Business college honors elite group of alumni during WMU Homecoming
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business has announced its 2026 alumni award recipients. Recognized for their career and service accomplishments, the elite group of business leaders will visit campus to celebrate and engage with students and faculty. The Haworth College of Business Awards Ceremony will take place on October 9 at 4 p.m. in 2150 Schneider Hall. To RSVP for the event, email Rachael Bower at @email.
Haworth College of Business Outstanding Alumni Achievement Award
Thomas W. Cronkright II, B.B.A.’97, executive chairman, CertifID, is a serial entrepreneur, licensed attorney and nationally recognized authority on wire fraud, cybersecurity and financial crime prevention whose work has helped protect trillions in real estate transactions across the U.S. Cronkright leads CertifID, the preeminent wire fraud prevention and payment protection platform in the real estate industry, which he co-founded in 2017. He also serves as CEO of Sun Title Agency of Michigan, one of the state's largest title companies, which he co-founded in 2005. Cronkright has been named a Crain's Detroit Business 200 Business Leader and is a three-time Crain's Newsmaker of the Year. Read more about Cronkright.
Daniel DeRyke, B.B.A.’79, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors, Bouma Corporation (retired), led Bouma Corporation, a highly respected commercial construction company with a national reputation for quality construction and professionalism. In his 30 years at Bouma, DeRyke was first the CFO for the family-owned business; then in 2012, he became president and shareholder, entrusted to uphold the company’s legacy. He provided critical strategic planning and financial leadership as the company added significant new business divisions and weathered the global financial crisis of 2008 to 2009. Notably, Bouma has worked on many projects for WMU including the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Arcadia Flats and Heritage Hall. Read more about DeRyke.
Tanya Thompson, B.B.A.’15, MBA’20, founder and chief smelly officer, The Aroma Labs, had a vision to build an experiential fragrance retail brand on the belief that wellness and self-expression are inseparable. With the tagline "Be well, smell good!™," the business has grown from a basement operation into a multi-state retail brand with seven locations across Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee—and counting. Thompson is a recipient of a State of Michigan award for excellence as a woman-owned small business and was named a 2026 honoree of WMU Haworth’s The 30. She is also an alumna of the American Leadership Academy, where she deepened her practice in emotional intelligence and values-based leadership. Read more about Thompson.
Haworth College of Business Outstanding Service Award
Hitesh Shah, B.S.’87, growth director, RSM, has more than 30 years of experience spanning startup through venture financing and eventual merger and acquisition exits in multiple high-technology companies. He has in-depth experience in people management, finance, venture capital, business development, product management, business planning and customer service. Shah has served in multiple executive roles as CFO, COO and CEO. Prior to joining RSM, he was director of business development at BDO for 12 years. He has been instrumental in WMU Haworth’s TechNext program, an Experience-Driven Learning opportunity which connects students to thought leaders in Silicon Valley. Read more about Shah.
Haworth College of Business Emerging Leader Alumni Award
Chase Chamberlin, B.B.A.’12, co-founder, Commonwealth, is an entrepreneur, executive and lifelong equestrian, notably serving as captain of the WMU Equestrian Team. The co-founder and former CEO of Commonwealth, an innovative sports investment platform that reimagined how fans participate in Thoroughbred racing, Chamberlin was crucial to the platform attracting millions of dollars in investment from racing fans around the world and returning millions of dollars in winnings and distributions through Commonwealth’s groundbreaking ownership model. The company was featured by TechCrunch, Fast Company, The New York Times and NBC Sports and has risen to become one of the most successful public syndicates in the world. Read more about Chamberlin.
Kelly Darling, B.B.A.’16., B.S.’16, MBA’24, senior enterprise account manager, Lob, has built a successful career in enterprise account management, business strategy and customer success across the logistics, operations and software as a service industries. Darling has led multimillion-dollar client portfolios, driven organizational growth and developed trusted partnerships by combining strategic thinking with a people-first approach. Her performance has been recognized through multiple honors, including two President's Club awards during her career. She is a member of the National Black MBA Association and the Junior League of Chicago. She has served in leadership roles in National Sales Network Chicago and was recognized with the National Sales Network Team Impact Award in 2024. Read more about Darling.
Department Outstanding Alumni Awards
Doug Havera, B.B.A.’90, partner, BDO, is recipient of the Department of Accountancy Outstanding Alumni Award. He began his career at BDO as an audit staff member in July of 1990 after graduating from WMU’s Haworth College of Business. He has spent his entire career in the Kalamazoo office of BDO and has been an audit partner since 2004. During his career at BDO, Havera has worked on public, private and foreign-owned entities in a wide range of industries. Additionally, he has served many nonprofit and government clients. Approximately 20 years ago, he began working with tribal and commercial casinos and other tribal entities, including economic development authorities. Read more about Havera.
