Three to Receive First Tyler ISD Distinguished Alumni Award
Posted/updated on: October 29, 2014 at 3:44 pm
TYLER — Three Tyler Independent School District graduates and area businessmen will be the first to receive the Tyler ISD Distinguished Alumni Award. Gary Bristow, P.E. of Estes, McClure & Associates; David Hudson, attorney with Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP; and Rick Rayford, President and CEO of Brookshire Grocery Company, are the 2014 award recipients.
The Tyler ISD Distinguished Alumni Award is presented for the first time through a joint effort of the Tyler ISD Foundation, Tyler ISD and the Tyler Area Business-Education Council. The award will be given annually to a Tyler ISD graduate whose achievements, strengths of character and citizenship serve as a model to inspire and challenge current students, according to a news release. Award finalists have achieved excellence and made impactful and significant contributions to their profession or community, according to the release.
Bristow, Hudson and Rayford will be recognized during the Tyler ISD Superintendents State of the District Address to the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, November 19 at 11:30 a.m. at Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler. I am thrilled to welcome these three gentlemen as our inaugural inductees into the Tyler ISD Distinguished Alumni program, Tyler ISD Superintendent Dr. Marty Crawford said. Each of them has worked hard to positively impact the community and we are grateful for their continued service to the students of Tyler ISD.
Gary Bristow, P.E. attended Dixie Elementary School and is a 1979 graduate of John Tyler High School. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University and a licensed professional engineer. Bristow has worked for Estes, McClure & Associates, Inc. in Tyler for 29 years. He has facilitated the design of air conditioning, plumbing and energy systems for numerous Texas school districts including Tyler ISD, Garland ISD and Dallas ISD. He created Green Building Design and Commissioning for Texas schools and formulated the Texas Energy Manager Association for education, training and recognition of energy managers for public schools. Bristow also volunteers as a mentor for Tyler ISD graduates in professional and career development before and after the completion of college engineering degrees.
David Hudson attended Gary Elementary School, Robert E. Lee Junior High and is a 1965 graduate of Robert E. Lee High School. Hudson attended Tyler Junior College and earned degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University, University of North Texas, The University of Texas at Tyler, and Baylor University School of Law. Hudson also served in the United States Naval Reserve. He previously worked as a teacher at John Tyler High School and government instructor at TJC. Hudson served as a state representative for District 6 from 1983-1991. He was a hearings attorney for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts from 1992-1998. He began working for Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP in 1998 and was named a partner in 2006.
Hudson has volunteered with a number of Tyler area organizations including: Heart of Tyler, Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, Historic Tyler, Tyler Museum of Art, Smith County Historical Society, Smith County Bar Association, TJC Alumni Association, SFA Alumni Association and UT Tyler Alumni Association.
Rick Rayford is a 1971 graduate of John Tyler High School. He attended Tyler Junior College and earned a degree from The University of Texas at Tyler. Rayford has worked for Brookshire Grocery Company for 43 years, working his way to the companys highest office through serving in both Brookshires stores and warehouses. He became president and CEO in 2007. Rayford is a member of the UT Tyler Development Board, UT Tyler Foundation, Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce, Tyler Area Business-Education Council, Tyler Economic Development Council and Firemans Foundation Fund. He has been instrumental in the formation of several programs within Tyler ISD including Ambassadors of Compassion and the formation of the new Career and Technical Education Center Executive Committee, according to the news release.
The achievements of Mr. Bristow, Mr. Hudson and Mr. Rayford are dynamic representations of the levels of success our Tyler students can reach, said Tyler ISD Foundation Executive Director Maya Bethany. They are prime examples of the caliber of public education available in our community and of the limitless boundaries our students face as they pursue their career dreams.
Nominations for future Distinguished Alumni Award recipients will be accepted throughout the year. You can go to the Tyler ISD Foundation website — http://foundation.tylerisd.org — to download nomination information and forms. Nominations are accepted for graduates from any previous or current Tyler ISD high school including Emmett J. Scott High School, John Tyler High School, Robert E. Lee High School and Tyler High School.
The Tyler Area Business-Education Council looks forward to being a part of this new annual tradition of honoring distinguished alumni that are making a difference in our community and communities around the country, said Christi Khalaf, Executive Director of the Business-Education Council.
