Southeastern to honor three Distinguished Alumni at Homecoming on Oct. 8

Press Release Date: 09-16-2010

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern Oklahoma State University will honor three individuals with the Distinguished Alumni Award during Homecoming festivities on Oct. 8.

An awards banquet will formally honor Jerry Buchanan, Keith Alan Russell, and Danny Gene (Dan) Tuckness Jr., on Friday, Oct. 8, at 5:30 p.m. in the Visual & Performing Arts Center.

Jerry Buchanan of Tulsa owns an enterprise investing firm in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. He was employed by Topper’s Menswear and became regional manager at age 26. At age 29, he founded and became Chief Executive Officer and President of J.C. and Co. Menswear, Inc., and G&B Enterprises.

He has served as president, vice-president and chair on numerous national and international boards in menswear associations. He was named the Republican Man of the Year for Tulsa County in 2007 and earned the Leadership Award in 2006.

A Durant High School graduate, he attended Southeastern from 1969-74. He pledged Sigma Tau Gamma, then served in the United States Army and was second in his graduating class of 1970 at the Drill Sergeant Academy in Ft. Dix, New Jersey. After returning to SE, he became president of Sig Tau, president of the Inter-Fraternal Council and interim president of the Student Senate, among several other organizations. He completed his education at the University of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Buchanan met his future wife, Valda Merrick of Ardmore, at Southeastern and they have three grown children, Merrick McSwiggin, Gwen Gaines and Gerald Buchanan.

He now serves on the Southeastern Alumni Association and Southeastern Foundation, Inc. boards. Buchanan has served under five SE presidents and spent five years as president of the Alumni Association.

Keith Alan Russell of El Paso, Texas, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tecma Group of Companies, which was formed in 1986. He joined a real estate investment and development firm out of El Paso, Texas, and served as the president of the securities corporate arm of these business structures in a multi-million-dollar real estate operation.

Russell was the co-developer of a distinguished fly-in community in the El Paso area. Known as the Cielo Dorado Estates, it is the only fly-in residential community in southern New Mexico and west Texas and is a prestigious destination for those who enjoy the dual pleasures of business success and the passion for flying.

The Tecma Group of Companies currently has more than 30 U.S. corporate clients, has ownership or operation of 17 commercial manufacturing and warehouse facilities throughout northern Mexico and the southern U.S. border, facilitates manufacturing in Mexico by U.S. companies, and has more than 4,000 employees.

Russell graduated from Southeastern in 1976 with a bachelor’s degree in aviation and at the age of 22 became one of the youngest first officers for Continental Airlines. He is a graduate of Calvin (Okla.) High School.

Danny Gene (Dan) Tuckness Jr., of Houston, Texas, is a registered professional engineer in the state of Texas and has received several awards for his technical work and teaching. He is currently at Jacobs Technology in Houston, Texas, as Chief Engineer subcontracted to the NASA Johnson Space Center working on future space missions.

Tuckness earned his bachelor’s degree in math and physics at Southeastern in 1981 and his master’s and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.

He has demonstrated considerable expertise in spacecraft/mission analysis and design. Tuckness’ extensive background in the area of Reusable Launch Vehicles has afforded him the opportunity to work for some of the world’s largest aerospace companies and governmental agencies in the United States, Asia, and South America.

He is a tenured professor in two states and a member of several professional organizations. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a Jacobs Technology Tech Fellow, and has been published in numerous technical journals and conference proceedings.

At Southeastern, Tuckness served as president of the SE chapter of the Society of Physics Students. He graduated from Grapevine (Texas) High School.

For more information and a complete schedule of homecoming activities, visit alumni.SE.edu or call the Alumni Relations Office at 580-745-2875.