Awards to Honor Three Outstanding Rockhurst University Alumni

As part of the annual Family and Alumni Weekend celebration of all Hawks from the past, Rockhurst University will recognize three outstanding alumni for their careers and contributions to the community in a luncheon scheduled for noon on Saturday, Oct. 1, in the Greenlease Library.

The Xavier Medal of Honor recognizing outstanding service to others will be presented to Bridget McCandless, M.D., ’07 MBA, the current president and CEO of the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, an organization that has invested more than $200 million to a six-county area as part of its mission to advocate for and improve physical and mental health for the uninsured and underserved in the Kansas City area. She formerly served as the founder and medical director of the Shared Care Free Clinic.

The recipient of this year’s St. Ignatius Award for excellence in one’s field is Gerard “Jerry” Meiners, ’59, who began his career as a CPA following a short stint in the U.S. Army after graduation. Over the course of his 44-year career, Meiners and his partners continuously grew their public accounting practice, serving the Prairie Village and Country Club Plaza areas until the firm and its more than 80 employees were merged with McGladrey and Pullen in 2000. Since retiring, Meiners has assisted his sons and daughters in a variety of family businesses, including a chain of convenience stores, rental properties, a hotel and numerous ATM locations.

Receiving the Faber Young Alumni Medal honoring the University’s emerging alumni leaders is Chadwick Andrews, ’11, senior account manager at Kansas City advertising and marketing agency VML. Andrews has led national marketing initiatives for many of the agency’s top client partners, including Gatorade, Southwest Airlines, and Tropicana. He also brings his creative approach and professional expertise to help local organizations, including Kansas City’s Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy.