Monroe's Brian Egen honored with EMU Alumni of the Year Achievement Award
When Brian James Egen graduated from middle school, his parents wanted to celebrate the achievement by taking the family out to eat at a restaurant of his choosing.
Egen chose a restaurant nearly 500 miles away from his Monroe home in Gettysburg, Penn.
"I knew it would give me an opportunity to go to Gettysburg if they came through," Egen recalled. "Ultimately, we ended up taking a family vacation there that summer. It was a great experience and memory."
Egen fondly shared that story during his speech at the 62nd annual Eastern Michigan University alumni awards ceremony last month at the George Gervin GameAbove Convocation Center in Ypsilanti. Egen was one of four alumni recognized at the event where he was awarded the 2023 Eastern Michigan Alumni of the Year Achievement Award.
"I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my mentors and my family and all of those that supported me along the way," said Egen. "The experience was absolutely wonderful. I was overwhelmed. ... I'm proud to be an alumni of the university. And being able to share that with my family and friends meant the world to me."
The Alumni Achievement Award is given to alumni who have attained distinction in their chosen field, clearly demonstrated the value of their college education, and maintained a continuing interest in the university.
Egen graduated from Eastern in 1992 with a Bachelor's degree in history – the same year he started his employment with The Henry Ford. He currently is Executive Producer and Head of Studio Productions at The Henry Ford. He also has been part of managing and overseeing agriculture and equine operations, Model T programming, and the museum system's historic baseball events.
He is the Executive Producer of The Henry Ford's weekly TV program 'The Innovation Nation' hosted by CBS News correspondent Mo Rocca.
"I've loved history from an early age," said Egen. "I love storytelling and bring able to share significant stories of the past. Something that really intrigued me early on was how history is relevant to our lives today and just the beauty of the past. And when I say beauty of the past, not everything was beautiful, but there's a beauty in being able to learn from the past and make that relevant for a better future."
Eastern's Office of Alumni and Donor Engagement in partnership with the Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Recognition, Awards, and Scholarship Committee celebrated all four award recipients during the Oct. 6 ceremony. Also as part of the weekend’s activities, Egen and his family were honored on the field during the Homecoming football game the next day.
He was joined by his wife, Jody, and their daughter, Scarlett.
"This year’s Alumni Award recipients represent the best of Eastern Michigan University,” said Kelly Quilter, assistant vice president for advancement, alumni, and donor engagement in a press release. “We were proud to honor their accomplishments during Homecoming.”
Egen recently was reappointed for a second term to the Michigan Historical Commission by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. He was first appointed by former Gov. Rick Snyder. He has served as president of the commission since 2018.
In Monroe, Egen serves as chair of the City of Monroe’s Commission on the Environment & Water Quality, the River Raisin Heritage Corridor Commission, and the Monroe County Museum System Board of Trustees.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe's Brian Egen honored with EMU Alumni of the Year Achievement Award
