HOF welcomes inductees

Tribune Chronicle

WARREN - Being inducted into the Warren High Schools' Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame was the furthest thing from Michael Manios' mind when he developed Ohio's first Driver Education Range some 40 years ago.

Still, the Warren man said he plans to accept his recognition proudly Saturday during the 19th Annual Awards Dinner at Warren G. Harding High School.

"It's very humbling," said Manios, a 1952 graduate of Warren City Schools. "It's not what I expected, but it's definitely an honor. I appreciate it."

He is among nine new inductees who will be recognized.

He said developing the Warren Traffic Safety Center for city school students to learn how to drive was a highlight of his career.

"It was a great program," he said. "It was great for kids and great for parents. It was very beneficial for them."

After high school, Manios enlisted in the U.S. Navy and received an honorable discharge. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Kent State University and a Master's of Science from Westminster College. In 2005, the Kent State University School of Technology honored him as Distinguished Alumni. He served as Director of Vocational Education for the Warren City Schools from 1979 to 1992. He was principal director of the Mercer Area Joint Vocational District in Mercer, Pa. He was chair of the Mayor's Traffic Commission and a past member of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church Parish Council and Building Committee. He served as Supreme Governor of the order of Ahepa and Vice Chairman of the National Scholarship Foundation. He is an advisor to the Sons of Pericles.

He will be among the nine alumni honored with dinner and a program Saturday evening.

According to information provided by the Hall of Fame's Board of Directors the purpose of the award is to honor those who, through their performance and achievements, reflect credit on the Warren High Schools (Warren G. Harding, Western Reserve and Warren High School), and inspire today's students.

The Alumni Hall of Fame's Board of Directors also will honor two "Distinguished Faculty" members of Warren City Schools.

The 2012 recipients of the "Distinguished Faculty Award" are Warren Western Reserve teacher Joseph Yenich, and Warren G. Harding teacher Sue Kindelberger. Both teachers are retired.

Here are the other 2012 inductees:

Robert A. (Bob) Adams of Atlanta graduated from Warren G. Harding High School in 1978. He attended Tennessee State University and graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Business Administration. He then joined US Steel Corp in Lorain. He joined the RJ Reynolds Co. in 1984 and was promoted into the Human Resources department, where he received the Distinguished Employee Award for creating the company Career Posting Process. After receiving his MBA with a concentration in Human Resources from Wake Forest University, he went to work at PepsiCo. At PepsiCo, he negotiated multiple union contracts and was involved in recruiting key executives, including the current CEO of PepsiCo. He joined Alcoa as VP of Human Resources, was VP of Human Resources at the Weather Channel and is currently VP Human Resources at Elsevier, where he is accountable for several large divisions of the Global Company. Bob has been involved in community activities serving as the Executive Sponsor for youth programs and raising funds for disadvantaged youth.

Frank R. Bodor, Warren, graduated from Warren G. Harding in 1950 and in 1953 he received a B.A. Degree from Capital University in Voice and Choral Conducting. In 1956 he was awarded a Juris Doctorate degree from the Ohio State University Law School and was admitted to the Ohio Bar. In 1956 he was appointed Ohio Assistant Attorney General and became trial counsel for various State Departments, serving under 3 successive Attorneys General. Since establishing a private law practice in 1959, he developed an expertise in eminent domain law having tried hundreds of appropriation cases and having established new precedents in various fields of law at the Ohio and Supreme Court levels. He served as the City Attorney for the City of Newton Falls and was legal counsel for Warren General Hospital, the Village of Lordstown, Vienna Township, Lordstown Board of Education, Gordon D. James Career Center, Trumbull County Planning Commission, Warren YWCA and SCOPE Inc.

