Distinguished Alumni

2003 – Mr. DeLight E. Breidegam, Jr.

Class of 1944

Kutztown’s first Distinguished Alumni Award was presented to DeLight Breidegam, Jr.  He was the co-founder and chairman of East Penn Manufacturing in Lyons. The award was presented to Mr. Breidegam in recognition of his personal and professional accomplishments and the significant contributions he continually made to the people and organizations of the local community and to the business community worldwide.

2007 – Mr. Marvin F. Schlenker

Class of 1945

Marvin Schlenker was honored for his contribution to the broadcast industry.  He directed and produced a wide variety of programs including “Who Do You Trust?” with Johnny Carson.  He was a founder of ABC’s “Wide World of Sports”.  He also served as director of ABC’s “Nightline with Ted Koppel”.  During his career, he covered five Olympics, ten political conventions and the space program.

2013 – Dr. Brenda Winkler

Class of 1963

Dr. Winkler began her teaching career in the Kutztown Area School District. She went on to teach in PA and N.J., was an instructor and counselor at Penn State, Berks Campus, and served as assistant and then acting superintendent of Marple Newton School District. Additionally, she taught a doctoral level course at Immaculata University, supervised doctoral interns at the University of Penna., worked as a consultant for Apple Computer and has testified as an Expert Witness in education program analysis.

Dr. Winkler returned to the Kutztown Area School District as superintendent in 1997. During her tenure she demonstrated a “kids come first” philosophy. Her leadership, organizational and planning skills were instrumental in beginning the one-to-one Apple Computer initiative, the simultaneous renovation of three elementary school buildings,  and the shift from a junior high school to a middle school format. Dr. Winkler is a co-founder of the Kutztown Area School District Education Foundation.

2015 – Mr. Stephen B. Slick   

Class of 1976

Stephen Slick served nearly three decades in various roles at the CIA, including an appointment as special assistant to President George W. Bush at the White House. He was recently named the inaugural Director of Intelligence Studies Project at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is also a Clinical Professor at the University’s LBJ School of Public Affairs.

2017 – Mr. Andrew J. Brett

Class of 1987

Andrew J. Brett ’87 has spent 25 years in education, the last 13 as a School Counselor at Kutztown Area High School, where he has provided academic, career, college readiness, and personal/social competencies to thousands of students through his counseling. Mr. Brett also serves as Scholarship Committee Chairperson for the Kutztown Area Teachers Association, is the Emergency Staff Person for the high school, a class advisor and former debate coach.

Beyond his duties as a school counselor, Mr. Brett serves as President of Kutztown Strong, a community-based group of concerned citizens that was formed in 2014 to make a difference in our region through the prevention of substance abuse. For his volunteer work, he was featured on National Public Radio as well as Berks County’s “The People Chronicles.”

2018 – Ms. Julie Stark

Class of 1979

Julie Stark worked in visual effects on major motion pictures for 25 years contributing to numerous Academy Award-winning films including “Life of Pi” for which her team won the 2013 Oscar for Best Visual Effects.  She left the film industry the same year and returned to Berks County to establish Stark Juice LLC in Kempton PA where she produces a line of raw and unpasteurized juices made from seasonal, fresh, cold-pressed fruits and vegetables.   

2020 – Dr. Karen L. Rauch

Class of 1980

Dr. Karen L. Rauch, Ph.D., serves as Associate Provost for Accreditation and Assessment at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, where she has also served as Associate Professor, Chair of the Modern Language Studies Department, and Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. As a faculty member, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Caribbean studies, nineteenth-century Peninsular (Spanish) and Latin American literature, civilization and culture, translation/interpreting, and Spanish for business.

After leaving KAHS, Rauch earned her baccalaureate degree at Allentown College of St. Francis de Sales (now DeSales University), where she was a double major in French and Spanish. She went on to study literature at Duke University, earning a Master’s degree in 1986. She taught at Duke University, University of Virginia, Alvernia University (then College), and the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She received her Ph.D. from The University of Virginia.

