Three to be honored by Rochester Chapter of UB Alumni Association

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Three Rochester-area alumni of the University at Buffalo will be recognized by the Rochester Chapter of the UB Alumni Association during its inaugural awards ceremony on June 4.

To be held at the Casa Larga Vineyards in Fairport, tickets are $40 per person or $30 for graduates of the last decade, and may be purchased online at www.alumni.buffalo.edu/events or by calling the UB Office of Alumni Engagement at 1-800-284-5382.

UBAA President Mary Garlick Roll (MS ’88 and BS ’84) and Larry Zielinski (MBA ’77 and BA ’75), executive director for the Office of Alumni Engagement, will present the awards. Matthew Prok (BS ’11 and BA ’11), president of the Rochester Chapter, will serve as emcee.

The Young Alumni Award, which recognizes the recipient’s successful career path, ambitious personality and leadership in the workplace, will be presented to Christopher D. Diehl (PharmD ’12, MBA ’12), of Penfield, New York.

Diehl is a clinical pharmacist at Lifetime Health Medical Group’s Joseph C. Wilson Center, a National Health Service Corps-approved site that renders services to the underserved.

A student leader during his PharmD program, Diehl twice was a member of the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences’ renowned business plan team for the Good Neighbor Pharmacy NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition, placing among the top five both years. He also received multiple scholarships and awards for his commitment to other professional student organizations.

In recognition of current exceptional career accomplishments, research or scholarly activity, J. Michael Colyer (MBA ’96, BS ’96), of Victor, New York, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award. Colyer earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering and a Master of Business Administration degree in corporate finance.

Since 2012, he has served as chief procurement officer and vice president of global strategies sourcing at VWR International, which distributes more than 1 million research laboratory products to more than 250,000 customers in North America and Europe. In this position, Colyer is responsible for $2.5 billion in purchasing and supplier development for the company’s private label business.

In addition to serving on the UBAA Rochester Chapter board, Colyer is an active board member for the Young Presidents Organization, a global network of young chief executives with approximately 22,000 members in more than 125 countries.

The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Craig J. Jerabeck (MBA ’84, BS ’83), of Rochester, New York. The award recognizes significant, sustained accomplishments that are truly extraordinary, widely recognized as such and of positive and lasting quality.

Jerabeck is founder, president and CEO of 5LINX® Enterprises Inc., a direct marketer of telecommunications products whose services include VoIP, wireless, satellite and local telephone services. In 2012 the company was ranked No. 1 in the Rochester Business Alliance’s “Rochester Top 100.”

A member of multiple boards, including Arc of Monroe County and the Genesee Valley Trust, Jerabeck was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003 by Ernst and Young, Retailer of the Year in 2004 by Entrepreneur Magazine and was ranked No. 2 in the Rochester Top 100 in 2009.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration degree, and is a generous supporter to UB, both as a donor and a volunteer.

The UB Alumni Association is a volunteer-led international organization that provides services, support, benefits and programs to alumni around the world. It seeks to build an atmosphere of pride, spirit and tradition, and provide easy and valuable ways for alumni to build and maintain connections with each other and the university. For more information, visit http://www.alumni.buffalo.edu.