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Wylie E. Groves Honor Alumnus Award
Overview
The Groves Honor Alumnus is selected each year by a group of graduating seniors to honor an individual who has made a significant contribution to society through professional endeavors or through service to the community at large. Among many worthy candidates, the annual honoree is selected by the Senior Seminar student committee as the individual who best embodies the values and attributes held most dear by the senior class. The selected Honor Alumnus serves as the featured speaker at the annual Senior Seminar, a transition seminar held each year for the graduating senior class. Students, school staff, family, friends, and community members are encouraged to submit nominations for individuals who graduated at least ten years prior to the current date.
2022
This year's Honor Alumnus is David Garcia, Groves High School 1998. He currently lives in Troy and works at United WHolesale Mortage, as the leader overseeing the IT Communications Strategy team. After Groves, David attended the University of Michigan, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and then moved to Los Angeles, where he had worked for 17 years in television production, most notably on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon."
Past honorees include:
2022
David Garcia ('97)
IT Communications Strategy, United Wholesale Mortgage 2021
Margaret Battersby Black ('98)
Partner at Levin & Perconti, Co-Founder of the Illinois Trial Lawyers’ Association Women’s Caucus
2020
Non Selected- COVID YEAR
2019
CPT Tara Middlebrooks (’07)
Engineer Officer, United States Military Academy
2018
Jeremy Allen Moss (’04)
Current State Representative, past City Council Member for City of Southfield
2017
Jeffrey Clune, PhD (’95)
University Professor and Innovator in the area of Artificial Intelligence; developer of self-driving car for Uber.
2016`
Evan Kasprzak (’06)
Dancer, Entertainer
2015
Meryl Davis (’05)
Olympic Gold Medalist, Ice Dancing
2014
Jennifer Boardman (’79)
Co-Founder, Friends of the Belle Isle Aquarium
2013
Robert (’97) & Joseph McClure (’99)
Co-founders, McClure’s Pickles
2012
Jay Farner (’91)
President and Chief Marketing Office, Quicken Loans
2011
Allison Harnish Leotta (’91)
Federal prosecutor and author
2010
Rajiv Shah, MD (‘91)
Health Economist & Administrator, United States Agency for International Development
2009
Adam Szytkiel (‘96)
Screenwriter
2008
Patricia Wilde Orlowitz (‘76)
Program Director, USAID Kosovo
2007
Daniel D. Roberts (‘79)
Deputy Assistant Director, FBI Criminal Division
2006
Jonathan Stivers (‘92)
Senior Advisor to House of Representatives Minority Leader
2005
Beth Aviv Greenbaum (‘69)
Poet, teacher, and writer (New York)
2004
Bruce Campbell (‘76)
Film & television actor and movie producer (Oregon)
2003
Aaron Brenner (‘91)
Teacher & principal; Founder, Proyecto del Corzaon, (NM)
2002
Robyn Tarnow (‘88)
2nd Grade Teacher, Birmingham Pierce Elementary School, Advisor of Kidwitness News
2001
Therese Yang, MD. (‘78)
Founder and Director, Dr. Yang’s Family Care (Santee, CA)
2000
Jennifer Anderson Gross, PhD (‘82)
Assistant Professor, Grand Valley State University
1999
Kevin Degan (‘78)
Community Activist and Philanthropist, Committed volunteer for Kenny Rehab
1998
Lisa Mammel (‘80)
Attorney and human rights activist
1997
Michael (‘80) and Eleanor (‘82) Evangelides
Co-founders of the Gus Foundation (for pediatric brain tumor research)
1996
Harlee Kutzen (‘76)
HIV Home-Based Health Care Coordinator, writer, teacher, and trainer for caregivers
1995
James Mitzenfeld (‘79)
Pulitzer Prize Winning Investigative Reporter, Lawyer
1994
Sean Stannard, DDS (‘73)
Dentist, community activist, and philanthropist
1993
Craig R. Love (‘67)
Strategic Planning, Chrysler Corporation
1992
Bunny Mc Bride (‘68)
Writer, conservationist, and anthropologist
1991
Frederick Hirschmann (‘73)
National Park Service Ranger, environmentalist, and writer/photographer
1990
Paula Maloof (‘75)
University Professor of English, social worker
1989
Lenny Hutton, MD (‘72)
Fertility specialist, OB-GYN
1988
Dale Petroskey (‘73)
Assistant Press Secretary to President Reagan
1987
Marcia Proctor (‘67)
Lawyer
Baseball History SoughtThe Groves Baseball program, coached by Shawn Morrison, is creating a comprehensive history of the baseball team from its inception. He is missing rosters for the 1973, 1974 and 1976 baseball teams. Former players or other Groves alumni who may have this information are asked to contact Coach Morrison at SMorrison@birmingham.k12.mi.us or drop off copies at the front desk at Groves.