Jimmy Houston among alumni to be honored during Homecoming

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- Each year, the Alumni Association Board of Directors selects the honorees for Distinguished Alumnus and Outstanding Young Alumnus who will be honored at Homecoming and the Emerald Ball. These awards are presented annually to an NSU alumnus who, through personal achievement and service, has brought honor and distinction to both himself/herself and the University. Outstanding Young Alumnus has the distinction of having graduated from NSU in the past 20 years.

The university also honors recipients of the Presidents Award for Community Service. First awarded in 2003, this honor recognizes an alumnus or friend of the University who has rendered outstanding service, support, or courtesy to the community. Recipients are selected by both the President of the university and President of the Alumni Association.

The NSU Alumni Association is proud to announce the following 2013 honorees:

Jimmy Houston, Distinguished Alumnus
Jimmy Houston, Americas Favorite Fisherman, is a 1966 graduate of Northeastern. A self-described workaholic, Houston was a double major in Political Science and Economics, worked more than 50 hours a week during college and still found time to win the Oklahoma State Bass Fishing Championship as a senior. That tournament continued a love affair with fishing that has earned the angler over $1 million from bass fishing tournaments. Today, he is the host of the national show Jimmy Houston Outdoors on NBC Sports Outdoors, and author of five books, including a 365-day devotional built around fishing tips, tales and events.

Dianne Barker Harrold, Distinguished Alumna
An advocate for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Indian Country, Dianne Barker Harrold is a 2013 National Crime Victim Service Award honoree. She is an active tribal member, serving as Cherokee Nation Tribal Council attorney, special advisor to the Chief for the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, and is the associate tribal judge for the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma. Barker Harrold helped found Help-in-Crisis in 1980, a shelter for abuse victims in Tahlequah. She is a1984 NSU alumna with a degree in social work.

Michael Bolding, Outstanding Young Alumnus
From Mr. NSU to Physician of the Year at Washington Regional Medical Center his first year of practice, Michael Bolding has always been a standout. He is a 2001 NSU graduate, finished second in his class at medical school, and was named Clinician of the Year as a senior and Intern of the Year during his residency. Bolding is the Assistant Director of the Hospitalist Program at Washington Regional and serves on the faculty at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where he has his own rotation for seniors in Internal Medicine.

Glenn Coffee, Presidents Award for Community Service
An NSU Outstanding Senior and 1989 graduate with a degree in political science, Glenn Coffee was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 1998. A longtime public servant, he served in a variety of leadership posts, including Minority Floor Leader (2004-2006) and Senate Co-President Pro Tempore (2007-08). This January, after 12 years as an Oklahoma State Senator and two years as Oklahoma Secretary of State, he founded Glenn Coffee and Associates, an Oklahoma City law firm focusing on government ethics, campaign finance and government boards and commission work.