Ault studied mechanical engineering at GMI (now Kettering) and went on to a career with General Motors, where he was director of engineering and eventually held three general manager positions — at Delco Remy Division, Rochester Products Division and Saginaw Gear Division. He retired as executive vice president of GM Overseas.
A community and civic leader for decades, he has served on the Anderson Community Schools board and is a founding member of Madison Community Bank. Awards he has received include Boy Scouts Distinguished Citizen, United Way Volunteer of the Year (with wife Marilyn), Anderson University honorary doctorate and Sagamore of the Wabash.

Buchanan is the principal at Anderson Elementary School. The youngest of seven children raised in Anderson, Sharon went on to Indiana University for her undergraduate degree and Anderson University for graduate school.
Her first-grade teachers, Pauline Davis and Charline Potastnik, helped her to love school, especially reading. Buchanan has a daughter, Jacara, 19.

Ellsworth received a diploma 15 years after he first enrolled at Anderson High School. The oldest of 10 children, he had left school after his sophomore year to provide for his family by working full time at Delco Remy. Later years found him employed by the railroad, then drafted by the Army for a two-year tour. At 24, Ellsworth returned to Anderson, resumed his employment at the railroad and re-enrolled in Anderson High School. After graduating, Ellsworth returned to work at Delco Remy and, with wife Mary, raised a family. He also drove a bus for ACS as an owner/operator. Ellsworth still maintains a fleet of buses used for ACS athletics, donating much of his time.

Gillette attended 29th Street Elementary, South Side Junior High and Madison Heights High School. He was a four-sport athlete, participating in football, basketball, baseball and track. He graduated in 1982 from Indiana University with a degree in finance.
After working for Owens Corning Fiberglass and General Electric, he was promoted regularly through a 16-year career at Honeywell International, culminating in a five-year stint as president and chief executive officer of the aerospace division.
In 2011, Gillette started Gillette Properties, a real estate investment company.

At Anderson High School, Handley participated in student council, executive council, Hi-Y, Torch Club, the golf team, Red Cross, Conservation Club, Tom Tom Club, Prom Committee, and as sophomore and senior class president.
He went on to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and followed with a degree from Kettering Engineering University and an MBA from Ball State. He later added a degree from the Indiana School of Law.
A father of three and married for more than 60 years to Sue Anne, Handley has been active in the United Way, Christian Center, Gideons, YMCA, New Hope Maternity Home, Literacy Coalition, Exchange Club and First Church of the Nazarene. He has mentored five Hispanic church pastors and has spent many hours advocating for those navigating the legal system.

Hardacre began his working career in the family business, East Side Jersey Dairy, at the age of 13 and worked his way up to become the company’s treasurer. Hardacre’s business interests included real estate projects such as The Flagship Park, Creedmoor Addition and Hudson House, and he was a founding partner for EVI and for Madison Community Bank. He was instrumental in the formation of the Harter House assisted-living facility.
After graduating from Indiana University, Hardacre served in the Army during the Korean War.
The names of Bill Hardacre and wife Ann are synonymous with philanthropy in the Anderson/Madison County community. Hardacre has received many awards, including Chief Anderson, Book of Golden Deeds, community Person of the Year and an honorary doctorate from Anderson University. The Hardacres are long-time supporters of Anderson University, and Bill has been on the board of trustees for 15 years. The Hardacres helped lead the effort 23 years ago to save the Paramount Theatre complex from the wrecking ball and still champion the restored facility in downtown Anderson.

After graduating from Madison Heights, Hoover received a bachelor of arts in economics in 1973 from the University of Chicago. At age 30, he founded BOOKSTOP, a pioneering superstore that eventually was purchased by Barnes and Noble. He took Hoover’s public in 1999 and later sold the Internet-based business research company to Dunn & Bradstreet in 2003 for more than $100 million. Hoover has a wealth of knowledge, thanks in part to his 55,000-title personal library.

