74th Founder’s Day set to honor many

Utah State University-College of Eastern Utah’s 74th annual Founder’s Day on Saturday, Oct. 15, will honor several individuals and families who have contributed to the success and noteworthiness of the institution at some point during the college’s long and distinguished history.
The Gold Circle donors, people who have contributed at least $5,000 to the college’s scholarship fund, include alumni Dennis and Susan Deaton, Mesa, Ari.; alumni Michael and Clyda Harrison, Provo, Utah; alumni LaVell and Mayzell King family; and Grady and Jeanne McEvoy, Price. Utah.
The Athletic Hall of Fame recipient includes Jared Fernandez. He graduated from Kearns High School and played for then baseball coach Dave Paur in 1991-92 where he was named MVP his sophomore year. “He was a great athlete and represented CEU well,” Paur remembers. 
After CEU he played at Fresno State where he was named to the All-Western-Division Team for the WAC Conference his senior year.  Drafted by the Boston Red Sox organization, played seven years in minor leagues.  Next, he played two years for the Cincinnati Reds, two for the Houston Astros and one for the Milwaukee Brewers.  His last year he played in Japan for the Hiroshima Carp.  He was known throughout his career for his durability, leading his respective leagues in innings pitch.  
The Upon Their Shoulder’s Award is presented each year to college employees who work for 30 years or more. This year the award is being given to Vicki Kulow (32 years), who retired as director of purchasing, and Steve Belnap (42 years), who retired from the business office. Kulow’s retirement was short lived as she returned last fall to assist in the USU Eastern SUN Center.
Two outstanding alumni awards are being presented to Joe and JoAnn Goodrich and the former debate and forensics coach Neil Warren.
Joe and JoAnn Goodrich
After graduating from CEU, JoAnn continued onto USU and graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communicative disorders and educational audiology, respectively. Joe earned his bachelor’s degree in manufacturing engineering from Weber State.
Utah Power and Light hired Joe as an engineer and he worked at Carbon Power Plant located in Castle Gate, Utah. Through a span of 18 years, he worked at the Huntington and Hunter plants as well where he served as plant manager of the Carbon and Hunter Plant. In 1993, the Goodriches moved to Casper, Wyo., where Joe managed the Dave Johnston Power Plant in Glenrock, Wyo., until 2000, by this time Utah Power was Pacific Power. Another merger with Scottish Power brought Joe to SLC on a transition team for the merger. He retired from the power company in 2002 as a managing director.
While in Carbon County Joe had the opportunity to serve as a member of the board of directors with Castleview Hospital, as a Price City Youth Council adviser and in both Price and Casper he served in a number of Boy Scouts of America positions.
JoAnn operated a preschool while in Price as well as worked for Carbon School District as a teacher of the hearing impaired. She also worked for the Natrona School District in the same role while in Casper, Wyo. After moving back to Utah, she worked as the director of Deaf Services for Southern Utah with the Utah School for the Deaf.
Neil Warren
Warren taught 43 1/2 years at the college, and says he would still be teaching if his eyesight was better. His debate programs were always top in the nation and he put Carbon College and College of Eastern Utah on the debate map against two- and four-year colleges and universities. The size of the institution Warren’s debate team went against never mattered, his students were always some of the best in the nation. His teams won 24-national championships first place awards, four-second place and 13-third place. At last count, the team won almost 300 trophies during his tenure as their beloved coach.
He was named debate coach of the year by Weber State, Southern Utah University, Western Debate University, California State Forensics Association. His awards throughout his career are too numerous to mention and not inclusive to his debate programs. From the Utah Board of Regents excellence in teaching award, Utah State Board of Education award, U of U outstanding service award, Castle Valley Community Theatre performance and service award to Price Junior Chamber of Commerce distinguished service award are all part of his incredible career.
A graduate of Carbon College, he was voted as most likely to succeed, and continued his education at the University of Utah. His education was interrupted by the Korean War, where he was stationed in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Graduating from signal school, he taught military science and tactics as he advanced through the ranks from staff sergeant to 1st lieutenant. His final position was commanding officer of the National Guard Unit in Price.
While at Carbon College [CEU] he taught speech classes, English, drama, literature, social sciences, humanities, education as well as distant education classes for USU.
Warren explained to his grandson about what he did before he retired. “I told him I was a teacher.” His grandson said, “I know that, but did you do anything special?” Warren thought, “I could tell him that I spent a good deal of my life going to school and taking workshops, that I taught heavy teaching loads every term, that I coached the debaters in the afternoons and traveled with them all over the nation on long weekends, that I spent long nights practicing plays and building scenery and that I spent much time with meaningful organizations.”
A reception from 6-6:30 p.m. will begin the evening with dinner and awards following at 6:30 p.m. in the USU Eastern Jennifer Leavitt Student Center. For reservations call 435.613.5256.