2022 Award Recipients
Alumni and friends of the college will be honored for their outstanding professional and service accomplishments during WMU Homecoming week. These individuals serve as a representation of the values of the Haworth College of Business and as an inspiration and example to our students.
This year's recipients will be on campus for an awards ceremony, which will take place on Oct. 14 at 4 p.m. in 2150 Schneider Hall.
Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award
George Hoyem, B.B.A.’81
Executive Vice President, Investments, In-Q-Tel
George Hoyem has more than 25 years of entrepreneurial, operations and venture capital investing experience in high technology companies. At In-Q-Tel (IQT), the strategic venture capital arm of the U.S. Intelligence Community, Hoyem is the executive vice president, investments, where he leads the investment team. Hoyem has led various focus areas and dozens of investments at IQT.
Hoyem’s biographical information
Rhonda Davenport Johnson, B.B.A.’84, MBA’93
Executive Vice President, National Director, Retail Banking, Comerica Bank
Rhonda Davenport Johnson is the executive vice president, national director, retail banking, for Comerica Bank. She is currently accountable for the development and leadership of the retail banking center and customer contact center activities nationwide, including customer experience, operational excellence and revenue growth responsibilities. She also oversees more than 400 of Comerica’s banking centers, which employ nearly 2,600 employees and hold over $27 billion in deposits.
Davenport Johnson’s biographical information
Outstanding Service Award
Sandi Doctor, MBA’83
President, Northwood Group
Sandi Doctor has spent her career in the investment management industry. She began as an equity analyst at First of America Bank (now PNC Bank), where she earned her Certified Financial Analyst designation. Doctor then went on to become a founder of LVM Capital Management in 1988. For 25 years at LVM, she was a portfolio manager and equity analyst who enjoyed working closely with her clients. She was approached to join Northwood Group in 2013, a family office in Kalamazoo, where she is currently president.
Doctor’s biographical information
Emerging Leader Alumni Award
Robert Armbrister, B.B.A.’06, MBA’13
President and CEO, SPARK Business Works
Over the past 15 years, Robert Armbrister has been part of many leadership teams as a forward-thinking technology executive with a desire to help clients build out their digital strategies and become more efficient, profitable and technology-driven. He currently serves as the president and CEO of SPARK Business Works, a business-first team that designs and builds custom software solutions in construction, manufacturing, healthcare and professional services.
Armbrister’s biographical information
Aaron Coney, B.B.A.’12
Founder, Hustle Matters
Aaron Coney is a graphic designer and brand marketer with nearly 15 years of experience. An expert in building both relationships and brands, he works around the clock to put his clients and partners in a position to make their goals and dreams a reality. After graduation, he built a career as an in-house designer for companies such as Disney, CBS, FOX and Dash Radio by day, and at night he pursued his side hustle—freelance appearance booking and brand marketing for celebrities—which led to the founding of Hustle Matters.
Coney’s biographical information
Paulina Costa Zyskowski, B.B.A.’11
Sales Director, Americas, Kalsec Inc.
Paulina Costa Zyskowski has spent the majority of her career at Kalsec, joining the company in 2011 and growing into a senior account manager position prior to being named sales director. It was an organic path for her as she leads cross-functional teams across the globe in implementing natural product solutions for processed food and beverages. She currently serves as a board member and diversity, equity and inclusion committee member for the Chicago chapter of Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce, Inc.
Costa Zyskowski’s biographical information
Department of Accountancy Outstanding Alumni Award
Keith LaVanway, B.B.A.’86
Chief Financial Officer, Pregis, LLC
Keith LaVanway has spent over 20 years as a chief financial officer in the private equity space. He is currently the chief financial officer and board member at Pregis, LLC, a leading manufacturer of protective packaging products based in Chicago. Prior to working at Pregis, he was CFO of Associated Materials. LaVanway’s comprehensive experience was garnered from a career spent in varying financial roles at Nortek, Abbott Laboratories and Ernst & Young. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions, treasury, and relationships with the lender community.
LaVanway’s biographical information
Department of Business Information Systems Outstanding Alumni Award
Cindy Swiantek, B.B.A.’84
Vice President of Sales, VisionIT
Cindy Swiantek is the vice president of sales at Vision Integration Technologies (VisionIT). She comes to VisionIT with more than 25 years of experience using information technology solutions to solve customer business problems. Prior to joining VisionIT, she was senior vice president of cyber security and compliance, strategic accounts, at ANXeBusiness. At VisionIT, she is instrumental in developing business development strategies for new and existing strategic accounts, ensuring effective account management and meeting established sales targets.
Swiantek’s biographical information
Department of Finance and Commercial Law Outstanding Alumni Award
Kenneth Stephens, B.B.A.’86
Senior Vice President, Global Client Executive, Chubb
Kenneth Stephens’ responsibility is to his clients, understanding their service needs and risk management goals to drive sustainable relationships both domestically and globally. He achieves this daily as a senior vice president, global client executive at Chubb, working with Fortune 500 organizations with complex operations to implement coverage, service and claim solutions—bringing to life comprehensive plans to manage client portfolios that lead to high client satisfaction.
Stephens’ biographical information
Department of Management Outstanding Alumni Award
Sarah Husain, B.B.A.’06
Director, Business Development, Mergers and Acquisitions, Stryker
Sarah Husain found success for the first time at Stryker in Kalamazoo, working her way from a buyer intern position in the Medical division to a sourcing commodity manager for the Instruments division in only seven years. She then went on to become a worldwide supply and demand manager for the iPhone and iPod Touch units at Apple in Cupertino, California. She eventually found her way back to Stryker in 2014 in a senior manager position leading a group of program managers and creating the Sourcing Mergers and Acquisitions Playbook, a tool Stryker has implemented on every acquisition deal since 2015.
Husain’s biographical information
WMU ROTC Wall of Fame Award
COL Heather Smigowski, B.A.’98
Chair, Department of Distance Education, U.S. Army War College
Colonel Heather Smigowski is an Army Strategist (FA59) and serves as the chair for the Department of Distance Education at the U.S. Army War College. Prior to her current position, Colonel Smigowski was a politico-military planner and the executive assistant to the deputy director for Africa, Joint Staff Strategic Plans and Policy Directorate (J-5), Pentagon. Other strategic assignments include senior training program analyst with the Department of the Army, Pentagon; strategic planner for the Commander’s Planning Group, U.S. Army Training Doctrine and Command; deputy of the Human Dimension Task Force, U.S. Army Capabilities Integration Center; and executive assistant for the director of joint training/J-7, U.S. Joint Forces Command.