2021 Alumni Award Recipients

Jan Bednarz ’72

Outstanding Alumnus Award

  • Jan is a 1972 Business Administration – Management graduate.
  • Jan was involved with a wide variety of activities as a student at LSSC, now LSSU, including one year on the men’s basketball team, three years in ROTC, two years on the Student Senate, and three years in the Lambda Sigma Beta Professional Business Fraternity of which he was the President during his senior year.
  • His friendship with Dr. Madan Saluja, resulted in Jan contributing to the founding of the Lambda Sigma Beta Scholarship Fund in 1997.
  • Jan received the Lukenda School of Business Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2005 and has been a member and president of the school’s Professional Advisory Board.
  • Jan is a Lifetime Member of the LSSU Alumni Association.
  • Jan worked at MJ Insurance from May 1976 to the end of 2016.
  • Jan has two daughters, Jessica and Sandra.
Cynthia Williams ’76

Ken Shouldice Achievement Award

  • Williams is a magna cum laude graduate with a B.A. in English from LSSU who also earned a Juris Doctorate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School.
  • She is the former executive director of the Michigan Education Special Services Association (MESSA)
  • She retired in 2016 after 16 years with the organization, which was founded in 1960 and is the largest provider network in Michigan.
  • She served on the LSSU Foundation Board of Directors in 2011 completing her term that including service on the Prospect Development Committee in 2019.
  • She also is a member of the Planning Commission of the City of East Lansing and was a member of the Michigan Children’s Trust Fund Board of Directors from 2009 to 2012.
  • Williams was appointed to LSSU’s Board of Trustees to a term that runs from July 10, 2020, to Jan. 27, 2028.
Hannah Pierson-Compeau ’04

Paul Ripley Alumnus Award

  • Hannah attended and graduated from Lake State with a B.A. in Political Science and Communication in 2005.
  • While a student, she was a member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society, Political Science Club, Curriculum Committee, SAILS, and Honors Council.
  • She graduated from Georgetown University with an M.A. in Communication, Culture, and Technology in 2007.
  • Hannah has served as the Product Manager for American University in Washington, D.C since February 2019.
  • Hannah has also worked for the National Democratic Institute, Creative Information Technology, Inc., Parker Tide Corp, and the Institute of International Education.
  • She received the Outstanding Service Award for volunteer efforts at 2007 National Walk for the Animals.
  • She is married to Alexander Baum. They have one son, Isaac Baum.

If you know of any alumni or friends of LSSU who deserve this honor, please nominate them here and help them get the recognition they deserve. To see previous award winners you can view them here.