MARQUETTE, Mich.—Samuel Benedict of Rapid River and Mary Lukens of Ann Arbor were each granted trustee emeritus status and honored at a recent meeting of the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees.

            Benedict served on the board from 1997 to 2008. He chaired the search committee that brought Les Wong to Northern as its 13th president. He was also chair of the executive and finance committees and a member of four other board committees during his tenure. Benedict and his wife, Elinor, were instrumental in the creation of the Mead Auditorium in the West Science Building. They have also supported Passages North, the university’s literary magazine, and public broadcasting at NMU. Benedict received the NMU President’s Award for Distinguished Citizenship in 1985 for his leadership in a vital industry—he had a 40-year career with the Mead Corporation—and his efforts to link business and industry with colleges and universities in the Upper Peninsula. 

            Lukens was an NMU trustee from 2000-08, serving the final two years as board chair. She also chaired the academic affairs committee and was a member of the executive committee. Lukens was instrumental in developing an internship program that enabled NMU students to work with major media outlets at the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. The NMU alumna has also shared her expertise in market research, politics and public affairs as a guest lecturer in several classes. Lukens was previously recognized for her contributions to the university’s Road Map to 2015 strategic plan. A former vice president of Coldwater Corporation in Ann Arbor, she is now semi-retired and works as an independent consultant.