NEW ORLEANS – The University of New Orleans (UNO) will honor six outstanding graduates at the 2025 Homer L. Hitt Distinguished Alumni Gala, set for Nov. 6 at The National WWII Museum’s Boeing Freedom Pavilion from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. Powered by Entergy, the annual celebration recognizes graduates who have distinguished themselves professionally and through service to the community and the university.
This year’s top awards will go to Kimberley Cook-Nelson, an Entergy executive and three-time UNO graduate named the 2025 Homer L. Hitt Distinguished Alumna of the Year, and Edgar “Dook” Chase IV, chef and entrepreneur, who has been selected as the 2025 Norma Jane Sabiston Young Alumnus of the Year.
In addition, UNO will spotlight alumni from each of its four academic colleges and Privateer Athletics.
College of Business Administration
Daniel L. Crumb, a 1987 finance graduate, will receive the Henry Bernstein College of Business Administration Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award. Crumb is executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Kansas City Chiefs, overseeing finance, strategy, data analytics, accounting and information technology for both the team and Hunt Midwest Enterprises. A New Orleans native, he previously worked as senior vice president and CFO for the New Orleans Hornets and owns three Super Bowl championship rings.
College of Engineering
Henry J. Singer, a 1969 graduate in engineering, will be recognized as the Dr. Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. Singer served for decades in the federal government, ultimately leading safety, health and fire protection engineering policy for the General Services Administration’s Public Buildings Service in Washington, D.C. He received the GSA Administrator’s Meritorious Service Award three times and has supported UNO through scholarships for future engineers.
College of Liberal Arts, Education, and Human Development
Peter Halley, a 1978 MFA graduate, has been named the College of Liberal Arts, Education, and Human Development Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. A central figure in the Neo-Conceptualist art movement of the 1980s, Halley is known for his Day-Glo geometric paintings and his influence as a writer, publisher and educator. He directed graduate studies in painting and printmaking at the Yale School of Art from 2002 to 2011 and now lives and works in New York City.
College of Sciences
John M. Reuther, a 1978 chemistry graduate, will be honored as the College of Sciences Distinguished Alumnus of the Year. Recently retired, Reuther served as president and CEO of Eurofins Analytical Laboratories in New Orleans for 17 years, where he advanced contaminant residue testing methods and fostered partnerships with UNO to create internship opportunities in chemistry and molecular biology.
Privateer Athletics
Wayne B. Harer, a former UNO baseball player from the early 1970s, will receive the Privateer Athletics Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award. Harer played first base for UNO before beginning a nine-year professional career with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees organizations. He won the International League’s batting title in 1977 and earned multiple defensive awards before embarking on a 39-year career in real estate. He is now executive managing director at Newmark in Columbus, Ohio.
The Gala Details
The Homer L. Hitt Distinguished Alumni Awards are presented annually by the UNO Alumni Association to graduates who excel in their professions, serve their communities and exemplify Privateer pride. Proceeds from the gala benefit student scholarships.
Tickets and more information are available at uno.edu/gala.
About the University of New Orleans
The University of New Orleans (UNO) is a major public research institution that has served as one of the city’s foremost educational and cultural resources since 1958. With more than 40 undergraduate and pre-professional programs and more than 40 graduate programs, UNO attracts students from all 64 Louisiana parishes, all 50 U.S. states and more than 140 countries.
For more than 65 years, the university has contributed to New Orleans’ economy and culture by educating generations of leaders and advancing research, innovation and industry partnerships.
