Rob Wild
Agent, Wild & Associates LLC. American Family Insurance
Born and raised in Essex, England, Rob Wild once dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player for his beloved Tottenham Hotspur. Instead, life led him on a journey centered around something even greater: helping people.
After earning a degree in Sports & Exercise Psychology from the University of Chichester, Rob traveled the world before coming to America to work at a summer camp for children with disabilities. It was there he met his wife, Sarah, whose Kansas roots eventually brought the couple to the Midwest. Along the way, Rob worked at Bethesda Place in Hays, where he discovered the power of community, purpose, and serving others.
Following the loss of his mother to a brain tumor in 2019, Rob channeled his grief into growth, pursuing his insurance accreditation and eventually becoming the American Family Insurance agent on Poyntz Avenue in Manhattan in 2021. Today, he especially enjoys helping families through insurance, especially life insurance, viewing it as one of the most meaningful ways he can protect people during life’s most difficult moments.
Alongside his wife and two sons, Rob continues making a lasting impact throughout the Manhattan community through mentoring, leadership, and a genuine desire to serve others.
Dennis Cook
Director, Aggieville Business Association
For more than four decades, Dennis Cook has quietly helped shape the heartbeat of Manhattan. Whether through his leadership in Aggieville, his decades in the beer distribution business, or his deep involvement in community events, Cook has built a legacy rooted in relationships, service, and connection.
As director of the Aggieville Business Association, Cook serves as a bridge between nearly 100 businesses and the countless organizations that impact them, including the City of Manhattan, Kansas State University, Fort Riley, law enforcement, and local developers. He describes his role simply as being “the district’s liaison to everybody who impacts them,” a responsibility he has embraced with unmatched consistency.
Before stepping into his current role, Cook spent 36 years in the beer business, where he became known for building authentic relationships rather than simply making sales. That philosophy helped transform the region’s Budweiser market share and led to partnerships that still benefit Manhattan today, from golf tournaments to community events and local sponsorships.
Cook’s impact stretches far beyond business. He has directed Manhattan’s major college soccer tournament for 44 years, helped strengthen ties between Aggieville and Fort Riley, and remained a steady presence through years of construction and change.
Above all, Dennis Cook represents the kind of leadership that makes Manhattan special: humble, dependable, relationship-driven, and deeply committed to the people around him.
Even Cook still believes the best is yet to come for Aggieville and the community he loves His story is proof that impact is often built not through headlines or attention, but through years of showing up, helping others, and staying invested in people
Dr. Joseph Awika
Director of K-State Food Science Institute
Dr. Joseph Awika is an internationally-renowned food scientist, Director of K-State Food Science Institute, and the Head of Kansas State University’s Grain and Food Science Department. Born in rural Kenya, Dr. Awika left home for boarding school at just 12 years old, an endeavor made possible by his father’s sacrifice. In high school, he chose food science from a list of potential college majors, because of the potential to “eat and learn at the same time,” he laughs.
After completing his undergraduate studies, Dr. Awika found a stable, well-paying job but quickly realized he wanted more. Seeking out new opportunities, he contacted the American Embassy in Kenya, who helped him identify relevant graduate programs in the United States. Despite the financial barriers posed as an international student, he was admitted to Texas A&M University with an assistantship, which then allowed him to pursue both a master’s degree and PhD in food science.
His academic journey led to faculty roles at the University of Missouri and later to Texas A&M, where he built a reputation as a leader in the field. In 2024, Kansas State University recruited him to help lead a new vision for its Food Science Institute. Although hesitant at first, Dr. Awika saw an opportunity to lead meaningful change, so he took the role. “I thought, it's a risk, but it's really worthwhile,” he shares.
At K-State, Dr. Awika focuses on three core priorities: health and well-being, sustainability, and innovation. He emphasizes the role of food as a driver of human health, calling it both the first and last line of defense against disease. His work also addresses global challenges such as food waste, noting that a significant portion of food produced never gets consumed.
Beyond his research, Dr. Awika believes in prioritizing the student experience. “We want to make sure [our students] graduate with the best experience at the university and in the country,” he shares. He encourages young people interested in making an impact to consider food science, noting that the field is highly in-demand, well-paid, and, of course, fun. “Is there anything more important, more impactful to human health than food?”
Dan Michaels
Radio DJ & Market Manager, Eagle Communications
More commonly known around town as DJ Dan, Dan Michaels has spent decades becoming one of the most recognizable and energetic voices in the Manhattan community. But beyond the microphone, the longtime radio personality has built a reputation for something even more meaningful: showing up for people.
