Michael R. Cunningham and Florence Jackson have joined the long list of those recognized for exceptional service to education with one of the industry’s most prestigious honors. At a ceremony in New York City last week, Cunningham and Jackson became the 112th and 113th recipients of the Gamma Gold Key award, a tribute bestowed annually to industry notables since 1956.
Cunningham is the past chairman of Diversified Global Graphics Group (DG3, Jersey City, NJ). Jackson is Senior Director for Career and Technical Education in the New York City Department of Education. The presentation was made by the Gamma Chapter of Gamma Epsilon Tau, the national graphic arts honor society.
The proceedings included Cunningham’s contribution of a $5,000 check to create the D'Onofrio New York City College College of Technology (NYCCT) scholarship endowment for students of graphic communications. The scholarship is named for brothers John D’Onofrio and Mike D'Onofrio, both of whom are NYCCT graduates and Gamma Chapter members. The D’Onofrios were the owners of Mirror Graphics, a company acquired by Cunningham Graphics International (the predecessor of DG3) in 1999.
“The acquisition was very successful and brought exceptional, sales, quality and management expertise to CGI,” Cunningham said. “John and Mike are both with DG3. They are great role models for the upcoming generation in our industry.”
Gamma Epsilon Tau is a national, coeducational, collegiate printing fraternity in which students of printing and publishing can meet and interact in a professional and social atmosphere. Its members are enrolled in graphic arts programs various colleges, technical institutions, and universities.
The Gamma Chapter, located at NYCCT in Brooklyn, NY, is the descendent of one of the groups that founded the society in 1953. Its latter-day members are students and alumni of NYCCT’s Department of Advertising Design and Graphic Arts (ADGA), a multi-disciplinary learning unit with an enrollment of more than 1,100. NYCCT, a division of the City University of New York, is largest four-year public college of technology in the northeastern U.S.
Other chapters of Gamma Epsilon Tau are located at Rochester Institute of Technology, Ferris State University, Pittsburg State University, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Murray State University, Appalachian State University, and Clemson State University.
Discussion
By Ned Hood on Jun 02, 2010
This is a great award to a leader that exemplifies what it means to give back to the graphic arts educational community. Also, both Mike and John D'Onofrio are fine guys to work with and were always willing to help promote education in the printing industry.