2014 CAA Recipients

Bowling Green State University is proud to recognize outstanding, notable and accomplished alumni at the

2014 College Alumni Awards

Please join us in congratulating the 2014 College Alumni Award recipients:

• Lee Alexakos, corporate vice president for marketing and advertising, Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and Cedar Point, Firelands College
• Scott Bailey, chief operating office, Synacor, College of Arts and Sciences
• Emerick Corsi, Jr., president, Forest City Real Estate Services, Schmidthorst College of Business
  
• Eric Gordon, chief executive officer, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, College of Education and Human Development
• Jessica Miller-Blakely, licensed nursing home administrator, Bowling Green Care Center, College of Health and Human Services
• Gregory Snyder, director of bands, Lakota School District, College of Music
• Michael Mikolay, executive vice president and director of operations for Guardian Jet, College of Technology, Applied Engineering and Architecture

Meet the Awardees

Lee Alexakos ’78
Firelands

Lee Alexakos, who has more than 30 years of experience in the amusement park industry, is vice president and corporate division head of marketing and advertising for Cedar Fair Entertainment Company and Cedar Point. Following the acquisition of Paramount Parks in 2006, Alexakos was instrumental in implementing Cedar Fair programs across all the parks and maximizing synergies and efficiencies with emphasis on the advertising program. At Cedar Point, she oversees all aspects of marketing including planning, marketing strategy, advertising, pricing, sales, digital marketing, public relations and promotions.

She began her career in the group sales department at Cedar Point in 1978 and was promoted several times over the years, with the most recent in 2006 when she became corporate vice president.

She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Bowling Green State University.

Alexakos is active in the local community and is past chair of the Board of Directors for the Erie County Chamber of Commerce, recipient of the Chairman’s Award, and serves on boards for the Erie County Chamber of Commerce, Firelands Symphony Orchestra and Teen Leadership Corps. She was named a Woman of Excellence for Erie County in 2011.

Scott A. Bailey ’90
College of Arts and Sciences 

A two-time nominee and Emmy Award winner for his work in advanced media technology, Scott Bailey brings two decades of broadcasting and publishing experience to Synacor as the company’s chief operating officer. Bailey has operational responsibility for business operations, business development, product and service development, monetization, legal and information technology.

As a member of the executive leadership team, Bailey is a key driver in Synacor’s business decisions, including the company’s expansion into China and Latin America. and the preparation of Synacor’s IPO in February 2012.

Bailey received the Business First Buffalo “612’ C-Level Executive Award,”  and he and his Synacor team were awarded a TV of Tomorrow Leadership Award for Most Significant Technology Product for their Cloud ID: Social Login product.

Before joining Synacor, Bailey held positions at Comcast Interactive Media and Turner Broadcasting

Bailey currently serves on the board of advisors for YOLA, a website builder and hosting service that helps small businesses differentiate themselves online. He has served on the board of UYRL, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to help improve graduation rates of intercity youths with a strong focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math.)

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University.

Emerick J. Corsi Jr.  ’72    
Schmidthorst College of Business  

Emerick J. Corsi, president of Forest City Real Estate Services, has a long history of developing shopping centers, town centers, power centers and mixed-use developments. He has been with Forest City Enterprises for more than 35 years, always serving in a leadership position, dividing his time between leasing, asset management, development and third-party business. He is responsible for directing and leading all company real estate services activities in the United States, including all department store and big box relationships for development and redevelopment of all retail projects.

Corsi has overseen the development and construction of more than 13 million square feet of shopping centers throughout the United States. He has been directly involved with all of the centers developed by Forest City from New York City to Los Angeles and Florida.

Corsi is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the Urban Land Institute. He has taught at the ICSC Executive Learning Series level, is a former member of the ICSC's CenterBuild Advisory Board, and served on the advisory board of Central Michigan University’s undergraduate real estate program. Emerick holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Art in business management from Central Michigan University.

