John and Mary Parke Awarded RIT’s Whitaker Service Medallion

John and Mary Parke of Brighton, N.Y., are the 2007 recipients of the Whitaker Service Medallion presented by Rochester Institute of Technology’s Nathaniel Rochester Society (NRS).

The Whitaker Service Medallion acknowledges leadership displayed throughout years of service to RIT. The Parkes, who have been members of NRS since 1990, have held many committee posts and also served as committee chairs. Their support of RIT students includes a scholarship in their name, the Mary and John Parke NRS Merit Based Scholarship, based in RIT’s College of Liberal Arts.

“Volunteers are so critical to NRS and to RIT as a whole,” says Lisa Cauda, RIT’s vice president of development and alumni relations. “The Parkes’ hard work and dedication have made such a tremendous difference to this organization and to the RIT family.”

“We are in awe seeing the growth in reputation and stature that RIT has enjoyed since we first became involved in 1990,” states John Parke. “We’ve always considered higher education to be an important component of a healthy, successful community, and we both agree that education is critical for individuals to become valuable members of society.”

John Parke is the retired president and founder of the PPI Marketing Group. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1956, John earned an MBA from its Amos Tuck School of Business Administration. He also served in the United States Air Force as a Special Agent of the Office of Special Investigations. Mary Parke is a graduate of Bradford College and Wheaton College, both in Massachusetts. The couple has two children and five grandchildren.

The Whitaker Service Award was presented earlier this month at the NRS annual summer gala. It’s named for RIT trustee Gaylord “Gee” Whitaker, who founded the NRS in 1967 and served as its first chair.

The Nathaniel Rochester Society recognizes RIT’s most generous supporters and encourages a closer bond between the university and members of the community. The organization includes more than 1,200 RIT alumni, parents, friends, faculty and staff in 44 states and 10 countries.

NOTE: Rochester Institute of Technology is internationally recognized for academic leadership in computing, engineering, imaging technology, and fine and applied arts, in addition to unparalleled support services for students with hearing loss. More than 15,500 full- and part-time students are enrolled in RIT’s 340 career-oriented and professional programs, and its cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation.

For nearly two decades, U.S. News & World Report has ranked RIT among the nation’s leading comprehensive universities. The Princeton Review features RIT in its 2007 Best 361 Colleges rankings and named the university one of America’s “Most Wired Campuses.” RIT is also featured in Barron’s Best Buys in Education.