As president of Citta, a not-for-profit organization with hospitals and schools in India and Nepal, he has overseen the delivery of health care and education to nearly 250,000 of the poorest individuals in those countries. Dr. Barley serves on GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences Dean’s Council and was instrumental in the development of the SMHS Young Alumni group in New York City, the school’s first alumni group of its kind.
Christine A. Coleman, CCAS BA ’91, vice president of client services at Motivation Mechanics, is a marketing communications specialist with broad experience in market research, strategy and execution. After graduating from GW, she earned an MBA from West Chester University in 1999, and in 2007 she received the Healthcare Businesswoman Association’s Rising Star Award. Since her return to the Philadelphia area more than 20 years ago, she has volunteered for the GW Alumni Association. She has organized, implemented and participated in many university-sponsored events in both Philadelphia and D.C. Ms. Coleman currently serves as vice president for communications for the GWAA Board of Directors, as well as chair of the Philadelphia Alumni Club.
Jeremy K. Gosbee, CCAS BA ’98, GWSB MBA ’02, is vice president for Grassroots Enterprise at Edelman, the world’s largest public relations agency. He advises Edelman clients who are seeking to mobilize stakeholders as advocates on their behalf, including GE Aviation, Kaiser Permanente, US Airways and Walmart. Prior to joining Edelman, Mr. Gosbee worked as an account director and vice president for Burson-Marsteller grassroots subsidiary Direct Impact, and as NY State Assembly campaign manager for fellow GW alumnus Tony Sayegh, CCAS BA ’98, GWSB MPA ’00. He began his career as director of alumni communications for GW, where he helped the university implement its first online communications programs with alumni. Mr. Gosbee has been a member of the GWAA Board of Directors since 2004, having served as vice president for communications, secretary, parliamentarian and vice president for nominations. He also serves as a career advisor, regularly mentoring students who are looking to enter the public relations profession.
John B. Holmblad, SEAS MS ’80, Certificate ’02, is a principal information security services specialist at the U.S. Senate and an adjunct professor in computer science at GW and George Mason University. Mr. Holmblad is founder, owner and CEO of Acadia Secure Networks, LLC, a system solutions provider focused on the delivery of secure and resilient IT and network systems. He also founded, owns and manages Televerage International, an IT, information security, and telecommunications consulting business. Previously, he held executive positions at positions at Aleron, Diveo Broadband Networks Inc., Global One, Alcatel, Sprint, GTE (now Verizon) and Telenet Communications Corporation. Early in his career, he served in a pivotal leadership role in developing and commercializing technology known as packet switching, which the Internet is built on today. Mr. Holmblad serves on GW’s School of Engineering and Applied Science National Advisory Council and as chairman of the Computer Science Department’s External Advisory Board.
The Jane Lingo Alumni Outstanding Service Award was created to commemorate the passing of Jane Lingo, CCAS BA ’46, an alumna, staff member and friend who was a lifelong participant in the GW family. This year’s recipient:
Edward “Skip” W. Gnehm, ESIA BA ’66, MA ’68, serves as Kuwait Professor of Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Affairs and as director of the Middle East Policy Forum at GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs. Prior, Ambassador Gnehm had a distinguished 36-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service including serving as ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Australia and Kuwait. He also served as director general of the Foreign Service, among other leadership positions at the Department of State. Ambassador Gnehm has received numerous awards, including the Presidential Distinguished Service Award in 2000, and the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award for his work in Jordan, given by Secretary of State Colin Powell, GWSB MBA ’71, in 2004. Ambassador Gnehm served on the GW Board of Trustees for seven years, was chairman of the Student Affairs Committee, and was previously vice president of the GW Alumni Association. He received GW’s Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 1992 and was named New York City Alumnus of the Year by the New York City Alumni Club in 1995.
For more information and a list of previous award recipients, visit alumni.gwu.edu/awards. To attend, please register online or call 202-994-6435 by Friday April 20, 2012.
