The Park University Alumni Awards are given to Park alumni who have distinguished themselves through career service or community achievements. Today, Armstrong is the executive director of Platte (County, Mo.) Senior Services Inc. She oversees programs serving a population expected to double in the next decade. “As families move away and technology changes at warp speed, seniors face a disconnect from society unlike previous generations,” she said. Armstrong is the board president of the Bell Road Barn Players, the oldest community theater organization in the Kansas City area, which was started by the late Jenkin David, Armstrong’s English professor at Park. After 14 years on the Park University Board of Trustees, Armstrong served on Park’s Strategic Planning Commission. “I was impressed by the professionalism and commitment from all levels of the University,” she said.
Torchlighter Award
Robert C. Burns, D.D.S The Torchlighter Award honors those who have made a significant, long-standing contribution and a commitment to Park University. Recipients who are not Park alumni receive honorary alumni status as part of this award. Robert C. Burns, D.D.S., and Park share a cherished history. “I lived the first eight years of my life on the Parkville Campus,” Burns said. Growing up in Parkville in the 1940s and 1950s, Park’s flagship campus was Burns’ stomping ground. He swam at the Park pool, set bowling pins at the Jolly Roger, camped on the shores of Park College Lake and hiked Alfalfa Point, the highest point on campus overlooking the Missouri River. “It’s a magnificent view,” he said. In 1965, Burns completed his doctorate in dental surgery and opened his Platte Woods, Mo., practice. On Christmas Eve that year, life took a sudden turn — Burns was drafted into the Army. “It was a real
shocker. I left behind my new practice, wife and three children.” In 1967, Burns went to Vietnam with the 11th Armored Calvary Regiment as the only dentist among 5,000 men. “I was an unusual dentist for sure.” Burns returned in 1968 to restart his practice while in the U.S. Army Reserve until he retired as a colonel in 2001. His military experience forged a deeper relationship to Park. “One of the reasons I served as a trustee was Park’s reputation serving the military.” In 1976, he built a medical building in Parkville where he practiced with his son, David R. Burns, D.D.S., until he retired in 2010. Burns’ long list of contributions to Park includes nine years as a member of the Board of Trustees. His work on numerous committees include serving as the Student Services Committee chair in 2007 and Academic Affairs Committee vice chair in 2011. He served on Park’s Military Advisory Board and the 2005-06 Master Planning Commission, and he was appointed to the current Master Planning Commission in 2010. Burns said his greatest contribution is being a voice for Park in Parkville. “I’m surprised people don’t realize what’s in our own backyard,” he said. With the Torchlighter Award, Burns is proud to become an honorary alumnus as Park evolves into a renowned university. “I think of Park University as a twinkling star that just keeps getting brighter.”
Park University Promising Young Professional Award
Denzil Ross, ’06, MBA ’09 The Park University Promising Young Professional Award recognizes alumni who show exceptional promise of leadership and contribution to their profession and/or community. The recipient of this award will have graduated from Park within the last five years and be younger than the age of 35. College graduates are often asked the classic question: Where do you see yourself in five
Visit www.park.edu/alumni/awards to read more about the Alumni Association Awards.
years? Denzil Ross, ’06, MBA ’09, was posed a bolder question: Where do you see yourself in the next 50 years? His confident response crystallized his career goal: “I see myself as a successful hospital chief executive officer.” What set Ross on a courageous career pursuit was this next question: If you want to be a CEO, why aren’t you talking to CEOs? For college graduates, meeting with a CEO is a pipe dream. The idea was daunting, yet Ross forged a plan. His secret? The informational interview. Ross can effortlessly recite his “spiel” upon delivering his résumé: My name is Denzil Ross. I’m not looking for a job. I’m looking for 30 minutes with your CEO. If ever he/ she could spare those 30 minutes, it would be greatly appreciated. His persistence paid off. Within six months, Ross secured meetings with the CEOs at eight Kansas City area hospitals. Ross came to Park from Trinidad and Tobago on a basketball scholarship in 2002. He applied for a Green Card every year in hopes of establishing permanent U.S. residency. A work-study position in Park’s Office of University Advancement made it possible for Ross to return to Park for his master’s degree. Ross’ proven leadership — Student Ambassador president, resident assistant and 2006 Outstanding Parkite Award recipient — make him a perfect fit for the job. In March 2009, Ross received his Green Card just before completing his Master of Business Administration degree, and just in time to accept a job from Truman Medical Centers in Kansas City, Mo. Thirty minutes with John Bluford, TMC’s president and CEO, turned into three hours, and two months later, he was named special assistant to the chief operating officer and has since been promoted three times. Today, he is the assistant director of TMC’s Corporate Contact Center, managing a staff of 55 to schedule all hospital appointments, and he is on track to achieve his CEO dream.
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