Eric S. Gordon  ’91, ’97
College of Education and Human Development

Eric Gordon was appointed chief executive officer of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) in June 2011 after serving four years as the district’s chief academic officer. He is responsible for the leadership and daily management of Cleveland’s 40,000-student school district. Gordon was part of a group of business, philanthropic and educational leaders, who successfully lobbied Ohio legislators to pass The Cleveland Plan, a revolutionary package of education reform legislation that was signed into law on July 2, 2012.

Gordon is active nationally in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards curriculum and the Social and Emotional Learning Standards for children. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Council of the Great City Schools, an organization representing 66 large urban districts across the U.S., and as the co-chair for the council’s Student Achievement Taskforce.

Prior to joining CMSD, Gordon was the executive director for secondary learning for the Olentangy Local Schools in suburban Columbus, Ohio. He also was a teacher, assistant principal and principal in both suburban and urban school districts. In 2012, CEO Gordon was a finalist for the Council of the Great City Schools’ Richard R. Greene Award, recognizing him as one of the nation’s Top Ten Leaders in Urban Education.

Gordon is a graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in secondary mathematics education and driver education  and his master’s degree in education administration and supervision.

Jessica Miller-Blakely  ’97  ’13
College of Health and Human Services

Jessica Miller-Blakely has served as a licensed nursing home administrator since 2001, most recently as the licensed nursing home administrator, Healthcare Facility, for the Bowling Green Care Center in Bowling Green, Ohio. She brings a service-oriented perspective to her facility while still creating a home-like feeling for her residents.

A lifelong resident of Wood County, Miller-Blakely has worked for several facilities within the county. Her research and areas of interest include: the psychosocial benefits of animal-assisted activities on the quality of life of long-term care residents; administration in long-term care; the aging process of individuals with development disabilities, and the health, nutrition and biology of aging.

Miller-Blakely served as an adjunct faculty member in the BGSU gerontology program. In addition, she is active in her community, serving on the boards of Wood Lane Residential Properties, the Bowling Green Skating Club, the Bowling Green Rotary Club Board of Directors, and Bowling Green Rotary International.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree in gerontology from BGSU and her Master of Science in interdisciplinary gerontology from BGSU in December 2013.

Gregory L. Snyder ’80
College of Musical Arts

Gregory Snyder is in his 26th year as director of bands in the Lakota School District, West Chester, Ohio. He was at Lakota High School for nine year before moving to Lakota West High School the past 17 years. Snyder directs Symphonic Winds, Symphonic Red Band, Symphonic White Band and the Marching Firebirds. He also assists with two concert bands at Lakota West Freshman School. Previously, he worked in the Clyde-Green Springs (Ohio) School District.

Under Snyder’s direction, the Symphonic Winds has received a superior rating at Class AA Ohio Music Education Association state competition since 1998, and has performed at numerous clinics, festivals and tours in the U.S. and internationally.

The Lakota West Marching Firebirds have earned more than 50 grand champion awards and has performed in such parades as the Hollywood Christmas Parade, the Sugar Bowl, the Waikiki Holiday Parade, the Tournament of Roses Parade, at Disney World and Universal Studios and in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2013. They will parade in the 126^th Tournament of Roses Parade in 2015.

Snyder has a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Bowling Green State University, and a master’s degree in music education from VanderCook College of Music, Chicago. He also has done additional work at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and Miami University.

Michael J. Mikolay ’98
College of Architecture, Applied Engineering and Technology

Mike Mikolay is the executive vice president and director of operations for Guardian Jet, an aircraft sales and consulting firm in Guilford, Conn. Guardian’s core concept is to earn the right to buy and sell aircraft on behalf of their clientele by providing great consulting advice, market intelligence and flawless execution. In addition to Mikolay's operational responsibilities, he is a key member of the sales team and is recognized for his attention to detail while ensuring each client receives the highest level of customer service each step of the way.

Prior to co-founding Guardian Jet in 2002, Mikolay worked in aircraft sales for Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation in Winston-Salem, N.C. Notably, he holds an Airline Transport Pilot Rating, CFII, MEI and a Raytheon Premier I aircraft type rating.

A native of Hudson, Ohio, Mikolay graduated from Bowling Green State University with a bachelor’s degree in aero technologies and a minor in computer science.