The Alumni Association of Ohio Northern University presented Distinguished Alumni Awards during the Alumni Awards Banquet eariler this month.
The awards, recognizing outstanding service and loyalty, were presented to Karen P. (Casper) Condeni, JoAnne (Griffith) Lipski, and Michael Chow. The banquet was part of Northern’s 2012 Alumni Weekend, held June 1-3.
Karen P. (Casper) Condeni
Condeni graduated from ONU in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in education. She began her career at the University shortly after graduation and currently serves as special assistant to the president. In her 38 years at ONU, she served as assistant director to financial aid, assistant dean of residential life, director of financial affairs and dean of admissions before spending 19 years as vice president of enrollment.
Condeni was the first woman elected president of the Ohio Financial Aid Association after serving as the group’s secretary and northwest representative. She also has served on the Midwest Financial Aid Executive Committee, the Ohio Board of Regents Advisory Council, and the National Professional Development Committee for the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC). She currently serves on the ACT Advisory Council, and she received the Glass Ceiling Award from the National Diversity Council in 2010.
JoAnne (Griffith) Lipski
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. Lipski also chairs the committee on admissions, enrollment and financial aid. In past years, she has served as chair or vice-chair of 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.
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. At ONU, Lipski was a member of Delta Zeta, Alpha Lambda Delta and Aurora.
Michael Chow
Chow, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in 1992, was the first ONU engineer-in-residence, serving during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 academic years. The engineer-in-residence program was a joint venture between Ohio Northern and Marathon Oil Company. Chow is the managing principal for Metro CD Engineering, a firm he founded in 2004 in Worthington, Ohio, that specializes in electrical, HVAC, plumbing engineering and green building design. The firm’s vision is “Engineering a greener tomorrow ... today.”
Chow is a registered professional engineer in more than 20 states, including Ohio. He is also a LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional), knowledgeable and experienced in green building design and operation. Chow is the education and membership chairman in the Central Ohio IESNA (Illuminating Engineering Society of North America) Section. He is an active member in the United States Green Building Council, Columbus Green Building Forum, Franklin County Chapter of the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). He also is active as a member of the ONU alumni board and is a past alumni board president for the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity chapter at ONU.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards are based on outstanding service to the objectives of the Alumni Association of Ohio Northern University, service with distinction in the nominee’s chosen profession and tangible expression of loyalty to ONU.