Originally from Blue Rapids, Michaels graduated from Valley Heights High School before serving in the Navy. After receiving a medical discharge, he eventually found his way to Kansas State University, where his path toward broadcasting slowly began to take shape. What started as DJ work at weddings and clubs soon turned into a career after a chance encounter at Country Stampede encouraged him to audition for a local radio station. He was hired almost instantly.
Not long after, Michaels was unexpectedly handed a microphone to emcee a live event for the first time. From the moment he walked on stage, he knew he had found what he was meant to do. Over the years, that passion evolved into a career that eventually brought him back to Manhattan to help launch Q Country 103.5 under Eagle Communications in 2013.
Today, Michaels serves as Market Manager for Eagle Communications’ Manhattan, Junction City, and Salina markets, while also acting as Corporate Production Director. Yet despite his professional success, his greatest impact may come through his constant involvement in the community itself.
Michaels serves on numerous boards and committees throughout Manhattan, including the Aggieville Business Association, Downtown Business Association, Downtown Business Development Board, Purple Power Play, Rock The Plains, and the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors. He is also heavily involved with local festivals, fundraisers, charity events, and organizations like the Boys & Girls Club and Praise Fest.
“I just like being involved,” Michaels said.
That simple philosophy has made him far more than a radio voice. In many ways, Dan Michaels has become part of the soundtrack of Manhattan itself.
Jesse Perez Mendez
Provost, Kansas State University
Growing up in Wichita Falls, Texas, Jesse Perez Mendez imagined a variety of futures for himself. At different points in his childhood and early adulthood, he considered becoming a stand-up comedian, a priest, a lawyer, and even a politician. But no matter the dream, there was always a deeper motivation underneath it all: a desire to help people.
Today, that passion for service guides his work as Provost and Executive Vice President at Kansas State University, where he oversees the university’s academic vision across campuses in Manhattan, Salina, and Olathe. His role focuses on creating the best possible educational experience for students while helping prepare K-State for the rapidly changing future of higher education.
Mendez’s journey into higher education leadership was shaped during his time in law school at Indiana University. While serving as a guardian ad litem advocating for children in custody cases, he witnessed firsthand how poverty and circumstance could place young people at a disadvantage long before adulthood. The experience changed the direction of his life. Instead of pursuing a political career, he earned a PhD in higher education and dedicated himself to expanding educational opportunity, believing strongly that education remains one of society’s greatest social mobilizers.
After leadership roles at institutions including Oklahoma State University, University of Central Florida, Indiana University Indianapolis, and Texas Tech University, Mendez found a home in Manhattan. He describes K-State as having “the most authentic college culture” he has ever experienced and says the warmth of the community immediately stood out to him.
Whether helping lead AI initiatives, expanding innovative degree programs, or guiding the future of K-State, Mendez continues to focus on one core mission: creating opportunities that can positively change lives for generations to come.
Ronnie Grice
Chief of Police, Kansas State University (Ret.)
After more than three decades leading the Kansas State University Police Department, Ronnie Grice has officially retired, closing the chapter on a remarkable 46-year law enforcement career defined by leadership, teamwork, and service. But ask Grice what mattered most during his time in Manhattan, and his answer is simple: the people.
Originally from a small rural farming community in Arkansas, Grice attended the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, where he earned a political science degree with plans to attend law school. That path changed after participating in sheriff’s department ride-alongs, an experience that ignited a passion for law enforcement and public service. He officially took the oath as a deputy on April 1, 1980, beginning a career that would eventually bring him to Kansas State University in 1994.
At the time, Grice thought Manhattan would simply be a short stop along the way.
“My original plan was to only spend two years at Kansas State University and move on,” he said. “And 31 years later, Manhattan and the university were still home.”
Throughout his career, Grice became known not only for his professionalism, but for his belief in collaboration. Under his leadership, K-State Police developed strong partnerships with the Riley County Police Department, emergency management agencies, fire departments, and regional law enforcement partners. He consistently emphasized teamwork over ego, helping strengthen communication and emergency response efforts throughout the community.
He also speaks proudly about the officers and staff he mentored over the years, many of whom went on to leadership roles of their own.
For Grice, impact was never about titles or recognition. It was about building relationships, serving others, and helping create a safer, stronger community. And after more than 31 years in Manhattan, it is clear his impact will continue to be felt long after retirement.
“I like doing things that help people. I like being involved, building relationships, and staying connected to the community. Manhattan has always felt like home to me, and I’ve always believed if you can help others succeed, then everybody wins.” - Dennis Cook