William Penn University to Present Mike Gates with Distinguished Career Award
William Penn University
(OSKALOOSA, Iowa) – William Penn University alumnus Mike Gates (’65) began his career at the age of 11 when he delivered the Sunday New York Times on his bike at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station where his father was stationed as a test pilot. Gates went on to work numerous jobs before he found himself at William Penn, where he signed up to practice for the William Penn College football team. Upon graduation, he entered the U.S. Navy aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Yorktown deployed to Vietnam. After a short stint as a signalman, he joined Special Services where he was a nightly sports broadcaster to the fleet, taught high school classes to GED hopefuls, and wrote articles for the ships’ daily newspaper.
After completing his active duty in the Navy, Gates moved through several prominent companies in a human resources capacity until he arrived at Fortune 500 Company Raytheon in 1984, headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts. Human resources at Raytheon included government security, compliance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, community relations, union negotiations, health and welfare, employee relations, compensation, benefits, training and development, and employment.
After retiring, Gates taught woodworking for an after school program for seven years, and has mentored two youth over the last 9 years through Talbot Mentors of Easton, Maryland. He currently mentors a William Penn University student in the Online and Evening program through the WPU Alumni Mentoring Program.
The Distinguished Career Award is given to an individual based on esteemed and meritorious achievement in career and life. Candidates for this award are alumni of William Penn or Nebraska Central College. In recognition of his personal career success and volunteer time given to assist young people in their own career skill development, William Penn University is proud to present the 2017 Distinguished Career Award to Mike Gates, Class of 1965.
William Penn will honor Gates at the 2017 Alumni Recognition Banquet held during homecoming week. Gates will be inducted into William Penn’s Hall of Fame and receive his award on Friday, September 29, in the Musco Technology Center (MTC). Registration begins at 5:30 PM, with the ceremony starting at 6 PM.
To learn more about the Distinguished Career Award and Gates, visit: https://www.wmpenn.edu/alumni/hall-of-fame/
