Roanoke College Medal presented to Mike Haley ’73

During Alumni Weekend 2026, Roanoke College was pleased to award the Roanoke College Medal to Mike Haley ’73, a Martinsville, Va.- based businessman who has dedicated his life to lifting his community. The Roanoke College Medal is the highest honor bestowed upon Maroon alumni. 

Also honored at the awards event were Pat Kenney ’99 and Cara (Bayersdorfer) Kenney ’98, who received the Emerging Alumni Award, and Tom and Marty Murdock, who were given the Maroons by Choice Award. 

Haley earned a degree in business administration at Roanoke, where he was conference golfer of the year in 1972-73 and led the team to the first College Division NCAA Golf Tournament in college history. He had a successful career as a furniture manufacturing and sales executive at American of Martinsville before transitioning into the private equity field, where he was an operating partner in several companies, including Fenway Partners, Investcorp and Caxton-Iseman.  

Haley also has served on the boards of civic organizations in Martinsville, including Memorial Hospital of Martinsville and Big Brothers-Big Sisters. After the Martinsville hospital was sold in 2002, he helped form The Harvest Foundation, which invests in long-term efforts to improve the community, including expanding educational opportunities, improving local health outcomes and driving economic growth. Haley served as the first chairman of the foundation’s board of directors. 

Born in Stanleytown, Va., Haley is a twin and the youngest of eight children. After his father’s death at an early age, his mother raised the children to value hard work and education. Haley said the game of golf, which has been a lifelong passion, taught him patience, respect and humility. He has said his time at Roanoke College helped him build a successful career and put him in a position to give back to the community that helped raise him. He was a member of the college’s board of trustees from 2013-2023 and recently rejoined the board. 

“You can just tell when he’s around students that he sees their potential and he wants to play a role in making that investment in other students so they can have the kind of life that he has lived,” said Roanoke College President Frank Shushok Jr. “I can’t overstate how important Mike’s philanthropic legacy has been to the college.” 

During the awards event, Shushok also announced a new gift to the college in honor of Haley. The gift to the existing Michael P. Haley ’73 and Joy Haley Golf Endowment Fund was made by Albert Prillaman ’68 and Glenn Prillaman ’93 in Haley’s honor. Their gift reflects a deep appreciation for Haley and the meaningful role Roanoke College plays in the lives of its students and alumni. 

Cara and Pat Kenney, classes of 1998 and 99, respectively, received the Emerging Alumni Award for their service to the college in volunteer leadership positions. Pat served as chair of the Roanoke Alumni Chapter for 10 years and has been active in the Alumni Executive Council since 2017. Cara served as president of the Alumni Association/Alumni Executive Council and as an ex-officio member of the board of trustees from 2022-25. She also has served on the Roanoke Alumni Chapter Committee since 2017. In addition, the couple has supported the college philanthropically at the Associate level for more than a decade, are members of the Maroon Club, and recently committed to the President’s 25 Scholarship Fund.  

Although they did not attend Roanoke, Tom and Marty Murdock believe deeply in the college’s mission under Shushok’s leadership, and they have generously invested time and resources in the college. That earned them the Maroons by Choice Award, which is given to individuals who deserve to be honorary Maroons.  

As the parents of three children, the Murdocks understand that unexpected obstacles can often get in the way of a student’s education. Their philanthropy is grounded in empathy, humility and a desire to make a difference, and the only reward they ask is to see students stay enrolled, stay encouraged and stay on track to complete their degree. The Murdocks have strengthened Roanoke College with their compassion and vision, and the college is fortunate to count them among its most dedicated friends.  

Also at the awards event, four former student-athletes were inducted into the Roanoke College Athletic Hall of Fame, and four were inducted into the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Hall of Fame. Those inducted into the Roanoke College Hall of Fame were Marc Dinkel '15 (soccer), Chris Gordon '97 (lacrosse), Kelly Higbie '15 (softball) and Harrison Toney '16 (cross country/track and field). Read more about those honors here.  

Those inducted into the ODAC Hall of Fame were Dustin Fonder '94 (basketball, soccer), Gerald Holmes '83 (basketball), Amy Layman Bayse '01 (softball) and Robin Yerkes St. Cyr '10 (track and field).