The Alumni Association presented its 2010 awards at convocation April 14.

“The Alumni Board is pleased to be able to honor these outstanding alumni,” said Association President Aaron Dunn ’82. “These four graduates are shining examples of how to take Christ into our community.” 

Distinguished Alumnus of the Year: O.L. Thompson ’70

The Alumni Association is proud to honor O.L. Thompson’s record of business success, community involvement, and service to the University by naming him the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. Finding an open date in Thompson’s calendar might take a while….but that’s just how he likes it. Thompson, the winner of the 2010 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award, serves as the CEO of O.L. Thompson Construction, Thompson Trucking and Wando Concrete. He also is chairman of Santee Cooper, vice chairman of the Palmetto Economic Development Corporation, a member of the Coordinating Council for the S.C. Department of Commerce, on the boards of the Trident CEO Council, and the Southeastern Wildlife Expo and a member of the CSU Board of Visitors. Thompson has been involved in such high profile projects as the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, Google Berkeley County, Boeing, and Nucor.

Since graduating 40 years ago, Thompson has been heavily involved in the Charleston community. He has worked with the Windward Farm for Boys, the Roper/St. Francis Foundation, the S.C. Trucking Association, , and the Charleston Subcontractors Association. He has also found time to stay involved as an elder at Yeaman’s Park Presbyterian Church and as a coach in the Hanahan Recreation System. However, his proudest title is that of husband, father and grandfather. He and his wife, Toni, have three children and four grandchildren.

University Mission Award: Jan Mims ’82

As a longtime CSU employee and a member of the Class of 1982, you would be hard pressed to find someone more dedicated to the University. During her 17 years as an employee, Jan Mims has held many positions within the business office, currently serving as the associate vice president for business affairs. Over the years, she has logged many 12-plus hour days and has gone above and beyond her duties, helping steer her office through both good times and the more difficult times. Her humble and honest spirit is constant and displayed in her work, family and church life.

Mims is a wonderful ambassador for CSU both in her church and in the local community.

Alumnus Community Service Award: Bob Gray ’70

When you think of the Shriners organization in the Myrtle Beach area, you think Bob Gray. A member of the Class of 1970, Gray is an accomplished businessman and involved member of the Grand Strand community. He is the president and owner of Sunco Swimming Pool Company. He and his late wife, April, have four children and seven grandchildren.

Gray has served as president of the Myrtle Beach Jaycees, as a Paul Harris Fellow on the Myrtle Beach Rotary, as a member of CSU’s Board of Visitors and has served as the official tree-lighting Santa Claus for the City of Myrtle Beach. His main area of community involvement is through the Shriners organization. He is a Master Mason at the Seaside Masonic Lodge #419, a York Rite and lifetime Scottish Rite Mason, past president of the Myrtle Beach Shrine Club, past director and past president, Omar Shriners of Coastal S.C., and past president of the South Atlantic Shrine Association.

Young Alumnus of the Year: Dr. Tony Owens ’02

Humble may not have been how a teenage Tony Owens would have been described, but as a medical professional, his humble demeanor is one of the first things you will notice. During his youth, Owens became involved in drugs and alcohol, and this led to his incarceration at a juvenile facility in Columbia at the age of 15. Around this time, God began working in Owen’s life and changed his heart, leading to a recommitment of his life to Christ. Tony felt a call to join the medical field and attended medical school at MUSC. He is finishing his residency in anesthesiology at the University of Tennessee in 2010, and will be attending a fellowship in pain management at Wake Forest University after completion of his residency. Owens hopes to return to Charleston after the fellowship along with his wife and three kids, and they hope to start an orphanage in the Charleston area through a local church.