In June of 2015 two Blair County leaders were honored by Penn State University for their commitment and dedication.
Donald Devorris, of Altoona, was honored with Penn State’s Distinguished Alumni Award on June 5, 2015, at University Park. This award is the highest honor given by Penn State to alumni whose “personal lives, professional achievements, and community service exemplify the objectives of their alma mater.”
Devorris has served on the PSU-Altoona Advisory Board for thirty years. In 2000, he received the Alumni Fellow Award and in 2010 received PSU-Altoona’s Outstanding Alumni Award.
Don and his wife, Nancy, have been recognized for their philanthropic support with induction into Laurel Circle of Mount Nittany Society and Ivy Circle, the highest level of giving, of PSU-Altoona’s Ivyside Society. The couple’s two $1 million commitments rank among the largest in Penn State Altoona’s history.
Don and Nancy co-chaired Penn State Altoona’s first Renaissance Fund Dinner in 2005 which raised nearly $100,000. This year, again serving as co-chairs the dinner raised over $615,000.
John P. Kazmaier, of Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, received the Penn State Honorary Alumni Award. The award is given by the Penn State Alumni Association to honor individuals who are not graduates of Penn State but who have made significant contributions toward its welfare, reputation or prestige. With over 30 years of volunteer leadership, he is one of the longest-tenured members of the PSU-Altoona Advisory Board.
John and his wife, Dede, have supported various initiatives to revitalize downtown Altoona. The Kazmaier Family Building, home to the Office of Development and Alumni Relations, located on Twelfth Avenue, was named in honor of the family for the philanthropic support of both John and Dede and John’s mother, Jane Patterson Kazmaier Lower.
The Kazmaiers have been honored for their philanthropic support with induction into the Ivy Circle category of PSU-Altoona’s Ivyside Society, the highest level of recognition.
Kazmaier was honored by Penn State Altoona in 2008 with the Penn State Altoona Honorary Alumni Award for his commitment and service to fulfilling the campus’s mission and enhancing its reputation and prestige.
