TAHLEQUAH — A former Cherokee Nation Principal Chief, a university president, a founder of a company that aids the developmentally disabled, and a drilling company owner recently were announced as Northeastern State University outstanding alumni, according to a media release from NSU.
Michele McCarthy (’76, ’77) and Dr. Linda Sue Warner (’70) were named distinguished alumni, and Eddie Miller (’88) was named outstanding young alumnus during Homecoming festivities earlier this month. Wilma Mankiller (’57), former Cherokee Nation principal chief, will receive the President’s Award for Community Service, the release states.
These outstanding NSU alumni will be honored at the 11th annual Emerald Ball on Dec. 6.
• The owner of Venture Drilling Supply, headquartered in Tahlequah, McCarthy has built on the vision her husband, Wayne, established in 1977 when he founded the company. Upon Wayne’s death in 1994, Michele made a commitment to the employees of the company to keep things going. Under her leadership, Venture Drilling Supply has become one of the leading Atlas Copco dealerships in the U.S.
• A member of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma, Warner has an extensive history working in education across the country. She was serving as associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs for the Tennessee Board of Regents before being named president of Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan.
• Miller is one of three Oklahomans to found Bios Corporation in 1990. His organization focuses on working with individuals with developmental disabilities to obtain full involvement in their communities. He has continually worked with legislators and the Department of Human Services to increase the standard of care for adults with developmental disabilities and to increase the wages of employees who work directly with them. He has served on the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council and served on the board for the High Risk Insurance Pool.
• Wilma Mankiller made history, serving two years as the first female elected deputy chief and 10 years as the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation. She serves on the Board of Trustees of the Freedom Forum and the Board of Directors of the Newseum, a $400 million museum of the news in Washington, D.C. She also serves as an external diversity advisor to Merrill Lynch. Mankiller was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the International Women’s Hall of Fame, the Minority Business Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. A noted author, Mankiller has authored several books, including “Every Day is a Good Day.”