Barbara Busko, Warren, graduated from Warren G. Harding High School in the June Class of 1952. She began her career at Copperweld Steel Company in 1959 and in 1970 was promoted as the first female department head in Copperweld history. She left Copperweld in 1979 and was elected by Warren City Council as Clerk of Council in January 1980, retiring in December 1997 as the second longest serving clerk with 18 years of public service. Her compassion for the plight of animals led her to join the Animal Welfare League. She has served as President since 1980 and in January of 1980, a 24/7 Emergency Rescue for sick or injured animals was established, a first in Trumbull County. Barbara worked to open the first AWL shelter in August of 1984, now considered one of the premier shelters in Ohio. Barbara was recognized and honored as a "Community Star" in 2010 for her volunteer work and by resolution of the Ohio House of Representatives.

Mary Busko, Warren, Ohio graduate from Warren G. Harding High School in June 1953. She began her career in 1961 in the Purchasing Department of Copperweld Steel. In April 1969 she broke through the "glass ceiling" when she was promoted into management as the first female buyer, retiring in 1998 as Purchasing Manager. Mary's love for animals and her desire to be a voice for the voiceless is why she joined the Animal Welfare League in 1977. She has served on the Board since 1980. A 24/7 Emergency Rescue for sick or injured animals was established in January of 1980 and in August of 1984, the first AWL Shelter was opened. In 2012 the AWL will have a new shelter that will be the first of its kind in Ohio. In 2010, Mary was recognized and honored as a "Community Star" for her volunteer work with the Animal Welfare League and by resolution from the Ohio House of Representatives.

Lewis Guarnieri, deceased, graduated from Warren High in 1914. He received a Law Degree from Catholic University, a Master's Degree from Georgetown University, and was awarded an Honorary Ph.D. from Catholic University. He founded the Warren law firm of Guarnieri and Secrest. Guarnieri was president of the Trumbull County Bar Association and Vice President of the Ohio State Bar Association; president of the Chamber of Commerce, Packard Park Board, Warren Civic Music Association, and was president of the Kiwanis Club as well as vice governor of the Ohio Kiwanis Club. He was director of the Warren State Bank and the Union Savings and Trust Bank. He also served as Director of several industrial companies and numerous community and religious organizations. Lewis served for 50 years on the St. Joseph Board and he was a Trustee of Catholic University's Alumni Association.

Janet Pickup Patterson, Pleasant Hill, Calif., graduated from Warren G. Harding High School in 1969. She completed a B.S. degree at Ohio University and graduate work at Reading University, England on a Rotary International Fellowship. She obtained M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Speech- Language Pathology at Kent State University, specializing in neurogenic communication disorders following brain injury. Establishing a research and teaching career, Patterson held tenured academic appointments in the departments of Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is Chief of the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at the VA Northern California Health System. Patterson is a Fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and holds leadership positions in several professional organizations. She has been active in community organizations, particularly those devoted to recycling.

Gregory B. Thumm, Dallas, graduated from Warren G. Harding H. S. in 1976. He continued his education at the Ohio State University and the Bowman School in Lancaster, Pa., where he earned a degree in Watchmaking in 1983. Through his skills in engineering, timepiece production, and material science, he joined Gruen Watch Company in 1986, transferring to their Hong Kong operation in 1990 as technical/design manager. In addition, he was senior manager for Chung Nam, Ltd. In 1994, he joined Advance Watch Company as senior vice president of product development. In 2004, Thumm joined Fossil Inc., in Dallas, as senior vice president of product development for eight internationally distributed watch brands. He formed the Fossil Innovation Team in 2010, and has published numerous papers on the watch industry and has been awarded several U.S. patents.

Richard D. West, M.D., Virginia Beach, Va., graduated from Warren G. Harding High School in January 1956 . He worked in an industrial research lab for a year and then entered Wheaton College for pre-med studies. He graduated from the School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania in 1965, then interned in the Navy. After two more years as general medical officer, civilian residency followed. He entered the practice of general surgery in Virginia Beach, Va. in 1972. West had several leadership roles in the Virginia Beach General Hospital surgery department. As medical director of the Cancer Center, he promoted acquisition and credentialing of sentinel lymph node biopsy techniques, which lead to less invasive surgery for breast cancer and melanoma. He led the establishment of a Level II Trauma Center and directed its operation for nine years. West has been active in church music and has gone on six mission trips utilizing has avocation skills as a wood worker.