Source: Bob Shoop, 785-532-5533, rshoop@k-state.edu
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Tuesday, March 10, 20

BUTTON RENZ RECEIVES K-STATE LEADERSHIP AWARD

MANHATTAN -- Amy Button Renz, president and chief executive officer of the Kansas State University Alumni Association, is the 2009 recipient of the Michael C. Holen Outstanding Leadership Award from the School of Leadership Studies at K-State. The award will be presented at the School of Leadership Studies Recognition Celebration at 7 p.m. Monday, April 20, in the K-State Student Union Ballroom.

President Jon Wefald said, "Amy Button Renz is not only arguably the best alumni president in the history of K-State, but she has become one of the top alumni association presidents in the nation."

"Amy is a third generation K-Stater," said Bob Shoop, director of the Cargill Center for Ethical Leadership at K-State, and senior scholar in leadership studies. "Her career with the alumni association began in 1977 and she was named president and CEO in 1994. She has been very active in her professional organization, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. She received the Distinguished Service Award from CASE in 1995 and has served on the CASE International Board of Trustees. She was a member of the CASE Alumni Relations Commission and she has been a faculty member for CASE conferences and serves frequently as a speaker to student and university groups. In addition, she served as president of her peer organization, the Council of Alumni Association Executives, from 2001-2002."

Button Renz is responsible for overall planning, supervision, evaluation, administrative and financial management of the K-State Alumni Association with a staff of 31, a $3.3 million budget, and the $12 million K-State Alumni Center. Her additional responsibilities include strategic planning, membership and the Tradition Founders annual giving program. She works closely with university administration, the Kansas State University Foundation and the athletics department.

Mike Holen, dean of the College of Education, described Button Renz as "the quintessential servant leader. In the minds of our alumni, Amy is correctly considered 'Ms. K-State.' Her dreams, her effort and her influence created a truly impressive Alumni Center and a top quality alumni association -- both of which receive national honors for excellence."

Button Renz is a past chair of the Riley County United Way, also serving as a campaign chair and is a past member of the United Way board of directors. She has also been active in groups within the K-State community.

She is a current member of the K-State Political Science Advisory Council, the Mike Ahearn Victory Campaign and the K-State College of Leadership Studies Advancement Council. She has honorary memberships in Mortar Board, Blue Key, Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. She was the 2004 recipient of the Bob Krause Alpha Tau Omega Outstanding Campus Leader Award and in 2007, the Amy Button Renz American Humanics Scholarship at Kansas State University was established in honor of her dedication to nonprofit leadership.

"Amy is a strong advocate of our nonprofit leadership focus," said Olivia Collins, director of the American Humanics program in the School of Leadership Studies. "She has generously shared her knowledge and expertise with our students by participating on panels of nonprofit professionals and supervising and mentoring students in the leadership minor."
Button Renz is a 1976 K-State political science graduate and obtained her master’s in public administration from K-State in 1986. She is married to Allen Renz, a 1987 K-State alumnus. They have three children who all hold degrees from K-State: Charles '92, Deambra '97 and Ashley '06, '08.

According to Mary Tolar, interim director of the School of Leadership Studies, "This award was established in 1999 to honor those who embody the School of Leadership Studies mission of developing knowledgeable, ethical, caring, inclusive leaders for a diverse world. We are delighted to honor her with the Holen Award."

Past recipients of the outstanding leadership award are Buck O'Neil, Page and Nancy Twiss, Deb Patterson, Linda Thurston, James Coffman, Grace Hwang, Ruth Ann Wefald, Carol Gould, Atina Hanna and Suzanne Mayo-Theus.