2009 Geyer Award Recipients
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Representative Gayle Kingery Missouri State Representative Gayle Kingery, District 154, was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in November 2002. He has sponsored much legislation during his tenure in the House and has served on several important and influential committees: Appropriations – Education; Elementary & Secondary Education; Higher Education; State Parks & Waterways and Joint Committee on Education. Rep. Kingery has chaired the House Higher Education Committee for five years. He has sponsored and been a champion for higher education legislation in the state of Missouri and for the University of Missouri, in particular. In the 2009 legislative session, this support included the higher education bonding legislation and sponsoring in the House the Access Missouri scholarship legislation to equalize the awards between public and private school students. Rep. Kingery also co-sponsored legislation to establish a large animal veterinary medicine loan program for MU students. Additionally, he serves on the Midwest Higher Education Compact organization, attending meetings and participating in regional and national conferences focusing on education and, specifically, higher education. A retired educator, Rep. Kingery spent three years as a teacher and coach in Jackson, Mo., and 30 years as a teacher, coach and administrator in Poplar Bluff. He served in the United States Air Force from 1961 to 1965, with a tour in Vietnam from 1963 to 1964. A 1957 graduate of Poplar Bluff Senior High School, Rep. Kingery received a Bachelor of Science degree from Southeast Missouri State University in 1966. He attended graduate school at the University of Missouri, where he studied physical education. During his time at MU, he was a graduate assistant to the football team, under Coach Dan Devine, when the team was selected to participate in the Orange Bowl. Rep. Kingery was born July 7, 1939, in Harviell, Mo. He lives in Poplar Bluff with his wife, Bette Joline Kingery. They have five children: Nancy, Hasue, David, Travis and Jonathan. For his continued support of MU and dedicated service to the citizens of Missouri, the Mizzou Alumni Association is proud to present the 2009 Geyer Award for Public Service to Higher Education to Representative Gayle Kingery.Christine Koukola Christine Koukola is Assistant to the Chancellor for University Affairs. In this role, she is the chief public affairs officer for the University of Missouri, with responsibility for the MU News Bureau, Publications and Alumni Communication, University Events, Marketing Communications, Web Communications and Visitor Relations. She also directed the communications for the For All We Call Mizzou billion dollar campaign. Chris joined MU in 1986 and has lead MU’s public relations efforts over 24 years for five chancellors: Barbara Uehling, Haskell Monroe, Charles Kiesler, Richard Wallace and now Brady Deaton. Chris is an Illinois native who holds a bachelor of arts in political science from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, and previously worked for the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse . . . when she went looking for a job at a “big time school.” Although not a Mizzou grad, you would never know it when talking with her! She wears black and gold, bleeds black and gold, advocates for our great flagship day in and day out, and always puts MU first. She has contributed to higher education, the University of Missouri and the Mizzou Alumni Association in many ways. Over the years, she has participated in hundreds of alumni chapter events, board meetings, MAA functions, LINC/MLA meetings and Communications Committee meetings, always bringing the latest news of Missouri’s great land-grant university, analysis of critical issues, opportunities for alumni advocacy, and new ways to promote the Mizzou brand. Her recognition and respect for the tremendous grass roots power of the Mizzou Alumni Association to support the flagship role and future success of the University of Missouri provide the cornerstone for MU public relations efforts during her entire time in Jesse Hall. She says, “There is only one Mizzou, and nobody knows that better than an MU alum!” That Chris Koukola has served in the administrations of five chancellors is no accident. She is that good at her job; she knows strategic communications; and she has an incredible institutional memory. But she will tell you that any success she has had is due to the amazing talent of the University Affairs staff with whom she has worked over the years and the support of colleagues and wonderful MU leaders. Chris has been married to Peter Koukola for 36 years, who dates his devotion as a major Tiger fan from the day they moved to Columbia. In fact, it was Peter who said to Chris that he didn’t understand why MU didn’t light the beautiful Jesse dome at night. The rest is history; Jesse has stood tall and bright since the evening in 1988 when MU began the countdown to its Sesquicentennial celebration. In her advocacy for our flagship university and public higher education, Chris truly embodies the qualities MAA seeks in its Geyer Award recipients. For her continued support of MU and dedicated service to the Univeristy of Missouri, the Mizzou Alumni Association is proud to present the 2009 Geyer Award for Public Service to Higher Education to Christine Koukola. |
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Past recipients:
2008: Congressman Ike Skelton and Mr. Ed Turner 2007: Senators Chuck Gross & Charlie Shields and Mr. R. Barnes Whitlock 2006: Representatives Bryan Pratt & Brian Yates and Mr. Richard Mendenhall 2005: Senator Chuck Graham and Mr. James C. Sterling 2004: Senator John Russell and Mr. Dudley McCarter 2003: Congressman Kenny Hulshof and Dr. Hugh Stephenson Jr., M.D. 2002: Representative Ted Farnen and Mr. Harry Cornell 2001: Secretary of State Bekki Cook and Dr. Al Hahn 2000: Representative Emmy McClelland and Dr. Melvin George 1999: Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond and Mr. Everett Brown 1998: Senator Ken Jacob and Mr. Chris Kelly 1997: Representative Steve Gaw and Dr. David Leuthold 1996: Senator Joe Moseley and Dr. Charles McClain 1994: Governor Mel Carnahan and Mr. Fred Hall 1993: Lt. Governor Roger Wilson and Mr. John Phillips 1992: Senator James Mathewson and Mr. Bert Bates *No awards were presented in 1995