Walt Ehmer, IE 89
Waffle House Chairman
Joseph Mayo Pettit Alumni Distinguished Service Award
Waffle House’s commitment to staying open for the community starts at the top with Chairman Walt Ehmer, IE 89. “I’m a product of our culture at Waffle House and that’s to lead from the front,” he says. That means Ehmer often spends more time in a Waffle House than in his office. Having joined the company in 1992, Ehmer quickly rose to senior leadership and assumed the role of president in 2006, CEO in 2012, and chairman in 2022. Throughout his career, he has focused on building relationships and serving others, both within and beyond Waffle House. He serves on numerous boards, including Aaron’s, the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation, the Atlanta Police Foundation, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. A lifelong Yellow Jacket, Ehmer was chair of the Alumni Association Board from 2012 to 2013 and chair of his class 25th Reunion Committee. He is a trustee of the Georgia Tech Foundation and has served on the Georgia Tech Advisory Board, ISyE Advisory Board, GTAB, and the steering committee for Transforming Tomorrow. He explains that his dedication to his alma mater is rooted in three things: the admirable people he’s met through Georgia Tech, the impact Tech’s teachings have had on his own life, and the opportunity to share the tradition of Georgia Tech with his family. His wife and children have strong Georgia Tech ties. “It’s a tremendous source of pride for us. It’s another derivative—to use a GT word—of something we can all share and love, our pride for Georgia Tech.”
How has Georgia Tech made an impact on you?
“Tech taught me the value of hard work and how to solve difficult problems. Most of my lifelong friends are from Tech. My three children all graduated from Tech. I met my wife through Georgia Tech. I got my first job opportunity and my 31-plus-year career at Waffle House because of the relationships I made at Tech. My entire life is related to Tech in some way. Georgia Tech is an incredible school, but what is even more valuable and powerful than a degree is the network of ‘good people’ associated with Tech who help you on your pathway of life.” — Walt Ehmer, IE 89
Danny Hall
Georgia Tech Head Baseball Coach
Honorary Alumni
Baseball at Georgia Tech has become synonymous with Danny Hall. Four-time ACC Coach of the Year, Hall has led the Yellow Jackets through 30 successful seasons and is the all-time winningest coach at Georgia Tech. Under his leadership, the Yellow Jackets have celebrated 23 NCAA Tournaments and five ACC tournament titles, and won the ACC regular season or division seven times. The team also made it to three College World Series appearances, the only times in Georgia Tech’s history. Coach Hall was recently inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, in January of 2024. Known for his no-nonsense, professional approach to coaching, his student-athletes have celebrated notable achievements with his guidance. A total of 139 Yellow Jackets have been selected in drafts, including 15 as first-round picks, and 32 of them made it to the Big Leagues. His players have also received 120 All-American Honors, 140 all-ACC selections, and 28 freshman All-America awards. Coach Hall says he is always proud to see what his players accomplish once baseball ends. Through his guidance, his players are as successful in the classroom as on the field. More than 200 of his student-athletes have been named to the ACC honor roll, and 11 have earned academic all-America honors on 17 occasions. Coach Hall says that he is most proud that he has been able to be a good husband, a good father to his three sons, and a good coach. Regarding Georgia Tech’s impact on his life, he says, “First and foremost it has given me the opportunity to coach at a top academic institution in one of the most prestigious conferences in the country, the ACC. The players, coaches, administrators, and alumni have allowed me to compete at the highest level, fostering an environment where success is not only expected but celebrated with the utmost pride and passion.”
When you think about the lasting impact of the Georgia Tech community, what comes to mind?
“Georgia Tech is one of the world’s most recognized academic institutions. While my work gives me the opportunity to work with outstanding baseball players, I know that for most of them baseball will not be a long-lasting career. The value of their GT degree and the connections of our incredible alumni will ensure that they are successful in careers outside of baseball.” — Danny Hall
Cheryl (Johnson) Weldon, ChE 85
Entrepreneur and Personal Stylist
John B. Carter, Jr. Spirit of Georgia Tech
Those who know Cheryl Weldon, ChE 85, know she embodies the Tech spirit. After graduating from Georgia Tech, Weldon moved to Florida for her first job, then to Illinois for an MBA at Northwestern, then to the New York area to start her career in the healthcare industry. She says, “During that time, I missed my connection to Georgia Tech.” Fortunately for the Yellow Jacket community, she found a way to truly reconnect when she moved back to Atlanta in 1992. Her innovative spirit had led her to be part of the founding management team of Novoste Corporation, a medical device company that developed a specialized coronary catheter to treat patients with failed stents. Over the last three decades, Weldon has served on the Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering External Advisory Board, the Alumni Association Board, the Georgia Tech Women Alumnae Network (GTWAN), the Georgia Tech Advisory Board, and as chair of her 25th Reunion Fund Committee. Since retiring in 2001, a common thread through Weldon’s volunteer work and entrepreneurial ventures has been a passion for providing opportunities for women. She was integrally involved with the creation of the GTWAN Women’s Day Forum. She has served her sorority, Alpha Xi Delta, for the past 20 years and spent the last 10 years as their delegate to the Atlanta Alumnae Panhellenic Association. Additionally, Weldon began a successful post-retirement career as a personal stylist. She says it has allowed her to “serve inspiring women and to help them feel more confident and beautiful.” Weldon says the impact Tech has made on her life is tremendous. “Georgia Tech is usually one of the first things I mention when I’m meeting someone for the first time,” she says.
What does it mean to you to receive this award?
“To receive this award, named in his honor, is humbling and incredibly touching. I’ve known John Carter for a long time, and I’ve always admired his dedication and service to the Institute. Receiving this award reinforces my desire to stay connected and to continue to give back to the school, in terms of my time and my treasure. For those who haven’t been as engaged, I would encourage them to do so, as I feel that they’re missing out on one of the best gifts of your student experience... the alumni experience.” — Cheryl Weldon
Andre Dickens, ChE 98
Mayor of the City of Atlanta
Dean Griffin Community Service Award
A visionary leader, Andre Dickens is the first Black alumnus from Georgia Tech to be elected mayor of Atlanta and only the second alumnus to hold the position. Even before being sworn in at Bobby Dodd Stadium as Atlanta’s 61st mayor, Dickens was dedicated to creating a better future for Atlantans and Yellow Jackets. It was at Georgia Tech that he first learned to govern and address constituent concerns, as president of his fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi, and the African American Student Union and as a member of the Student Government Association. He returned to Tech in 2010 to serve as assistant director of outreach initiatives in OMED: Educational Services. In this role, he worked to provide access and opportunities for minority students on campus. He spearheaded Tech’s African American Male Initiative (AAMI), which led to significant increases in the GPA and graduation rate among Black male students. His dedication to equity and access led him to a role as chief development officer for TechBridge, a nonprofit aimed at bringing affordable technology and expertise to other nonprofit organizations. From 2014 to 2021 he served as an At-Large City Council member, advocating for issues affecting education, transportation, and workforce development. A proud Yellow Jacket, Dickens also served as a trustee of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association. “The Georgia Tech community is a massive network. You are offered support and you offer support and the community keeps growing. To keep paying that support forward is a lasting impact,” Dickens says. How has Georgia Tech influenced you?
“Georgia Tech still looms large in my life, 25 years after I graduated, because of the community I was a part of there. The Institute’s motto ‘Progress and Service’ became something of a mantra for me. And when I became mayor, it served as a basis for my Moving Atlanta Forward, Together platform. Georgia Tech didn’t just make me think I can change the world. It made me want to change the world. That’s quite an impact.” — Andre Dickens, ChE 98
Tommy Klemis, Cls 71
Generations of alumni remember their order at Junior’s Grill, a restaurant that served good food and comfort to Yellow Jackets for 63 years. But it wasn’t only the food that made Junior’s beloved. It was in large part the owner, Tommy Klemis, whose kindness and concern for students made Yellow Jackets cherish the restaurant. Klemis, along with his mother, Lula, his aunt “Miss Anne,” Walter, who was known as “Junior’s poet laureate,” and other employees, ensured that Junior’s was a place of solace for students, staff, and faculty. Running Junior’s wasn’t part of Klemis’ original plan. He enrolled at Georgia Tech to study electrical engineering in 1970. Those plans were interrupted with the birth of his first child, Jimmy, and shortly after a second child, Leigh Anne. Klemis left Tech for a job at Western Electric with intentions of returning to finish school. Klemis’ father, James, and brother-in-law John Chaknis owned Junior’s, but after his father passed away and Chaknis suffered a heart attack, Klemis stepped in to run the business with his mother in 1975. “God had other plans for me,” he says. “He brought me back to Georgia Tech. This time not as a student, but to serve them.” In 1993, when the family business was being torn down to make way for the Olympics, the Georgia Tech community brought Junior’s onto campus in 1994 as a new Tech tradition. When Junior’s finally closed in 2011, the line of well-wishers extended around the block. Klemis was overwhelmed by the show of appreciation. He was also proud to see his son graduate from Tech. In 2015, Tech paid tribute to Tommy Klemis’ legacy by opening Klemis Kitchen, an on-campus food pantry for students.
What does it mean to you to receive this honor?
“It shows me the incredible opportunities I have been given to engage with people. I thank God for allowing me to return to Georgia Tech. Caring and getting to know these students personally was what Junior’s was all about. To sit down with students and share stories over breakfast or lunch has truly been our joy. Receiving this honor shows me again how the legacy of a family business of 63 years has impacted so many students and makes me appreciate the spirit of our community here at Georgia Tech.” — Tommy Klemis
Chad Sims, BA 15
Vice President of Marketing for VayK Life
Chad Sims has been a driven Yellow Jacket from the moment he stepped onto campus. He served as a board member for several organizations across Georgia Tech, including the Student Foundation and the Student Alumni Association. After two successful internships, one at Chick-fil-A and the other at NASA, Sims graduated in 2015 with a bachelor’s in business administration, concentrating on operations and supply chain management. Sims celebrated a successful eight years with Focus Brands, where he was promoted on average every year. He recently made a career change from a director at Focus Brands to the vice president of marketing at VayK Life. Beyond his professional career, Sims has kept close ties to the Institute through countless hours of volunteer work. Sims has been an Alumni Network leader for many years, bridging a community of Yellow Jackets in his area through network events. His work as a network leader has been so successful that other leaders look to him for advice. Sims says that during his time as a student, he drew inspiration through his work with and leadership in numerous student programs. “When I was first accepted to Tech, I wasn’t even sure how I was going to pay for it, but I knew that choosing Georgia Tech would set me up for success,” says Sims. “And so far, it has. The friendships, relationships, and connections that I’ve made along the way have shaped who I am. Tech taught me how to think through problems and to live my life in a way that gives me the courage to take on challenges I would have never considered.”
What does it mean to you to receive this award?
“As a student and an alumnus, I’ve had the chance to engage and volunteer with the Gold & White Honors. I have a great deal of reverence for what these awards mean and what impact the previous honorees have had. It’s truly special to be considered with this cohort of Yellow Jackets. I was inspired by Walt, Andre, and Cheryl as a student. They’re part of the many reasons I continue to give back today.” — Chad Sims, BA 15