The ACUHO-I Research and Education Foundation inducted five new individuals into the Parthenon Society at the ACUHO-I Campus Home. LIVE! annual conference and expo. The new inductees were Allan Blattner, Terri Gray, D’aun Green, Luis Inoa, and Lionel Maten. These awards are one of the greatest honors a campus housing professional can receive, as champions nominate candidates and then solicit donations to recognize a career filled with contributions. The awards were presented by ACUHO-I Foundation chair Tim Touchette, accompanied by pre-recorded videos extolling the recipients’ virtues.
Allan Blattner, the executive director of housing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was recognized for the many contributions he has made to the campuses where he has worked and to ACUHO-I. Blattner served multiple terms on the Executive Board, including president in 2015-16. In addition, he has been the ACUHO-I liaison for the CAS Standards Council of Representatives and has been a regular contributor to the James C. Grimm National Housing Training Institute, STARS College, numerous publications, and a host of regional and international conferences. His supporters noted his “genuine care for student well-being and commitment to fostering an on-campus housing experience that focuses on student learning and development.” They said his receiving this award “should come as a surprise to nobody because [he is] the epitome of professionalism, leadership, and excellence in the field of campus housing” and that “he absolutely embodies the spirit of the Parthenon Award through not only the way he leads every day as a supervisor and as a leader, but also the way that he engages with students one-on-one and the contributions he’s made his entire career for ACUHO-I.”
Supporters for Terri Gray, the national higher education sales manager for CORT furniture, noted that 2025 would mark Gray’s twentieth year of “membership, involvement, and support” with ACUHO-I. Her nomination highlighted how her experience with campus housing and student affairs powered her success in building relations and finding solutions between campuses and CORT. Most, though, focused on her dedicated efforts with the ACUHO-I Foundation in which she has held several positions and served on numerous committees. The common feature was her undeniable ability to forge connections. “She can tell you exactly who to reach out to for even the most unique or inconsequential question,” said one supporter. “She makes new introductions with alacrity and purpose. Give Terri a day with a new professional, and tney will have met the outcoming, current, and chair elect of any given committee, their regional exec board, several folks from the ACUHO-I home office, and the top industry partners they may need to work with one day.”
D’aun Green, the managing director for residence life at Texas Tech University, has been an author, presenter, teacher, leader, ambassador, and fully-committed supporter of ACUHO-I and campus housing throughout her career. In their nominating letter, one supporter noted that “What I love about D’aun is that she does all this work quietly and behind the scenes, not one seeking recognition… She represents the best of an ACUHO-I member, inspiring others while serviing her department, ACUHO-I, and our profession with dedication and commitment.” Another noted that, on campus, she “embodies the best of our profession. She is a strong advocate for her team, a tireless supporter of students on our campus and an innovative thinker to serve the ever-changing needs of our population. She doesn’t grandstand or need the spotlight… but her impact is known near and far.
Luis Inoa was remembered by one of his champions as someone who, earlier in his career, asked great questions, engaged with others, and shared his curiosity for learning and being a better professional. Those traits helped power his career to his current position as associate dean of the college, student living and wellness at Vassar College. In his roles, both on campus and within ACUHO-I, Inoa was noted for his ability to bring people together, with another supporter noting how he “calms situations down and holds people through rough waters—and he builds trust across the student body. He held an ex-officio role on the ACUHO-I Executive Board and led several projects and efforts regarding diversity and anti-racism, as well as being a major contributor to the Future of the Profession initiative, the Leadership Academy, Pathways to Success, the Multi-Cultural Institute, and others. For these efforts, he has received the James Hurd Award and the ACUHO-I Presidential Service Award.
Lionel Maten is the assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management at the University of Mississippi, a campus he has served since 2012. His champions touted his patience and wisdom as traits that have allowed him to make such a difference in the lives of students and colleagues. Most recently, Maten was a faculty member for the Roelf Visser Student Housing Training Institute in South Africa, where, as one supporter wrote, “his presentations were spot on, and his cluster was impacted by his work with them.” Another champion wrote that “his legacy to our field and the individuals within is one of grace, professionalism, compassion, and values that reflect respect, care, and support for others. While his primary work now is in other areas of campus, he continues to work with housing staff to ensure they get the experience he knows is important for their growth.”
Our profession has been strengthened by their leadership, creativity, and dedication.
