The Gold & White Honors are the most prestigious awards given by the Alumni Association in recognition for outstanding contributions on campus, in communities and to mankind.

The 2010 winners are tireless volunteers, thoughtful philanthropists and passionate leaders. They will be recognized for their accomplishments and generosity during a celebratory dinner and awards ceremony Feb. 18 at the Atlanta History Center.

The Joseph Mayo Pettit Alumni Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor bestowed by the Alumni Association in recognition of exceptional and outstanding support of the Institute and a lifetime of professional and philanthropic leadership. The 2010 recipients are:

Bill Collins, ME 57, MS IM 63, of Alpharetta, Ga., CEO of Collins and Arnold Construction Co. LLC. He is a member of the Campaign 2010 steering committee and an emeritus member of the Georgia Tech Foundation board of trustees. He was named to the College of Engineering’s Academy of Distinguished Engineering Alumni in 1996, inducted into the College of Management Hall of Fame in 2007 and presented the Woodruff School Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2008.

Charles “Pete” Cross, Cls 50, of Winter Park, Fla., retired chairman and CEO of Barnett Bank of Central Florida. He served three terms, including one as president from 1991 to 1993, on the Georgia Tech Foundation board and was a member of the Georgia Tech Advisory Board from 1971 to 1978, serving as its chair in 1974-75. He established an endowment for scholarships favoring students from the greater Orlando area and football players.

James Thomas “Tommy” Gresham, TE 60, of LaGrange, Ga., president, treasurer and general manager of the Callaway Foundation. He has served on the boards of the Alumni Association, Georgia Tech Club of LaGrange, Georgia Tech Foundation, Georgia Tech Research Corp. and the Georgia Tech Research Institute. Georgia Tech has received significant gifts from the Callaway Foundation.

Recipients of the Dean Griffin Community Service Award, presented for positively impacting the quality of life of others while serving as a role model in the process, are:

Richard Guthman Jr., IE 56, of Hiawassee, Ga., retired senior vice president of government and public institutions for First American Bank of Georgia. He served on the Atlanta City Council from 1974 to 1988. Through an endowment created for his 40th reunion in 1996, he established the Margaret A. Guthman Keyboard Competition, which in 2009 was expanded to showcase new music technology. Inventors came from seven countries to compete for more than $15,000 in prizes.

Willis Potts, IE 69, of Rome, Ga., retired president and general manager of  Temple Inland Corp. He chaired the Board of Regents’ search committee that brought G. P. “Bud” Peterson to Tech as its 11th president. He also has been actively involved in the Floyd County March of Dimes, United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs, Open Door Children’s Home and Mercy Senior Care. He chaired the Rome-Floyd Development Authority and the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce.

The Outstanding Young Alumnus/Alumna Award goes to a high achiever under age 40 who has contributed to Georgia Tech, the community and the business world. The recipients are:

Bird Blitch, IE 97, of Atlanta, executive vice president and co-founder of BroadSource, a leader in Telecom Expense Management software and services. He served as president of the Georgia Tech Student Foundation, helped launch the Georgia Tech Business Network and served on the Alumni Association Board of Trustees from 2005 to 2008. He currently sits on the  advisory board for the Advanced Technology Development Center.

Cayman Percy James, CE 99, MS EnvE 01, of Peachtree Corners, Ga., environmental engineer with CH2M Hill; wife of Daniel James, EE 00; and daughter of Michael Percy, Cls 68. As the Young Alumni Council president, she has recruited volunteers, created a student leader reception and Facebook group, expanded the Young Alumni Reunion and started a golf tournament.

Honorary Alumnus/Alumna status is presented to someone who did not attend the Institute but has provided outstanding service to Georgia Tech. The recipients are:

Desiree “Des” Moore, of Woodside, Calif., chair of Kelly-Moore Paint Co. Inc. and the widow of Bill Moore, IM 38, who died in 2004. She established a support fund for the Bill Moore Tennis Center in 2008 and a William E. Moore Athletic Scholarship endowment in 2007. She also endowed the Moore Family Scholarship Fund for women’s tennis.

Gary Schuster, of Atlanta, Georgia Tech’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs since August 2006. In October, he announced his decision to step down from the position in order to return to the faculty. He will remain as provost, however, until his successor is hired. A July target date has been announced. Schuster arrived at Tech from the University of Illinois in 1994 to serve as dean of the College of Sciences. In April 2008, he was named interim president to lead the Institute after the departure of Wayne Clough and until his successor was in place.

Mary Ann Stith, of Atlanta and Cashiers, N.C., widow of Buck Stith, CE 58, who succumbed to cancer Sept. 11. Gold-and-white ties also include son-in-law Mark Thomas Miller, IE 88. She has participated in numerous Tech-related activities over the years, from Homecoming to the Gold & White Honors recognition ceremonies. The Stiths also hosted two Alumni Travel tours, through the French waterways in 1994 and Scotland in 2005.

Sue Staton, of Atlanta, wife of John C. Staton Jr., IM 60. They established the Sue and John Staton Professor of Law endowment in the College of Management and the Sue Glenn Staton Scholarship Fund for athletes, with a priority for females. She has been a member of the Alexander-Tharpe Fund board of directors since 2008.