Six Honored with Clarkson University's Most Prestigious Alumni Award
Potsdam, NY (07/18/2022) — Steve J. Yianoukos '72 of Colton, N.Y., Mark R. Greene '77 of Baldwinsville and Old Forge, N.Y., David F. Glenn '82 of Charlotte, N.C., Mary Kay Woods '82 of South Burlington, VT., LaDawn H. Berko-Boateng '92 of the United Kingdom, Simoon L. Cannon '97 of Fayetteville, GA., have all been honored with the Golden Knight award by their alma mater, Clarkson University.
Presented each year during the Alumni Reunion, Clarkson's most prestigious alumni award is given to alumni who have distinguished themselves either by service to Clarkson through Alumni Associated activities or have demonstrated outstanding career achievement, bringing distinction to themselves and to Clarkson.
Steve J. Yianoukos
Steve J. Yianoukos received his BS in Management from Clarkson in 1972 and was an active member of Sigma Delta Fraternity.
Steve was a dedicated employee of Clarkson Athletic and Recreation Department for 35 years. During his tenure, the department saw unprecedented growth. He oversaw the rise in women's sports and was instrumental in adding varsity softball.
During his 15 years as director, Steve oversaw the renovation of Walker Arena and Jack Phillips Stadium, the upgrading of Hantz Field, and the completion of Scott Field. He was instrumental in getting the Cheel renovation project off the ground.
In 2019, Steve retired as the Director of Athletics & Recreation from Clarkson University. The Steven J. Yianoukos '72 Fitness Center in Cheel was named in honor of his service to the University and to Clarkson Athletics.
Steve is a Loyal donor in Clarkson's Good Knights Guild and can be seen at many Clarkson and youth sporting events around the area. Steve is co-owner of James T. Lahey Inc., an insurance agency in Potsdam, New York.
Steve and his wife, Joyce, reside in Colton, New York.
Mark R. Greene
Mark Greene received his BS in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson in 1977, an MBA from the University of Connecticut, and a master's and a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University.
Recently retired, Mark was a senior technical manager with Ramboll and currently consults in wastewater treatment. He is on the Advisory Board for the NYS Center of Excellence in Healthy Water Solutions.
He has been active in the New York Water Environment Association (NYWEA). He was named to the NYWEA Hall of Fame and received several awards.
He has been involved with national water environment organizations, including the Water Environment Federation, The Water Research Foundation and the Water Environment & Reuse Foundation.
Mark is a Legion, Loyal and Legacy donor in Clarkson's Good Knights Guild. He served numerous years in the Alumni Association and was president of the Leadership Board. He and his wife, Cindy Dowd Greene '78, endowed a scholarship at Clarkson.
Mark and Cindy reside in Baldwinsville and Old Forge, New York. They have two children, Bryan '04 and Beth '07, who are also Clarkson graduates.
David F. Glenn
David F. Glenn received his BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Clarkson in 1982 and his MBA from Queens University of Charlotte in 1986. At Clarkson, Dave was a member of the varsity golf team and played four years of intramural hockey.
He is the founder and chief executive officer of Kaleida Systems Inc., a private company that develops, markets and supports eRSP, an industry-leading software.
Dave is a Loyal and Leadership donor in Clarkson's Good Knights Guild. Dave's gift of the "David F. Glenn '82 Hydrotherapy Room" allows our student-athletes to have optimal recovery. Dave donates to many sports during the year, including men's hockey, women's hockey, golf and swimming.
He has resided in Charlotte, North Carolina, since graduating from Clarkson and credits the Career Center with finding him an opportunity to successfully launch his career. Dave has two children - Gina, who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Kevin, who lives in New York City. Both of his children were scholarship swimmers during their college careers.
Mary Kay Woods
Mary Kay Woods received her BS in Accounting from Clarkson in 1982. She was involved in Beta Alpha Psi, Clarkson Society of Accountants and Alpha Delta Kappa sorority.
She is a retired tax partner with KPMG LLP. Over her 30-year career, she served a number of Fortune 200 companies and was the partner-in-charge of multiple national initiatives. She is the author of numerous published articles.
Mary Kay served on various boards, including Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, KPMG's Network of Women and the American Society of Women Accountants. She was inducted into the YWCA City of New York Academy of Women Leaders and served as a Clarkson trustee and advisor.
Mary Kay and her husband, Bob Wolcott '82, reside in South Burlington, Vermont.
LaDawn Berko-Boateng
LaDawn (Holley) Berko-Boateng received her BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1992 at Clarkson, where she served as founder and president of the University's chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers. LaDawn also completed a Supply Chain Management certificate at Clarkson in 2008.
She is currently the Global Account Manager with Tech Data, a TD Synnex Company, and a leading IT distributor and solutions aggregator.
LaDawn served as a Clarkson trustee from 2002 to 2007 and received the Clarkson Alumni Association's Woodstock Award in 2002.
She is a keen supporter of STEM programs that address the technology gap in kids' education.
LaDawn resides in the United Kingdom.
Simoon L. Cannon
Simoon (Hawthorne) Cannon received her BS in Chemical Engineering from Clarkson in 1997, an MBA from the University of Maryland, College Park, and her PhD from Georgia State University.
Simoon is an entrepreneur, chemical engineer, publisher and logistics expert. She has a wealth of experience with various Fortune 500 companies. She rose to advisor and management levels at Exxon Mobil Corporation and was a general manager at Delta Air Lines. Currently, she is a senior associate at Stillwater Associates, a transportation fuels consulting firm.
Simoon is the founder and CEO of Melanina Organics and the founder and president of the nonprofit Maxine Angella Campbell Foundation. She also develops scientific curriculums for K-12.
She is a Legion and Loyal donor in Clarkson's Good Knights Guild and a Trustee, serving as vice chair on the Academic Mission committee and a member of the People Priorities committee. She also is an advisor to Clarkson's Institute for STEM Education and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Simoon and her husband, Timothy, reside in Fayetteville, Georgia, where her 14-year-old son, Yanni, plays football and the saxophone, and her 12-year-old daughter, Chaya, author of the children's book series Mela Land Adventures, dances and plays the flute.
As a private, national research university, Clarkson is a leader in technological education and sustainable economic development through teaching, scholarship, research and innovation. We ignite personal connections across academic fields and industries to create the entrepreneurial mindset, knowledge and intellectual curiosity needed to innovate world-relevant solutions and cultivate the leaders of tomorrow. With its main campus located in Potsdam, N.Y., and additional graduate program and research facilities in the New York Capital Region, Beacon, N.Y., and New York City, Clarkson educates 4,300 students across 95 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, the arts, education, sciences and health professions. Our alumni earn salaries that are among the top 2.5% in the nation and realize accelerated career growth. One in five already leads as a CEO, senior executive or owner of a company.
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