The Dicke College of Business Administration at Ohio Northern University honored three individuals with Pinnacle Awards at a banquet held March 14.
This prestigious award, which honors individuals who have made the highest commitment to the business college, was given to Eugene A. Beeler (posthumously), Joanne Griffith Lipski, and Mark J. Palmer.
“We wanted an avenue to publicly say ‘thank you’ to the people who have made significant and sustained gifts to the college,” said Jim Fenton, dean of the Dicke College of Business Administration; “Through their generosity, they’ve had a tremendous and transformative impact on our students and the business college generally.”
Beeler served as a member of the 379th Infantry Regiment, 95th Infantry Division, during World War II. After graduating from ONU in 1949 with a Bachelor of Arts in accounting, he became a certified public accountant and founding partner of Howard & Beeler in Lima, Ohio, (now known as Lentol, Violet, Kienitz and Company). In 1997, Beeler established The Eugene A. Beeler, Herman and Nettie Beeler, and Leota Beeler Endowment Fund at Ohio Northern to honor his parents and sister. This endowment fund created a scholarship for accounting students in the College of Business Administration. At Beeler’s passing in October 2006, he added to this fund by bequest. His foresight and gift planning in establishing the Beeler Scholarship have helped countless students attend his alma mater.
Lipski, a 1972 graduate of Ohio Northern University, is a certified public accountant who resides in Perrysburg, Ohio. She currently is a trustee of ONU and has served in that role for more than 30 years. In past years, she has served as chair or vice-chair of the Committee on Admissions, Enrollment and Financial Aid; the Academic Affairs Committee; the Audit Committee; and Honorary Degree Committee of the Board of Trustees. In 2011, she was honored with The James F. Dicke College of Business Administration Outstanding Service Award. In 2012, she received a Distinguished Alumni Award from ONU’s Alumni Association.
Lipski is active in the community and has served as co-chair for Relay for Life in Perrysburg, co-chaired several school levy campaign committees and served as an officer in the League of Women Voters. She also is active in the First United Methodist Church in Perrysburg. At ONU, Lipski was a member of Delta Zeta, Alpha Lambda Delta and Aurora.
Palmer graduated from Ohio Northern University in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in both business administration and economics. An active student while at ONU, Palmer was student body president, a three-time letter-winner in football, a resident assistant, a member of the Phi Kappa Theta social fraternity, and a member of several academic fraternities and honoraries.
After graduating from ONU, Palmer went on to earn his Juris Doctor in 1982 from Rutgers University. He practiced law in Columbus as an associate with Chester Saxbe Hoffman & Willcox and then with Bricker & Eckler, where he was made a partner. In 1999, he co-founded The Joseph Group Capital Management, an investment advisory firm, with his brother. Today, Palmer is the chief executive officer of The Joseph Group.
In 2011, Gov. John Kasich appointed Palmer to the Board of Directors of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. He was reappointed to the board last year, and he serves as chair of the board’s Investment Committee. Palmer has served the Ohio Northern Board of Trustees for more than 25 years, first as student representative, then as president of the Alumni Association, and finally as a full member of the board, a position that he holds today.
The names of this year’s honorees will be added to a fabricated sculpture on the ground floor of James F. Dicke Hall. The contemporary display, constructed of copper, aluminum and stainless steel, stands as a public and enduring testament to the individuals who have reached a pinnacle in their generosity and service to the college.
