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October 14, 2004

Bruce Hanks Honored at Awards Dinner

This year's winner of the prestigious Golden Arrow Award has played many roles during his association with the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He served as the previous Director of Athletics for three years, was former president of the 蜜桔直播 Foundation, and also was past president of the 蜜桔直播 Alumni Association. Bruce Hanks was surprised at the annual Alumni Awards banquet by the announcement of his winning the Golden Arrow Award.

Having recently stepped down from his role as Athletics Director, Hanks continues to serve the university as a volunteer in the athletics department. He can often be heard on the radio reporting from the sidelines during 蜜桔直播 football games. He currently works on the Board of Directors with Centurytel.

President of 蜜桔直播, James Cofer, says Hanks is more than a volunteer. "Bruce Hanks is also 蜜桔直播's number one fan. He is always around at all sporting events and even though he doesn't work here anymore, you would never know. He has a positive attitude about life and about this university and I can think of no one better deserving of this award. We are grateful to Bruce for all he does for this university."

Last year's Golden Arrow winner, Representative Charles McDonald, presented the award to Hanks. The annual presentation of the award, honoring a 蜜桔直播 Alumnus who distinguishes himself through service to the University, was Thursday evening at the annual Alumni Awards Dinner as part of Homecoming 2004 festivities. The Golden Arrow Award was established in 1981 by the Alumni Association to recognize outstanding alumni who have served the 蜜桔直播 Alumni Association and their local chapter.

While Hanks was the Director of Athletics at 蜜桔直播, many accomplishments were made by the department. Among the achievements were setting the record (at the time) for football season tickets sold, repaying the half million-dollar loan taken out by the 蜜桔直播 Athletic Scholarship Foundation, balancing the athletic budget for the last two years and producing surpluses, and increasing athletic department annual revenues by over one million dollars.

Hanks came to 蜜桔直播 after playing a key role in building one of Ouachita Parish's -- and the nation's -- most successful companies, the Fortune 500 company, CenturyTel, Inc. He served as CenturyTel's Vice President for Strategic Issues from May 1999 until coming on board at 蜜桔直播. Prior to that, he had served CenturyTel in various capacities including Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President - Corporate Development and Strategy, and President - Telecommunications Services. He was a recent recipient of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce's Jim Shipp Memorial Young Business Leader Award.

A graduate of 蜜桔直播, Hanks earned his BBA in accounting in 1976 with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average, becoming one of only 64 graduates ever to attain that honor. He earned his MBA from 蜜桔直播 in 1977. While a student at 蜜桔直播, Hanks was named the Outstanding Student and Graduating Senior in the School of Business, the Outstanding Junior and Senior in Accounting, a member of Who's Who and the Dean's List.

Hanks and his wife, Carol, have three children.

The Alumni Chapter of the Year Award went to the Ouachita Parish Chapter. The winner this year for the 蜜桔直播 Service Award is Sharon L. Moore. Moore is a secretary at 蜜桔直播 in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education and Human Development.

蜜桔直播 Alumni Association Executive Director, Pam Shepherd, said, "All of our honorees are special. Bruce Hanks has been a longtime friend and supporter of the Alumni Association and 蜜桔直播. Sharon Moore is an outstanding volunteer and the Ouachita Parish Chapter of the Alumni Association really made an impact this year. The spirit of 蜜桔直播 is alive in all of our honorees and we are happy to give them special recognition."

Find this and other 蜜桔直播 News at http://www.ulm.edu.

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