COLLIN HONORS 2005 ‘LIVING LEGENDS’

November 15, 2005 - Collin County Community College District (Collin) formally recognized five outstanding community leaders at the third annual 2005 Living Legends ceremony Nov. 12 at the college’s Spring Creek Campus in Plano. Before a packed house, community leaders honored Richard and Diane Dill of McKinney, Jan Miller of Anna/Celina, Rita G. Smith of Wylie and Bob Warren of Frisco.

Collin County Community College recognized the 2005 Living Legends on Nov. 12. Pictured are Richard and Diane Dill, McKinney; Rita G. Smith, Wylie; Jan Miller, Anna/Celina; Bob Warren, Frisco

The Living Legends tribute honors individuals who have gone the extra mile in the community. In addition to providing recognition for community leaders, the tribute raises scholarship money for the Living Legends Endowment Fund, which supports today’s Collin students—tomorrow’s community leaders.

Past honorees include Gladys Harrington, credited for starting Plano’s first library; John and Myrtle Hightower, longtime Plano residents and educators; Gerry Ruschhaupt, McKinney business owner; and Dr. Erwin and Elisabeth Pink of Frisco, community activists.

New legends joined honorees from 2004. Pictured are Richard and Diane Dill, McKinney; Gerry Ruschhaupt, McKinney; Myrtle Hightower, Plano; Rita G. Smith, Wylie; Jan Miller, Anna/Celina; Bob Warren, Frisco; Dr. Erwin and Elisabeth Pink, Frisco.

This year’s tribute was underwritten for the second consecutive year by Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. Humanitarian sponsors included Steve and Libby Maus/New York Life and the Ruschhaupt Family.

Other major contributors included C&S Media, Inc., Inwood Bank, Wylie Economic Development Corporation, Wylie Insurance Agency. Table sponsors included Abernathy, Roeder, Boyd, & Joplin, P.C.; American Title; Atmos Energy Corporation; Bob Warren; Citizens for Ron Harris; City of Frisco; City of McKinney; Dallas Moving & Storage, Inc./Red Byboth & John Mondy; Richard & Diane Dill; Exide Technologies; Fitzpatrick Accounting Service; Friends of Rita Smith from St. Anthony’s Catholic Church; Friends the Dills from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church; Friends of Bob Warren; Friends of Jan Miller; Friends of Richard & Diane Dill; Friends of Rita Smith; Frisco Chamber of Commerce; Harry & Retha Tibbals; Heritage Association of Frisco; Jan Miller; Jane Willard; John & Judy Gay; McKinney Rotary Club; Rev. Bill & Gloria Slack; Rita G. Smith; John Roach, Jr. LLP; Robert S. Rothe, CFP; Robert Schraplau; Sam & Anita Roach; Texas Star Bank of Anna/Celina; Tom Thumb/Connie Yates; Toni Jenkins; and Vision Wealth Management.

Richard and Diane Dill of McKinney have been longtime supporters of McKinney’s Serenity High School, dedicated to serving students returning from substance abuse treatment. They established music and business scholarships for students at Collin and they have given countless hours of service to the McKinney Independent School District. Jan Miller, a former educator, created an academic booster club called Celina Association for Renaissance Excellence (CARE), an organization that provides incentives for academic achievement and improvement. Rita G. Smith, revered as the matriarch of Wylie, has been actively involved in all facets of the community’s growth for more than 60 years. The next elementary school built in Wylie will bear her name. And Bob Warren’s legendary contributions can be found all over Frisco. He was elected to the Frisco City Council in 1983 and served 13 years, the last seven as mayor.

Living Legends are selected using the college’s core values as criteria--Learning, Service and Involvement, Creativity and Innovation, Academic Excellence, Dignity and Respect and Integrity.

For more information about Living Legends, call the CCCCD Foundation at 972.881.5611.