America’s best-known contemporary folk artist and a young alumna dedicated to engaging Syracuse University alumni in Philadelphia will receive alumni awards recognizing their contributions during Orange Central homecoming weekend Oct. 5-8.
The Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award will be presented to Warren “Cookie” Kimble ’57, a nationally renowned folk artist, entrepreneur, community leader and passionate Syracuse University alumnus.
The award will be presented at a special luncheon for senior alumni Friday, Oct. 6, from noon-2 p.m. at the Persian Terrace, Marriott Syracuse Downtown—the newly restored former Hotel Syracuse. The cost is $25 per person and includes a three-course luncheon and beverages.
Jenny Sacks ’08, current president of the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Philadelphia, is this year’s recipient of the Generation Orange Award, to be presented at the Generation Orange Celebration for graduates between 2007 and 2017.
The event is set for Friday, Oct. 6, from 9-11 p.m. inside Club 44 at the Carrier Dome. There will be food, drinks, a chance to take photos with Otto and more. The cost is $5 per person and includes appetizers and two drink tickets.
For more information about the Eggers Luncheon, the Generation Orange Celebration or any of the more than 50 Orange Central programs, go here.
Melvin Eggers Senior Alumni Award
Warren Kimble
Established in 1988 by Chancellor Emeritus William P. Tolley, the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award is presented to those alumni who have graduated more than 50 years ago and have demonstrated loyalty and service to Syracuse University.
Kimble ’57 earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the College of Visual and Performing Arts before embarking on an advertising career. He also taught in public schools and served as a member of the art faculty at Castleton State College in Vermont.
Kimble pursued his passion for painting in 1983, and enjoyed immense success during a decorated career. Art enthusiasts across the world have enjoyed Kimble’s original paintings, which include both fine art and folk art works, and the Society of Illustrators Museum in New York City tabbed selected his work for “The Original Art 2001.”
His one-man shows have been held at the Frank J. Miele Gallery (New York City), Chase Gallery (Boston) and Gallery on the Green (Woodstock, Vermont), among others. Kimble’s work has garnered media coverage across the country, with profiles and appearances in House & Garden TV, Country Home, Country Living, The Boston Globe, QVC, and Yankee, as well as in regional publications such as Vermont Magazine and Vermont Life. Considered one of today’s top home furnishings designers, Kimble has designed images that have been transformed into dinnerware, rugs, furniture, textiles and more. His more than 40 licensing partners include de Sakura, Springs Industries, Manual Woodworkers and Weavers, Kamenstein, Yankee Candle and NCE.
Kimble lives and works in Brandon, Vermont, with Lorraine, his wife and business partner. Together, they have been deeply involved in civic life and philanthropy for more than 30 years. The Kimbles continue to enhance their community, working collaboratively with other artists and community leaders to establish an artist’s guild, renovate Brandon’s historic town hall and rehabilitate a now-thriving downtown.
Kimble’s honors and awards include Syracuse University’s 2002 George Arents Pioneer Medal, the University’s highest alumni honor; and an honorary doctor of fine arts degree from Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont
Generation Orange Award
Jenny Sacks
Introduced in fall 2013, the Generation Orange Award recognizes alumni who have made an impact on campus and in their communities through volunteer work and philanthropy on behalf of Syracuse University.
Sacks graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She later earned a master’s degree in family therapy from Drexel University before beginning her career as a counselor.
Sacks assisted individuals and groups of patients as a counselor at the Thomas Jefferson University Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Program, specializing in the treatment of adult patients with mental health and substance use disorders. She also practiced pre-marital counseling at a local synagogue and provided therapeutic support to men undergoing cancer treatment at the University of Pennsylvania.
In 2015, Sacks made the transition to the world of sports as a player development and rehabilitation consultant for the Philadelphia 76ers. Working in conjunction with Creative Artists Agency, Sacks currently leads the management team for Joel Embiid, a Philadelphia 76er, who earned a spot on the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) All-Rookie First Team following the 2016-17 season.
A devoted and passionate SU alumna, Sacks has served as club president of the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Philadelphia since 2012, and was also the club’s treasurer. She formerly held an ex-officio position for the SU Alumni Association Clubs Committee, and frequently participates in prospective student interviews for the Office of Admissions.
Sacks lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Jonathan Sacks ’08. The two met during their freshman year at SU. Three years ago, Sacks took her love of SU abroad by starting a partnership with Arawjo Tours to coordinate alumni trips around the world to places like Krakow, Poland, and Madrid and Barcelona, Spain. The next alumni trip is to Ireland in May and will be aptly named “The Luck of the Orange.”