Sky Perry, B.B.A.’07, vice president of cybersecurity, Citibank, is the recipient of the Department of Business Information Systems Outstanding Alumni Award. He has 23 years of experience in information technology, including 17 years in IT management, with a career spanning a range of industries, including retail, professional services, manufacturing, distribution, hospitality and financial services. As vice president of cybersecurity at Citibank, he leads vendor management within the global identity and access management space, navigating contract negotiations, compliance oversight and risk controls across a complex web of vendor relationships. He also drives vulnerability remediation efforts to maintain regulatory compliance and align security practices with the organization's risk appetite. Read more about Perry.
Jon Melges, B.B.A.’99, senior vice president of investments and managing director, Raymond James, is the Department of Finance and Commercial Law Outstanding Alumni Award recipient. He joined the military before attending WMU and participated in two combat tours. He was a Dragon gunner in a Seaport of Debarkation unit for his first tour and then served as part of a sniper team attached to the CIA for remote site operation in Honduras. After the military, he attended WMU and majored in finance and accountancy. He started his professional career with Plante Moran on the firm’s audit and tax teams. He then switched paths and went into the financial services industry, eventually rising to his current position. Read more about Melges.
Trish Smith, B.B.A.’11, vice president of people experience and support, Rocket, is the Department of Management Outstanding Alumni Award recipient. Smith leads Team Relations, Leave of Absence, and People Operations Support, focusing on creating safe, inclusive and engaging environments where team members can thrive. She is a champion of organizational culture, passionate about developing policies and practices that protect and elevate the team member experience. Since joining Rocket in 2014, her dedication to fostering a positive work environment and commitment to team member well-being have made Smith an indispensable leader. Read more about Smith.
Alexi Mavrellis, B.B.A.’04, managing director and market leader, West Region, TIAA, is a recipient of the Department of Marketing Outstanding Alumni Award. Mavrellis is responsible for the firm's retirement solutions business across 11 western and mountain states. He partners with the higher education, research, medical and cultural institutions at the heart of TIAA's mission, leading integrated, cross-functional teams that deliver on both institutional priorities and long-term business growth. Notably, Mavrellis led TIAA's historic $8.5 billion mappable win, the largest competitive record keeping mandate in the firm's 108-year history. He built and executed the strategy that secured retirement assets for TIAA, cementing a flagship relationship in the Pacific Northwest. Read more about Alexi Mavrellis.
Lily Mavrellis, B.B.A.’04, vice president of sales, Northern California Division, PulteGroup, is a recipient of the Department of Marketing Outstanding Alumni Award. A seasoned sales executive with more than 20 years of experience in the homebuilding industry, she has a passion for building high-performing teams, developing leaders and creating exceptional customer experiences while consistently driving strong sales performance and operational excellence. Her leadership style centers on authenticity, accountability and collaboration, with an emphasis on investing in people, fostering trust and empowering teams to achieve great results. That leadership philosophy has helped Mavrellis lead diverse sales teams through changing market conditions and a variety of initiatives. Read more about Lily Mavrellis.
Greg Thayer, B.A.’95, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army (retired), is the ROTC Wall Fame Award recipient. LTC Thayer enlisted in the Army at 17. He served in the 2nd and 24th Infantry Divisions as an Anti-Tank Gunner, Squad Leader and NBC NCO. Commissioned through WMU Army ROTC in 1995, LTC Thayer completed the Quartermaster Officer Basic Course and was assigned to the 528th Special Operations Support Battalion (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina, serving as a Platoon Leader and Executive Officer. He later served with 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, in Germany as an Operations Officer, Company Commander, and Area Support Team Commander. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, he deployed as Brigade Logistics Officer Forward and later returned to Iraq as an advisor to the Iraqi Army's 2nd Motorized Transportation Regiment.
Following graduation from the Command and General Staff College, LTC Thayer served as Senior Logistics Advisor to the Saudi Arabian National Guard, Battalion Executive Officer with the 166th Aviation Brigade and chair of Military Science at Central Michigan University. He later served as J-4, Joint Task Force Bravo, Honduras, directing logistics for humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and counter-transnational organized crime operations throughout Central America. His final assignments were Chief of the Material Readiness Division, Army Sustainment Command, Rock Island Arsenal, and Depot Director, 10th Ammunition Depot, Kure, Japan, where he served until retiring in August 2020. Read more about Thayer.