Four Notable Alumni Inducted into Order of West Range

MEMPHIS, TN – Established in 1986, the Order of West Range recognizes outstanding alumni of the Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity for achievement in their careers, service to society, or service to the Fraternity. The 2020 class includes a professional football player, university president, a dedicated volunteer and philanthropist, and a U.S. admiral.

The Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation is honored to welcome four gentlemen into the Order of West Range:

• Dr. Robert L. Jackson (Murray State, Epsilon Lambda ’82)
• Keith J. Ketchman (Florida, Alpha Eta ’74)
• Admiral James A. “Sandy” Winnefeld, Jr. (Georgia Tech, Alpha Delta ’75)
• Eric J. Winston (Miami, Gamma Omega ’03)

A proud Murray State University alumnus, Dr. Robert L. (Bob) Jackson (Murray State, Epsilon Lambda ’82) was appointed president of Murray State University on March 1, 2019, after serving as interim president since August 2018.

Jackson has served Murray State in several capacities over the last decade including most recently as the president and chief executive officer of the Murray State University Foundation, Inc. where he managed the ~$135 million foundation. He was also a senior advisor to the university for state and federal governmental relations and oversaw all estate and planned giving initiatives.

From 1997 to 2004, Jackson served the Commonwealth of Kentucky as a state senator and served in Senate leadership. He served on numerous committees and task forces during his tenure including education, appropriations & revenue, economic development, capital projects and bond oversight. He has worked successfully on many state and federal governmental projects and has been recognized at the state and national levels for his public service. In addition, he has worked in corporate finance and as a senior executive in investment banking, municipal finance, and investment management.

He was selected as a Kentucky Leader for the New Century and as a national toll fellow by the Council of State Governments. He has been recognized by his alma mater with the distinguished Golden Horseshoe Award, the highest honor bestowed upon its alumni for service to the university. LaRue County High School recognized him as a distinguished alumnus in 2010.

Dr. Jackson and his wife Karen, a Murray State alumna and registered nurse, are the parents of two children, Nolan and Mariel.

Keith J. Ketchman (Florida, Alpha Eta ’74) has served Pi Kappa Alpha for over 40 years. After graduating from the University of Florida in 1977 with a degree in business, he joined PIKE professional staff as a chapter consultant, later promoted to director of development, director of chapter services, and finally assistant executive director. He became a trustee of the Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation in 2001 and served a 15-year term during a period of record endowment fund and asset growth. He played an important role in the design and execution of the Foundation’s largest capital campaign, The Campaign for PIKE University, which raised over ten million dollars for the Fraternity’s flagship student leadership and personal development program.

In 2008, Ketchman was appointed to the Memphis International Convention’s nominating committee, charged with presenting a slate of officers to the Supreme Council. Ketchman currently serves his chapter as a member of the house corporation and is the chairman for The Campaign for Alpha Eta, a successful fundraising effort raising $2 million for house renovations and repairs.

In business, Ketchman continues as president and owner of a global paper converting manufacturing and marketing corporation, now operating in its 37th year with multiple state production facilities and providing distribution of consumer paper products worldwide.

His success in business has afforded him the opportunity to invest in important philanthropic endeavors, including direct support for the PIKE Foundation, where he is recognized within the Foundation’s 1868 cumulative giving society. In addition, and in support of his chosen business industry, The Ketchman Family Scholarship Endowment was established to provide income to support deserving students in the Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence on the Oxford campus of the University of Mississippi. An active volunteer within his community, Ketchman resides in Schaumburg, Illinois, with his wife Kathy and daughter Sami.

Admiral James A. “Sandy” Winnefeld, Jr. (Georgia Tech, Alpha Delta ’75) graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in aerospace engineering and served for 37 years in the United States Navy. He instructed at the Navy Fighter Weapons School, also known as Topgun, and served as senior aide-de-camp to General Colin L. Powell. He commanded a fighter squadron, the amphibious ship USS CLEVELAND, and the aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE. As a flag officer, he commanded a carrier strike group, two NATO commands, the United States SIXTH Fleet, United States NORTHERN Command, and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD. He retired in 2015 after serving as the ninth vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the United States’ number two ranking military officer.

Admiral Winnefeld is a frequently published author, director, and advisory board member for companies operating in a broad spectrum of business sectors. He currently serves as a distinguished professor at the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at Georgia Tech, where he is also a member of the Engineering Hall of Fame. He is a senior non-resident fellow at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and is chairman of the Georgia Tech advisory board. Admiral Winnefeld and his wife, Mary, are co-chairs of SAFEProject.US, a national nonprofit committed to helping reverse the epidemic of drug overdose fatalities in the United States.

Eric J. Winston (Miami, Gamma Omega ’03) is a former American football offensive tackle. He played at the University of Miami and was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Over the course of his 12-year professional career, which included 119 consecutive starts, he played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, and Cincinnati Bengals. He was president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) from 2014 to 2020.

In March 2014, Winston was elected president of the National Football League Players Association. Prior to being elected president, Winston had been involved with the NFLPA in other capacities, including being elected as a co-alternate NFLPA representative for the Houston Texans in 2010 and serving on committees for agent discipline and finance. He was elected as president of the NFLPA for three consecutive 2-year terms, continually focusing on player health and safety, workplace conditions, and financial literacy. In his final term, Winston was instrumental in the renegotiation of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, which goes into effect in 2021.

Winston is married with two daughters and one son. He is an advocate and volunteer for the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

A total of 152 distinguished alumni have been inducted into the Order of West Range. Members of the Order include some of Pi Kappa Alpha’s most notable alumni, including country music star Tim McGraw (Louisiana-Monroe, Eta Omicron ’86), president of the New Orleans Saints Dennis Lauscha (Alabama, Gamma Alpha ’88), and Monster.com founder Jeff Taylor (Massachusetts, Theta Mu ’79). View a full listing of previous inductees.