2022 Homecoming Honorees

Honorees at this year’s Homecoming breakfast were (L-R) Dr. Joel Sievers, with of Sievers Sports Medicine, Megan Hamilton, Barbara Pash, Dr. Dwight T. Pitcaithley, Dr. Gay Su Pinnell and Lori Roberts, representing her parents Bill and Marilyn Joy.

Photo by Todd Fuqua

Philanthropists of the Year: Bill and Marilyn Joy

(Posthumously)

Bill Joy (MS 70) and his wife Marilyn created a lasting legacy of service to the university and community they loved, and included ENMU as a beneficiary in their estate.

The couple generously supported ENMU programs and scholarships. They established the Myrtle Joy Sports Medicine Scholarship, donated to Greyhound Club, Football, general scholarships, unrestricted support and made a significant gift to help build the new Greyhound Stadium.

They supported ENMU even in their estate plans by making ENMU a beneficiary of an insurance policy. This legacy gift established the new Bill Joy Scholarship for Student Athletes totaling over $147,000.

Volunteers of the Year: Megan Hamilton and Cassidy Self

Megan Hamilton (BS 05) and Cassidy Self (BBA 07) assisted alumna Dr. Gay Su Pinnell (BA 66) of Columbus, Ohio, who purchased the Casa Del Sol in 2017 and worked to renovate the John Gaw Meem-designed home into an ENMU event center with guest apartments for dignitaries. That facility was dedicated in May.

Additionally, ENMU asked the sisters to design the new floor plan and interior for the Presidential Home, which needed repairs and updating. The University is excited to showcase the renovated property at annual picnics and gatherings at the home.

In 2018, the sisters opened the doors to Enchantment Vineyard, which produces world-class wines and Eastern Sunset red wine. Sales of Eastern Sunset benefit ENMU Foundation scholarships.

Business of the Year

For more than two decades, Dr. Joel Sievers and Sievers Sports Medicine have provided care for Eastern New Mexico University athletes, working closely with the training staff at ENMU. As the school’s honorary team doctor, Dr. Sievers has missed just four football games in 21 seasons.

He has also been present for numerous basketball and soccer matches in that time, both due to his profession and because his daughters Jenna (BS 17) and Jaci Sievers (BA 20) both played for Eastern women’s soccer teams.

As a former All-American pole vaulter, Dr. Sievers also volunteers his time to coach pole vaulters at ENMU, Portales, and Clovis high schools.

Distinguished Service Award: Dr. Gay Su Pinnell

Dr. Gay Su Pinnell (BA 66), of Dublin, Ohio, grew up in Portales and became a world-renowned early childhood literacy education expert. She purchased the Casa Del Sol property south of the ENMU campus in October 2017, having fallen in love with the adobe-style home built in 1948 and designed by famous Santa Fe architect John Gaw Meem.

She employed Portales sisters, ENMU alumnae Megan Hamilton (BS 05) and Cassidy Self (BBA 07), to help renovate the property. They worked to stay true to the architect’s original aesthetics while reconfiguring the space for ENMU to host all manner of events. The facility was dedicated on May 20, 2022.

In 2021, she donated $1 million for ENMU to expand a coteaching initiative with the Portales Municipal School District. In 2017, Dr. Pinnell’s grant of $310,000 to the ENMU Child Development Center, located on the Portales campus, expanded services to enhance hands-on learning and hundreds of new books and materials for the early childhood literacy library.

Outstanding Alumni Award: Dr. Dwight T. Pitcaithley

An early interest in music at ENMU didn’t lead to a career in performance or education for Dr. Dwight T. Pitcaithley (MA71, BA 70). Indeed, he didn’tfinish a degree in either of those pursuits, but he did return to Eastern to pursue degrees in history and eventually embark on a public history career with the National Park Service(NPS), retiring in 2005 after holding the position of Chief Historian for ten years. In his30-year career with the NPS, he served in Santa Fe, Boston, and Washington, D.C., where he focused on historic preservation and the interpretation of historic sites.

Following his retirement, Dr. Pitcaithley taught at New Mexico State University from 2005 until 2019. He is the author of numerous books and chapters in books dealing with slavery, civil rights, and historic preservation. Pitcaithley is the recipient of a Distinguished Service Award from the Organization of American Historians, and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of North Carolina.

Educator Hall Of Honors: Barbara Pash

Barbara Pash (BS 84) graduated from ENMU in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. She also completed a Master of Arts Degree from New Mexico State University. Barbara earned a New Mexico Teaching License with an endorsement in Kindergarten through eighth grades.

Barbara taught Kindergarten and first grade for 25 years in Kirtland, New Mexico. She taught second and third grades in Farmington, New Mexico, for nine more years. As a teacher, Barbara was always cheerful, upbeat, and pleasant.

She taught in creative ways that held her students’ attention, adapting teaching materials, strategies, and lessons to meet all students’ learning needs. Barbara also constantly and consistently challenged all students to do their best and be their best. Her lessons often included hands-on learning, critical thinking, and problem-solving activities. Barbara is a New Mexico Level III teacher of the highest caliber.