Francine M. Delany Award

Francine M. Delany Alumni Award for Service to the Community

 
A member of the class of 1966, the University’s first baccalaureate class, and the University’s first African-American graduate, Francine contributed a lifetime of service to Asheville and the surrounding community in support of childhood education. This award recognizes one alumnus/a (degreed or non-degreed) for exemplary service to their community, state, or nation.

 Previous Recipients

2011

The Francine M. Delany Award for Service to the Community was given to Carol King '89 and Amanda Edwards '99. In addition to building one of Asheville's most respected accounting firms, Carol L. King and Associates, King '89 was an instrumental leader in the redevelopment of Pack Square in downtown Asheville. As the founding chair of the Pack Square Conservancy, King brought together a diverse and often discordant group of stakeholders to transform Asheville’s historic city center into a park and community gathering space for the 21st century.

Edwards '90, an advocate for literacy, served as executive director of the Friends of Literacy in Knoxville, Tenn. and is now executive director of the Literacy Council of Buncombe County. As a result of Edwards' leadership over the past seven years, the Literacy Council has increased its fundraising by over 60 percent and has significantly expanded its outreach, especially in the Hispanic, Ukrainian and Russian immigrant communities.

2010

Not given

2009

The Francine M. Delany Award for Service to the Community was presented to Michael F. Ochsenreiter '80 for his dedicated civilian career to the U.S. Air Force. Ochsenreiter worked on the F-15 Program and the top-secret SR-71 "Black Bird" Program and served as deputy director of the Air Force Services Agency. When he wrapped up his career with the Air Force, Ochsenreiter was honored by the governors of Texas and North Carolina for his dedicated service.

2008

The Francine M. Delany Award for Service to the Community was presented to Joye Haynes-Ganger '89. A 1989 management graduate of UNC Asheville, Joye Hanes-Granger has not only built a thriving health care business in Henderson County (Whitley Home Medical) but has used her expertise in the Health Care Equipment industry to serve her community. After the passing of a loved one, many families find themselves with a tremendous amount of unneeded medical equipment. Joye accepts the equipment, repairs it (if needed) and donates it on behalf of the person who passed away to others in need of the equipment. She also donates equipment and her time to Four seasons Hospice to help families in need throughout Henderson County. An active Rotarian, Joye also gives generously to water projects in Ecuador, and to academic scholarship projects in Hendersonville. Joye is committed to improving her community and credits her UNC Asheville education for giving her the tools to serve.

2006

The Francine M. Delany Award for Service to the Community was presented to Esteve Coll-Larrosa '00 for dedication to educating and supporting the Spanish-speaking communities of Buncombe, Henderson, Jackson and Macon counties. An employee of United Services Credit Union, Coll-Larrosa volunteers to teach Latino residents about their financial rights. He travels widely across Western North Carolina, providing free financial instructional program on topics ranging from the importance of opening a bank account to building a good credit report.

2005

The Francine M. Delany Alumni Award for Service to the Community was presented to James Stickney '78. A native of Asheville, Stickney serves as the chair of the Board of Directors of the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County Inc. and is the past chair for the YMCA Capital Campaign. He has served on the boards of the American Red Cross, Family Services Center, and The Better Business Bureau of WNC. A past-president of the UNC Asheville Alumni Association, he has also served as a member of the UNC Asheville Foundation Board and The Bulldog Club.