Alumni Association Presents Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award, Hilltop, and Community Service Awards

Maine Commissioner of Education Susan Gendron was named the 2006 recipient of the University of Southern Maine's Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.

USM's Alumni Association honored Gendron, along with community leaders Anne and W.R. "Dick" Jackson of Yarmouth, and Kenneth A. Ross of Scarborough, at a luncheon held this summer.

Gendron was appointed Maine's Commissioner of Education in 2002 by Governor John E. Baldacci. She is the second woman to hold the post. Gendron, who earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in education from USM in 1973 and 1984, respectively, has been an educator for more than 30 years. While serving as Windham's school superintendent, she was named Maine's Superintendent of the Year in 2002.

Anne and W. R. "Dick" Jackson Jr. of Yarmouth were named recipients of the Community Service Award. The award recognizes significant contributions to the community, region, and state in professional, business, political, civic, or other public service.

Anne Jackson, a member of the USM Foundation Board of Directors, is a past member of the Portland Museum of Art Board of Trustees, is a trustee of Hurricane Island Outward Bound, and is co-founder and board chair of The Board Network in Portland, an organization established to help build stronger nonprofit boards of directors in Maine.

Her husband, Dick Jackson, is founding chair and current member of USM's School of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology's (ASET) Executive Advisory Board, is active in the USM Corporate Partners, and served on the steering committee of ASET's capital campaign. The former president of Pitt-Des Moines Inc., a Pittsburgh maker of steel structures and other products, has served as chair of the local chapter of the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) since moving to Maine. He also is co-founder and current chair of the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and educational organization based in Portland.

Kenneth A. Ross of Scarborough was presented the Hilltop Award in recognition of outstanding commitment to USM.

A longtime USM supporter, Ross is a member of USM's Board of Visitors and a former chair of the Board. He also served as chair of the USM Corporate Partners.

He is a past president of the Scarborough Jaycees, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland, Inc., and is a past member of the Scarborough Board of Education. He is a member of the First Congregational Church of Scarborough and the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Ross, who earned his bachelor's in business administration from USM in 1974, is vice president, treasurer, director, and a stockholder of Clark Associates, the largest, privately owned insurance company in Portland.