2016 Distinguished Alumni

For the 53rd year, Western Michigan University will honor two alumni with the Distinguished Alumni Award. The 2016 recipients are Judge Gershwin A. Drain (B.A. '70, Secondary Education) of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and James M. Field, II (B.B.A. '85, Accountancy), president, Deere & Co., Agriculture and Turf Division – Americas, Australia, and Global Harvesting & Turf Platforms.

Established in 1963, the Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor WMU confers on its alumni, celebrating those who bring distinction to their alma mater through professional accomplishments and who have achieved a high level of success in their careers. Alumni are nominated by their peers and selected by the WMU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

The Distinguished Alumni Award recipients will be recognized during a Homecoming weekend reception at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7, on campus. For more information about the award or to register for the reception, visit MyWMU.com/DAReception.

Read the full biographies for the 2016 recipients here. 

Gershwin A. Drain

Judge Drain was nominated by President Barack Obama to become the U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Michigan and was confirmed for the position by an act of Senate in 2012. Throughout his career, Judge Drain has worked in various positions in the legal system, beginning in 1972 as a law clerk for the Third Circuit Court of Michigan. He also served as counsel for the Detroit Department of Transportation, an attorney in the Federal Defender’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, judge of the Recorder’s Court for the City of Detroit, and judge for Michigan’s Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County.

Additionally, Judge Drain has served on many boards for community and religious organizations, and was named Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News in 1997. Judge Drain played football for the Broncos between 1967-69 and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education from WMU in 1970. He also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School in 1972, and a Masters of Judicial Studies from University of Nevada-Reno in 1991. He and his wife, Meredith, have two daughters.

James M. Field
James M. Field has spent much of his career at Deere & Company, one of today’s most highly admired businesses. Currently the President, Agriculture and Turf Division – Americas, Australia, and Global Harvesting & Turf Platforms, Mr. Field began his career with Deloitte & Touche, a major international accounting, tax, and consulting firm in 1984 and enjoyed several promotions before joining Deere & Company in 1994. Beginning as manager of consolidations, Mr. Field has served the company in various positions, including in accounting, treasury, business development, and planning; as chief financial officer of Deere’s former Timberjack Group; vice president and comptroller; and president, Worldwide Commercial & Consumer Equipment Division. In 2009, he was promoted to senior vice president and chief financial officer. In 2012, he accepted his current position.

As a student at Western Michigan University, Mr. Field was a member of Beta Alpha Psi, the national honors fraternity for financial information professionals. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accountancy from WMU in 1985. Mr. Field and his wife, Jayne, have two children.