This year’s Albion College Alumni Award recipients included a college administrator, a college professor, a supermarket CEO, two physicians, a labor union attorney and a publishing publicist. All were recognized during an award ceremony April 11th on campus.
“Our mission at Albion College is to prepare students and graduates for lives of purpose characterized by meaningful careers and responsible leadership with local and global impact,” said Amy Everhart, senior director of alumni engagement and annual campaigns. “Our alumni award recipients certainly embody this commitment through their professional accomplishments and contributions to their communities. We are proud that Albion College has played a role in each of their journeys, and to be connected to them.”
Recipients were chosen based on their demonstrated excellence in career achievements and contributions to community and humanity. The Distinguished Alumni Award winners are:
Matthew Jonna ’94
Jonna is CEO and co-founder of Plum Market in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. After leaving the Whole Foods National Operations Team, Jonna and his brother, Marc, opened the first Plum Market in 2007 with a focus on natural, organic, and locally sourced groceries, alongside exceptional service across the food and beverage, travel, and food service industries.
Plum Market operates nationwide, with more than 35 locations across Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Florida, Virginia, California, and Nebraska. Jonna has been recognized for his leadership and success with many awards, such as Best Grocery Store (Miami New Times), Top 10 Super Markets (Food & Wine Magazine), Best Specialty Market (Detroit Metro Times). He has also been named one of Detroit’s 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders. He graduated from Albion in 1994 with a degree in economics and management. While at Albion, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.
Adam Kudirka ’15
Kudirka is a physician at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He is in the midst of completing a fellowship in pulmonary disease and critical care medicine at Henry Ford, where he previously completed an internal medicine residency in 2022. He has received several awards for teaching and patient care; and he worked in a clinic for underserved communities while mentoring both medical students and residents. Kudirka also has presented at national conferences as well as published several articles in medical journals.
He credits his personal experience being a young cancer survivor and the support he received from the Albion community with how he approaches his work today. Kudirka graduated magna cum laude from Albion College in 2015 with a degree in biology. While at Albion, he was a member of Global Brigades, performed research in the lab of Brad Rabquer, and was a member of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity. Subsequently, he attended Michigan State’s College of Human Medicine, where he obtained his doctorate in 2019.
