Ohio Northern University’s Raabe College of Pharmacy honored three alumni with Distinguished Alumni Awards on Oct. 31. This is the sixth year that Distinguished Alumni Awards have been presented by the Raabe College of Pharmacy.
Sen. David Burke, a 1990 graduate, Hanley Wheeler, a 1982 graduate, and Suzanne Eastman Wuest, a 1974 graduate, were recognized for their outstanding career accomplishments and their contributions to ONU.
“We are extremely honored to recognize these distinguished alumni for their significant contributions to the profession of pharmacy,” said Dr. Jon Sprague, dean of the College of Pharmacy. “These individuals have helped build the proud tradition and excellence of Ohio Northern’s pharmacy college.”
Burke represents the families and communities of Ohio’s 26th senate district, which includes all of Union, Crawford, Logan, Marion, Sandusky and Wyandot counties as well as parts of Seneca and Ottawa counties.
His extensive knowledge and experience regarding the health care industry led Burke to be named vice-chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Aging Committee. For his work in the legislature, Burke was named Legislator of the Year in 2012 by NAMI Ohio.
He also has been recognized by the Ohio Pharmacists Association (2012 Good Government Award), the Ohio Psychological Association (2012 Public Service Award), Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging (2011 Elected Official Advocacy Award), and Voices for Ohio’s Children (Champion for Children’s Healthcare).
Wheeler is the senior vice president of operations in the east division for CVS Caremark, which is based in Indianapolis, Ind. He is responsible for more than 5,200 stores in 25 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
From 1981-94, Wheeler worked for Revco drugs as pharmacist in Cleveland, Ohio, and as a district manager in New Mexico, regional manager in Dallas, Texas, director of operations in Twinsburg, Ohio, regional director in Charlotte, N.C., and regional vice president in Indianapolis.
In 1994, Wheeler began working for CVS Caremark as vice president and then senior vice president.
Wuest, who also received an honorary doctorate of pharmacy from ONU in 2009, is the executive director of clinical services for Catalina Health Resources, a health care information services firm.
She served as president of the Ohio Pharmacists Association from 1987-88, the first woman to do so. She was appointed to an eight-year term on the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy in 1999. Additionally, she serves on the ONU College of Pharmacy Advisory Board.
Wuest, who is a member of the American Pharmacists Association, the Ohio Pharmacists Association, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and the Veteran Apothecaries Association of Cincinnati, was awarded the Keys Award in 1984 by the Ohio State Pharmaceutical Association for outstanding leadership and The Josephine S. Failer Young Alumni Award in 1988 by the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy for contributions made to the community and the profession of pharmacy. In 1990, she received the Ohio State Pharmaceutical Association Beal Award for outstanding contributions to the profession of pharmacy.
