Above: Winners, from left, are Brank and Juanita Proffitt of Madison County, recipients of the Distinguished Service Award; Amy Clifton, recipient of the Young Alumna Award; Lee Cheek, recipient of the Academic and Professional Achievement Award; and Barry Smith, recipient of the Professional Achievement Award.

Western Carolina University paid tribute Saturday, Oct. 4, to five highly distinguished alumni – a national award-winning after-school programs director, a recently appointed college vice president, an international business leader for Pfizer Inc., and a couple who are longtime supporters of WCU.

The WCU Alumni Association presented the Young Alumna Award to Amy Clifton, director of after-school programs for Communities in Schools of Greenville in South Carolina; the Academic and Professional Achievement Award to H. Lee Cheek Jr., who will become vice president for college advancement at Georgia’s Brewton-Parker College on Nov. 1; and the Professional Achievement Award to W. Barry Smith, who served as Pfizer’s regional director for southern Africa. Chancellor John W. Bardo bestowed the Distinguished Service Award on Brank and Juanita Proffitt, a Marshall couple who have served the university for decades and established an endowed scholarship fund at Western Carolina.

The awards were presented during a ceremony in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center as part of 2008 Homecoming activities.

Clifton, the Young Alumna Award recipient, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from WCU in 1998. A resident of Greer, S.C., she is the director of after-school programs for the Greenville, S.C., arm of Communities in Schools, a national nonprofit organization that aims to help young people successfully learn and stay in school.

In her 10 years with the nonprofit, she has helped raise more than $500,000 in support by assisting with grant proposals and aiding with the production of fundraising events. She has served on a school improvement council, developed a behavior modification training program for elementary and middle schools, and been a statewide committee member, regional team leader and Greenville County coordinator for the South Carolina Lights On Afterschool effort. In 2007, she won one of seven “Unsung Hero Awards,” which national Communities in Schools distributes every five years.

“One of Amy’s favorite quotes is, ‘It is easier to build a child than to repair an adult,’ and Amy has become not only a builder but also an architect who is truly helping children learn and succeed through her work,” said David Andrew, president of the WCU Alumni Association.

Cheek, the Academic and Professional Achievement Award recipient, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history in 1983 and a master’s degree in public affairs in 1988, both from WCU. He also earned a master’s degree of divinity from Duke University and a doctorate in political science from The Catholic University of America.

A resident of Vidalia, Ga., Cheek is chair of the social and behavioral sciences division and a political science professor at Brewton-Parker College, a four-year Christian college with a main campus in Mount Vernon, Ga., and five external sites. He is an award-winning faculty member, earning “Professor of the Year” three times and the 2008 Jordon Excellence in Teaching Award, the college’s most prestigious teaching honor. On Nov. 1, he will be promoted to vice president for college advancement.

“In addition to being a nationally respected scholar of American political thought, a published author, a United Methodist clergyman and college leader, Dr. Cheek shares his knowledge and insight as a gifted teacher who truly inspires students,” said Andrew.

Smith, the Professional Achievement Award recipient, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from WCU in 1967. A year later, he began what would become a lifelong career with Pfizer, the world’s largest research-based biomedical and pharmaceutical company. Smith, now a resident of Cramerton, N.C., started as a medical service representative in Charlotte and later accepted jobs as a district hospital representative and district manager.

In 1988, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from Tulane University and moved into a job as associate director of sales assisting with administration of the national sales force. In 1992, Smith became general manager for Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, where under his leadership Pfizer’s sales in that region grew from $20.3 million to $67.1 million. From 1999 to 2002, he managed Pfizer’s operations in 10 countries as regional director for southern Africa. During his tenure, Smith negotiated agreements for a public-private program that donated millions of medical pharmaceutical treatments needed to treat HIV- and AIDS-related infections throughout southern Africa.

“Barry Smith is an extraordinary example of what the graduates of Western Carolina are capable of – of how a degree in business can open the door to careers at the national and international level that have a global impact,” said Andrew.

The Distinguished Service Award recipients, Brank and Juanita Proffitt, graduated from Western Carolina Teachers College in 1942 and 1939, respectively, with bachelor’s degrees. The Proffitts went on to earn higher degrees and pursue careers in the field of education, she as a teacher in North Carolina schools and he as an educator, administrator and superintendent.

The couple has served, supported and contributed to Western Carolina for decades. They regularly attend a range of university events, from athletics to the arts. Their gifts include the establishment of an endowed scholarship fund for students who have financial need. In addition, Juanita Proffitt is one of the longest serving members of the WCU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

“We present this award as a small way of saying thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to make a difference for the students of Western Carolina University yesterday, today and tomorrow,” said Chancellor John W. Bardo.

Maintained by the Office of Public Relations
Last Modified: Saturday, Oct. 4,