Kansas State University

MANHATTAN -- Phil Howe, a 1954 Kansas State University alumnus and retired president and CEO of Kansas State Bank, Manhattan, and Roger Sink, a 1958 university alumnus and managing partner of Sink, Gordon & Associates LLP, also in Manhattan, will be honored Oct. 25 as the inaugural recipients of the College of Business Administration's Legend Award.

This award recognizes extraordinary contributions of business leaders who personify Kansas State University's land-grant mission of advancing the well-being of Kansas, the nation and the international community.

"We are honored to have such selfless and generous people among our alumni," said Ali Malekzadeh, Edgerley family dean of the College of Business Administration. "Phil and Roger are most deserving of this inaugural award, each setting the bar very high for the awardees to come. They exemplify alumni who have had successful careers in business, and have given generously to their community and university. We are proud to honor their accomplishments and philanthropy."

The Legend Award is the most prestigious honor granted by the College of Business Administration at Kansas State University. It honors individuals who have rendered great lifetime service to the community and who go above and beyond to serve the college, its faculty, staff, students and its mission.

Howe received the charter for Kansas State Bank in 1969; in addition to his bank duties, he also served as president of Griffith Oil Co., was founder and president of Master Medical Co., based in Scottsdale, Ariz., and founded Baystone Financial Group in 1988, which specializes in loans to municipal entities.

Howe has been actively involved in Manhattan and Kansas State. He served for many years on the St. Mary's Hospital board, both as past president and past chairman. He has been active in the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, and he served as a board member and president of the United Way of Riley County, helped establish the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation and it's YES! Fund, which stands for Youth Empowerment for Success.

Howe serves on the Dean's Business Advisory Council for the College of Business Administration and is a past member of the Kansas State University Foundation Board. He has also been a driving force in the inception of the college's Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship.

Sink's firm is the oldest and largest accounting firm in Manhattan. He is a member of the National Society of Accountants and the Public Accountants Association of Kansas, of which he is a past president. He has served as director of the board of the National Society of Public Accountants.

Sink has a long history of giving back to the Manhattan community. His many areas of service include the Manhattan Airport Advisory Board, the Kansas Wildscape Foundation board of directors, Sunset Zoo Trust and the Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce. He is a past chair and member of the board of Kansas State Bank, served the board of trustees of The Master Teacher Institute for the Arts, and was a member of the K-State Endowment Association.

At Kansas State University, Sink has served on the Mike Ahearn Scholarship Fund Board and the university's Intercollegiate Council. He and his wife Connie are members of the KSU Foundation board of trustees, and he is a member of the foundation's President's Club and the Land-Grant Legacy Society. Sink was inducted into the college's Accounting Hall of Fame in 2001.