Cal State East Bay Honors Four with Distinguished Alumni Award
From left to right: Event host Michael Jedlicka, Cheryl Hurd, Anne Foss-Durant, Ted Barrett, President Leroy M. Morishita, Bryan Neider
- October 16, 2015
Four California State University East Bay alumni were given the Distinguished Alumni Award at a gala held in their honor on Nov. 13 at the New University Union. Cal State East Bay President Leroy M. Morishita hosted the event honoring Cheryl Hurd (BA ’81, Mass Communications), Bryan Neider (MBA ’89), Anne Foss-Durant (BS ’90, Nursing; MBA ’06) and Edward George “Ted” Barrett (BS ’88, Physical Education).
The Distinguished Alumni Awards are the highest honor bestowed by Cal State East Bay. Since 1985, Cal State East Bay has been presenting the awards to its most prestigious graduates for their professional achievements, contributions to society and support of the university.
Following are brief biographies for each award recipient:
Cheryl Hurd, a graduate of CSUEB’s College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences, has been a television news reporter for more than 25 years. She was a founding member at WB20/KNTV prior to her current assignment at NBC Bay Area. Hurd won a Northern California Area Emmy Award in 2015 for “Breaking News — Asiana Flight 214 Crash Coverage,” and was nominated for her breaking news report on Occupy Oakland (2012) and her coverage of the 1-80/880 East Bay freeway collapse (2007).
Bryan Neider, a graduate of the College of Business and Economics, is the senior vice president of Electronic Arts’ global marketing and publishing organization. He is responsible for a wide range of operations and global services focused on improving operating efficiency, product quality, business innovation and overall profitability. Neider is also a member of several not-for-profit boards, including Community Gatepath, which serves adults and children with special needs.
Anne Foss-Durant, a graduate of the College of Science who also has an MBA from Cal State East Bay, is the chief nursing officer for Kaiser Permanente. Foss-Durant has been with the organization for more than 20 years in multiple roles. As a lifelong learner and educator, she has been recognized both for her contributions to her profession and her award-winning research. She is the recipient of a Nursing Research Excellence Award, Regional Nursing Research Award and a STAR Leadership Award.
Edward George “Ted” Barrett, a graduate of the College of Education and Allied Studies, became a member of the Major League Umpire Staff in 1999 and was appointed a crew chief in 2013. He has worked the Division Series, League Championship Series and several World Series games. Notably, he is the only umpire ever to call two perfect games. Barrett, who has a doctorate in theology, is an ordained minister and cofounder of Calling for Christ, a professional umpire ministry.