Novak attended Anderson College and Ball State for her undergraduate and then graduate work in education. After 31 years of teaching, she is now retired.
Novak made her classroom a place where students could enjoy learning and where every student could find a voice. This idea was instilled in Misty at a young age through visiting her mother’s classroom.
Novak and husband Daniel are proud of children Zachary, Joel and Brytni, and grandchildren Camden, Lily, Kendall and Connor. Her biggest obstacle in life was Zachary’s death in an airplane accident.

Pistole was in the FBI for 26 years and became the deputy director from 2004 to 2010. He was appointed by President Obama as the top administrator of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration and took that position in June 2010.
He overcame a broken neck suffered in a car accident his senior year of high school and went on to graduate from Anderson University and the Robert McKinney School of Law. He has been married to his wife, Kathy, for 33 years, and they have two daughters, Lauren and Jennifer.

After receiving a degree from Anderson University, Pitts returned to Anderson High School, where she taught honors English and was yearbook advisor.
She later joined the Anderson University faculty, where she was the founding chairperson of the communications department. She earned a doctorate in education from Ball State, then joined that faculty as director of graduate studies in journalism. She was later named provost and then, in 2004, acting president of the university.
In 2005, Pitts became president of the University of Indianapolis, from which she retired. Pitts has been a staff writer, researcher and communications consultant for the National Football League Players Association. She has published more than 40 articles and a book. Pitts and her husband, Bill, are proud of their ACS-educated sons — Rick, an attorney, and Kevin, a physicist and educator.

Renz is the program director and clinical coordinator of the Madison County Sexual Assault Treatment Center at Anderson’s Community Hospital. In 2007, Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels appointed her to serve on the state’s Sexual Assault Victim Advocate Standards and Certification Board. She has served as president of the Christian Center’s board of directors and is former president of the Indiana Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses.
She has received many awards, including The Herald Bulletin’s Person of the Year (2005), the Athena Award (2008) and Anderson University’s School of Nursing Distinguished Alumni.
Holly and husband Dave, a teacher in the ACS system, are the parents of two adult sons.

While at AHS, Royer balanced work at Anderson Public Library with school activities. He was the AHS Indian mascot, appeared in many musical productions and was a member of Choral Club, Swing Choir and Madrigal Singers.
While he was a student at General Motors Institute, a co-op education plan enabled him to work at Delco Remy. After graduation from GMI, Royer served Delco Remy in various management capacities until 1984, when he joined Anderson University.
Now executive director of facilities and property management at AU, Royer is the chief steward of AU’s campus and was co-chair of two major building projects for North Anderson/Madison Park Church of God.
Royer and his wife Margo have three adult children, Natalie, Hillary and Josh.

Wilkerson attended Hazelwood Elementary and South Side Middle School. Phil Buck, Madison Heights’ basketball coach, inspired him to focus his passion for basketball on a career beyond high school.
In 1976, as a starting senior for the Indiana Hoosiers under Coach Bob Knight, Wilkerson helped the team achieve the last perfect season in Division I men’s basketball and a national championship.
Wilkerson graduated from IU with a degree in kinesiology and later earned a master’s in education from Oakland University. He was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics in 1976, and played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association with Seattle, Denver, Chicago and Cleveland.
Wilkerson is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Yates was an Indiana All-Star basketball player and was a four-time high school state champion in the half mile. At Ohio State, he was a member of Big Ten championship track teams and was later elected to the Indiana Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame.
Yates served in World War II and received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. He graduated from Ohio State in 1947 and eventually rose to the position of controller at Howe Fire Apparatus. He later became director, chairman and president of the First Savings and Loan Association in Anderson, retiring in 1987. Yates has been awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash from two Indiana governors.
He married Dorothy Kiphart in 1944, and they have two daughters, Robbie and Susan, and a son, John. Their grandson T.J. is a quarterback with the National Football League’s Houston Texans.
Yates has served many boards and charities. In 2011, he received the Leadership Academy’s Servant Leadership Award.