District to honor Graduates of Distinction Tuesday

HONOREES
Dr. Richard K. Knuth graduated from Walla Walla High School in 1969 and currently is a professor in the Education Program of the University of Washington, Tacoma. He has a long career in education, including two years in Kenya while in the Peace Corps.

One of seven children, he lost his mother to cancer when he was a freshman at Whitman College; and he helped care for and find homes for his four younger siblings. After this life-changing experience, he maintained his focus on academics and continued to pursue his dream of being an educator. After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 1983, he served as Assistant Principal and Principal for districts in Western Washington before becoming Superintendent of University Place School District in 1991.

He has provided consultations and workshops for administrators throughout Washington state and has been an invited presenter to national and regional conferences. He supports his community through volunteer work in supervision of an overnight shelter for homeless men and work in his church, St. James Cathedral.

Mary Jane Towner Glaser graduated from Walla Walla High School in 1971 and attended both the University of Puget Sound and University of Washington, graduating in 1975. She worked in a graphics arts business, Health Printers, for 10 years before becoming a free-lance graphic artist. Her primary avocation, since 1986, has been volunteerism in her community of Maple Valley, Washington, and for the Tahoma School District. She was very active in PTA for many years before being appointed to the Tahoma School District Board of Directors in 1998. She was elected for three terms, still serving at the present time, and was president for four consecutive years.

One of her passions is the arts and she has been instrumental in starting a Youth Symphony Orchestra and serving on the Maple Valley Creative Arts Council. Her involvement helped the Council secure grants to start a Creative Arts Center in her hometown, according to her mother and nominator Mary Frances Towner.

The newest project on Mary Jane's horizon is a farmers' market, set to open in June. She was instrumental in securing a site and initial funding, and she is designing a logo for this new non-profit venture.

Tim Donaldson is a 1979 graduate of Walla Walla High School, where he was an active participant in athletics and student government. He attended and graduated from Whitman College in 1984, then proceeded to earn his law degree from Gonzaga University in 1987. Tim served as lead attorney for Unigard Insurance Company in Seattle and worked in the private sector. Since 1996, Tim has been the City of Walla Walla attorney. He is recognized statewide as a leader in DUI prosecutions and has been very involved with both the County DUI Task Force and Domestic Violence Coalition.

Tim was an active Wallal Walla Public Schools' Board Member for eight years, beginning in 2000, and served as president for one term. Continuing his advocacy for area youth and families, Tim also was a YMCA board member for five years. In 2007, he received the Elks' Distinguished Citizen Award.

His nominators were unanimous in praising his leadership skills, listening ability and compassion, while remaining a strong family man who is very involved in his children's activities.