2006 – Prof. David V. Boger

Class of 1957

David Boger is Laureate Professor Emeritus at The University of Melbourne, and was Professor of Chemical Engineering, and past Director of the Particulate Fluids Processing Centre (a Special Research Centre of the Australian Research Council). His research is in the area of non-Newtonian fluid mechanics with interests ranging from basic polymer fluid mechanics to applications in the minerals, coal, oil, food, and polymer industries.  Professor Boger has received numerous awards, including the Prime Minister’s Prize for Science in 2005. His honors include election to National Academies of Science and Engineering in Australia, the United Kingdom, the USA, and an international award for the Finnish Academies of Technology.

2014 – Col. Stephen M. Fenstermacher, USMC, Retd.

Class of 1973

Colonel Steve Fenstermacher joined the Marine Corps on college graduation day and served on active duty for 31 years.  His most significant assignments included Commander of Marine Wing Support Group 17, Chief of Staff for 1st Marine Aircraft Wing and Acting Director of Manpower Management Division at Headquarters Marine Corps.  Colonel Fenstermacher also served on an operational deployment to Cuba to provide humanitarian aid to Haitian and Cuban refugees and was forward-based for more than eight years on the island of Okinawa where he deployed throughout the Western Pacific.  Colonel Fenstermacher also served in the Pentagon on the staff of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.  He was in the Pentagon during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001.  He is a graduate of the Marine Corps War College, the Army Command and General Staff College and the Naval Postgraduate School where he earned a Master of Science Degree in Information Systems Management.  He retired from the Marine Corps in 2008 as a full Colonel and currently works for Kratos Public Safety and Security Solutions as the Operations Manager for Strategic Accounts.

2015 – Ms. Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz

Class of 1980

Ms. Miksiewicz served as CEO and Vice Chairman of East Penn Manufacturing. For 29 years, she was a driving force in the company that carried out the legacy of two previous generations of her family. She also served the community as a member of many committees and boards. She was honored posthumously for her corporate leadership, community service, and humanitarian accomplishments.

2016 – Ms. Emily P. Grim, Esq.

Class of 2001

Ms. Grim is an attorney in Washington. D.C. She played a key role in the release of Alan Gross, her client, who was imprisoned by the Cuban government for five years for increasing internet access to the Cuban people. In another case which drew world-wide attention, she assisted in securing the release of U.S. citizen and Marine veteran, Amir Hekmati, imprisoned by Iran for five years on false charges of espionage.

2018 – Mr. Keith Haring

Class of 1976

Keith Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990) is one of the most renowned artists of the late 20th century. Through his art, Keith commented on socio-political issues with the messages being as important as the medium. Believing that art is for everyone, Keith made his work freely available in public places. Prior to his death, Keith established a foundation that continues to support non-profit organizations that assist underprivileged children, as well as organizations involved in education, research, and care related to AIDS.

2019 – Dr. Michael Karch

Class of 1987

Dr. Michael Karch has made significant contributions to the medical community as an orthopedic surgeon, an inventor of surgical technology, an educator and a leader in surgical trauma response techniques. Dr. Karch is a founding member and senior partner at the Mammoth Orthopedic Institute and serves as Chairman of Surgery and Anesthesia at Mammoth Hospital in Mammoth, CA. He was one of the first physicians at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001 and has led surgical teams to many international disaster and conflict zones. He has been the team physician for the US Ski & Snowboard Team since 2002. He is also the co-inventor of SMARTdrill technology which was recently approved by the FDA for clinical use and he is the co-founder of KMW Enterprises that develops intellectual property for surgical use.

Dr. Karch’s many personal accomplishments include completing 53 marathons and 6 Iron-Distance Triathlons as well as twice-finishing a 146-mile ultra-marathon across Death Valley. Dr. Karch, his wife and their three children also operate a cattle, sheep, and poultry ranch.