Alumni
2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards
The outstanding accomplishments of Western Illinois University graduates Gerald E. Salzman and Joseph H. Snowden will be recognized Saturday, May 10 at Western's Spring 2025 Commencement Exercises in Western Hall. Salzman will be recognized at the 9 a.m. ceremony and Snowden will be recognized at the 1:30 p.m. ceremony.
The Distinguished Alumni Award, given since 1973, recognizes alumni who have brought credit to the University and themselves through exceptional professional accomplishments, meritorious service to ensure the continued excellence of WIU and through service to their communities at the national, state or local levels.
Gerald E. Salzman
Salzman, a 1971 agriculture economics graduate, is the leading principal at GES International LLC, focusing on farm equipment and services. In 2014, he retired as senior director, global marketing after 42 years with International Harvester and CaseIH. Over those four decades, Salzman held positions in product development of combines, sugar cane harvesters, grain platforms and cotton pickers. Additional roles included marketing and product management of crop harvesting, hay and forage and construction equipment. Salzman served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1971 to 1977.
Salzman was elected to four terms on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Grains Council (USGC), serving as Chairman of the Public Relations Committee and the Agri-Buisness Forum. He served on the Board of Directors for the National Alpha Gamma Rho Educational Foundation from 2014 to 2020.
While at WIU, Salzman was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho and Alpha Zeta fraternities, Blue Key, Student Government Association, Interfraternity Council, the Ag Economics Club and the University Union Board. He was named Mr. Greek in 1971.
Salzman was named an Alpha Gamma Rho Brother of the Century in 2004. He received the USGC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, becoming the sixth person in 50 years to earn the recognition. In 2014, he received the Torch of leadership Award from the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation and in 2020 he was named a distinguished alumnus by the WIU School of Agriculture.
Salzman, who now lives in Mundelein, IL, joined the WIU School of Agriculture Advisory Board in 2020, including a term as chair. Throughout his time on the board, Salzman has encouraged all board members to support the School of Agriculture philanthropically. He has achieved Sherman Circle recognition through his financial support of WIU and is a frequent attendee of Quad Cities and Chicago area WIU golf outings.
Joseph H. Snowden
Snowden, a 1991 sociology graduate, is the deputy chief of staff and executive director of administrative services for the City of Mobile, AL. He has worked for the City of Mobile for more than six years, starting as the senior director of maritime and transportation. Mobile is the second largest city in Alabama and the sole seaport in the state and ninth busiest in the U.S.
Prior to working for the city, Snowden had a successful military career, serving in the U.S. Coast Guard for 27 years. Snowden retired from the Coast Guard as Sector Commander and Commanding Officer for Sector Mobile. Sector Mobile is an Eighth Coast Guard District command consisting of 19 sub-units. Sector Mobile’s area of responsibility encompasses all or part of Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia, covering 420 miles of coast and 1,900 miles of inland waterway. To carry out its mission, Sector Mobile has 594 Active Duty, 206 Reserve, and 33 Civilian personnel.
Previously, Snowden was a Program Analyst in the Department of Homeland Security where he was responsible for program review and budget development for Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, constituting a $92.6 billion portfolio and 83,6000 personnel.
Snowden enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard in 1986 and through the ROTC as a Second Lieutenant in 1989. In addition to his WIU degree, Snowden graduated from the U.S. Army War College in 2011 with a masters in strategic studies and from Troy University in 2002 with a masters in human resources management.
Snowden is involved in several facets of the Mobile community, including the vice president of the Mobile Bay Propeller Club, vice chair of the commission ceremony for the U.S.S. Mobile, a fourth degree Knight of Columbus and director of the Navy League of Mobile. During his time at WIU, Snowden was an ROTC cadet and a resident assistant.
Snowden’s military decorations include the Legion of Merit, three Meritorious Service Medals with “O” device, two Coast Guard Commendation Medals with “O” device, four Coast Guard Achievement Medals with “O” device, two Army Achievement Medals, five Commandant’s Letters of Commendation with “O” device and Command Ashore and Prevention Professional Device. He was awarded the Coast Guard Foundation Award for overseeing the largest mass rescue effort in Mobile Bay history. The Governor of Alabama awarded him the Distinguished Service Medal for his many contributions and service to Alabama citizens.
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