The Distinguished Alumni Award

Criteria for selection includes but is not limited to post-high school education, professional accomplishments, involvement in community activities and leadership. Nominees who are not selected can be re-nominated in subsequent years. If you would like to nominate someone for the award, please send the name and resume of that person’s accomplishments prior to June 1st. The nominee selected will be recognized and asked to speak at the All-Class Reunion.

2024 Recipient: Nick Nicolas

The BRHS Alumni Association is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award is Col. George “Nick” Nicolas.

Nick graduated from BRHS in 1971. He earned a B.S. in Environmental Health from Ferris in 1974 and later obtained his Doctorate of Optometry Degree in 1983. His son, Jon, and daughter, Amy, were born during that time. In 2012 he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Ferris State University.

He was commissioned as an Air Force optometry officer. His optometry credentials include: residency training, board certification, and fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry. In addition to clinical duties, he developed the Air Force’s first Special Spectacle Lens program. It made commercial glasses available to all active-duty members.

When serving on the Air Force Surgeon’s Staff, he created and participated in the first Air Force Alaskan humanitarian mission providing full-scope optometry care to Inuits in many lo- cations north of the Arctic Circle. It eventually expanded annually to include Army and Navy. As Commander of the Scott AFB Aeromedical Evacuation System reception center, Col. Nico- las led ongoing medical care to returning wounded warriors before returning to their home stations. When commanding medical operations at Tyndall AFB in Florida, Col. Nicolas’s unit was awarded the Air Force’s Best Clinical Medical Facility two years in a row. As a deployed Hospital Commander, his unit maintained a 100% flying status of all aircrew throughout Operation Enduring Freedom.

During a second tour at the AF Surgeon General’s staff, Col. Nicolas served as the Deputy Assistant Surgeon General for Healthcare Operations. He oversaw the provision of healthcare policies and programs in support of AF global medicine, national security strategy, and 43,000 personnel, serving 2.4 million beneficiaries with 75 medical facilities worldwide, with a budget of $5.1 billion.

Col. Nicolas was also the Deputy Director for the Biomedical Sciences Corps (USAF) until he retired from AF active service in 2013. In this role, he was responsible for recruiting, training, career development, and retention of 2,400 Biomedical Sciences Corps Officers made up of optometry and 14 other specialities.

Since his retirement from 30 years of AF active service, he and his wife (Linda Leach—BRHS Class of 1972) moved to Boerne, Texas, in the hill country outside San Antonio. He hired into a group private practice part time. This allowed them to travel and pursue other interests. They include: playing his Ludwig drums that he’s had since 1967; working on cars, trucks and motorcycles; touring on his Honda Goldwing with friends across the U.S.; and visiting their five grandkids, who Nick says are grand indeed. He retired from private practice in late 2022.

Congratulations on a fine career, Col. Nicolas!

2024 Posthumous Distinguished Alumni Recipient: Edward Block

Ed Block (Class of 1964) was a long-time board member of the BRHS Alumni Association. He passed away in November 2023 and will be greatly missed. He was a dedicated member on the Alumni Board who made countless trips from his home in Kalamazoo to attend board meetings. Ed was the think tank behind the board and was a wealth of knowledge.

Ed’s leadership skills were always apparent from the time he was mayor of BRHS. Many of you will remember his father, Wilson Block, who was the Assistant Superintendent for Big Rapids Public Schools. Ed received his Bachelor’s degree from Ferris in Biology, and he then went on to obtain his Master’s and Ph.D. in Biology from Western Michigan University.

The majority of his career was spent with Upjohn Company in Kalamazoo where he traveled extensively around the world. His work included: Pharmaceutical Research and Development; Cardiovascular and Gastroenterology Research; Pharmacologic Therapeutics Clinical Research Unit; Scientific, Medical and Technical Affairs Unit; and Scientific, Medical Affairs Unit.

Ed worked on the clinical development of many products including Motrin (Ibuprofen), Rogaine (Minoxidil), and Kaopectate, to name a few. In addition, he had numerous publications and technical reports relating to his field.

Ed also served on the Board of Directors for the International Essential Tremor Foundation and was it’s first vice president; Consumer Healthcare Products Association; Nonprescription Drug Manufacturers Association, Association of Clinical Pharmacology; President of Michigan Electron Microscopy Forum; North America Benthological Society; Partners of Americas- Michigan Partners with Belize and Dominican Republic.

He also was certified as an Emergency Medicine Technician.
He was appointed to the Kalamazoo Planning Commission; Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Advisory Board; and the Kalamazoo Environmental Concerns Committee.

Ed enjoyed traveling, especially his yearly trips to Japan and his many trips to Mexico and Florida.

We will be forever grateful to Ed for his contributions to the BRHS Alumni Association. You will not be forgotten!

Past Recipients (graduation year)

2023: Ralph Manting (1959)
2022: Emily Cramer Hancock (1971)
2021: Ken Musselman (1965)
2019: Rick Steinke (1974)
2018: Susan Wismer Bissell (1965)
2017: Mark Brejcha (1977)
2016: Neil R Tetzlaff Lt Col USAF Ret (1960)
2015: Major Kay Andrews (1956) & Bob Horan (1953)
2014: Teri L Losey (1973)
2013: Lynn DeMoss (1952)
2012: Ronald Nichols and Keith Corrigall (1952)
2011: Edward Burch (1954)
2010: Gus and Alice Jane Anderson (1940) and Tom Avey (1965)
2009: Morris Andrews (1954)
2008: Art Adleman (1950)
2007: David Michaels
2006: Deno Sellas (1949) and Nick Sellas (1950)
2005: Michael E. “Mickey” Koch (1960)
2004: Norm Turner (1951)
2003: Lawrence Root (1966)
2002: Judd D. Arnold (1949)
2001: James Rogers (1965)
2000: Agnes Jensen Mangerich (1931)
1999: Ray W. Cross (1965)
1998: Leslie Morford and James Stuck (1949)
1997: William O’Neil (1953)
1996: James Sofoulis and Maxine Arnold Sofoulis (1943)
1995: Albert Poland (1959)
1994: Pearce Lane (1949)