LWC Alumni Awards will be given to Farris, Flowers and Eberenz
COLUMBIA, KY -- Homecoming weekend celebrations will include the Alumni Awards & Athletic Hall of Fame event where three alumni will be inducted into the LWC Athletic Hall of Fame. It will be held at 11amCT, Saturday, October 21, 2017 in the Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center, 430 Helen Flatt Drive, Columbia, KY.
Lindsey Wilson College National Alumni Association 2017 Award Recipients will be honored at the awards ceremony Saturday, 11amCT at the Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall of Fame Celebration in the Roberta D. Cranmer Dining & Conference Center, 430 Helen Flatt Drive, Columbia, KY
LWC National Alumni Association Award Recipient Bios
Distinguished Service Award - Carrie Luker '67 Farris
Carrie Luker Farris actively supports LWC, its mission and its students. Farris has been a devoted member of the LWC National Alumni Association - serving on the alumni council for more than 24 years and has been a driving force behind the Alumni & Friends Walkway Scholarship program. She is also a member of the LWC Board of Trustees.
After graduating from LWC, Farris earned a bachelor's degree from Murray State (Ky.) University and a master's degree from Western Kentucky University in education. A career educator, Farris taught English and related courses at several schools in Kentucky and Ohio. After teaching, she spent 12 years in the communication field serving as Director of Communication for the College of Josephinum in Worthington, Ohio and later at the Kentucky United Methodist Children's Home in Versailles, Ky. For the past 10 years, Farris has worked for The Research Group of Lexington (Ky.). She currently serves as the regulatory coordinator.
Farris is an active member of the United Methodist Church and has served as president of the United Methodist Women's organization. She lives in Versailles, Ky., and is married to Neil R. Farris, her high school sweetheart. Together they have five children and six grandchildren. This past spring, Farris participated in the Golden Alumni Reunion Celebration commemorating 50 years as an LWC alumna.
Distinguished Alumnus Award - Robert W. Flowers '70
A devoted and proud member of the Columbia-Adair County community, Robert W. Flowers has spent a large part of his career serving the people of his hometown. He retired from the Bank of Columbia after nearly three decades of service and has spent more than 20 years serving on various city and county development boards as well as two terms on the Columbia City Council.
Flowers has also been a faithful supporter of Lindsey Wilson College. His belief in LWC's mission and outreach led him to advocate on behalf of LWC as a board member with Kosair Charities of Louisville, KY. Flowers secured almost $700,000 in grant money from Kosair to support the college's growing nursing program.
After graduating from LWC, Flowers earned a bachelor's degree from Western Kentucky University and graduated from the Louisiana State School of Banking. He retired from banking in 2005 having served as president and CEO of the Bank of Columbia for 18 years. He has been a member of the Columbia Christian Church for 55 years. He has two daughters, Lynn Spencer and Ann Gosser and is a grandfather.
Outstanding Young Alumna Award - Lori Riddle '02 Eberenz
After decades of decline, KFC, once considered a tired legacy brand, has returned to pop culture thanks to the efforts of LWC alumna, Lori Riddle Eberenz.
When Eberenz joined KFC she was charged with reigniting the KFC brand. Her breakthrough PR initiatives generated a boost to the brand's identity and the result was 11 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth after decades of loss. Her work also landed her on the PRWeek: 40 Under 40 2017 list of public relations professionals under the age of 40 who are "demonstrating innovative thinking, strong determination and results that indicate a long and successful career."
This comes as no surprise to those who knew Eberenz as a student at LWC. She served in various leadership roles and was named a John B. Begley Scholar, the institution's highest merit scholarship. Eberenz also found time to work off-campus as a part-time reporter at a local paper, as well as, complete a public relations internship in London, England as part of LWC's study abroad program.
Eberenz earned a master's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Her 13-year public relations career began with two of Louisville's premier marketing and communication agencies -- Guthrie Mayes Public Relations and Bandy Carroll Hellige Advertising. She has received dozens of awards for innovative and effective work in the communication field.
Eberenz and her husband, Josh, have two daughters - Julia and Hannah. Active in her community, Eberenz lends her time to organizations close to her heart. She has served as a member of the board of directors for the Friends of the Louisville Zoo.