GREENFIELD – The Greenfield Central School Foundation has announced this year’s G-C Alumni Hall of Fame nominees.
They include: Andy Arland (Class of ’83); William Nigh (’67); Claudia Foster Sahm (’94); and David Spencer (’89).
They will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at the foundation’s Red Letter Gala Sept. 28, with Nigh being inducted posthumously.
Ginny Brown, executive director of the education foundation, opened the door for nominations at the start of the year.
Those who nominated this year’s nominees had plenty of glowing things to say about each of the alumni.
Andy Arland
Arland was nominated by his mother, Suzanne Hebert of Greenfield.
“I am nominating Andy…because our family is extremely proud of his qualities. His kindness, generosity and service to others is truly inspiring,” she said.
For Arland, being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a family tradition. His wife Denise and older brother David are past inductees.
Arland graduated with a degree in pharmacy from Purdue University in 1988, but began his long and prosperous career in pharmacy at the age of 16, when he started working as a stock boy and cashier for Hook’s Drug Stores.
He stuck with the job throughout college, then took a job as a pharmacist and assistant store manager at a Hook’s drugstore in Indianapolis after graduation. He was promoted to manager within two years.
Arland’s rise in the company continued as Hook’s was purchased by Revco in 1993, and Revco was purchased by CVS in 1997.
He has served as a Region Manager since 2007, and is responsible for 137 stores and 157 pharmacies across central and southern Indiana. When the COVID pandemic hit he played an integral role in delivering vaccines to long-term care facilities.
In 2019 Arland relocated to Chicago to serve as regional director in a major market, and is active in his local community.
While in Greenfield he was a member of the Greenfield Rotary Club and president of the Arc of Hancock County. He also raises funds annually for FUSE (Families United for Support and Encouragement), and was a regular volunteer when his wife served as executive director.
Arland has helped organize teams of walkers from CVS to support the annual walk for the American Diabetes Association, and established a corporate sponsorship and presence at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Purple Tie Ball.
Dr. Reverend William “Bill” Nigh
Nigh graduated from high school in Greenfield in 1967, when the school was known as Hancock Central High School.
While in school he was involved in a number of activities, including basketball, track, National Honor Society, speech and drama club. He was class president and and also vice president and president of his FFA chapter.
Nigh earned a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University in 1971, graduating Phi Betta Kappa.
He went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Divinity from Yale University in 1974, and his Doctor of Divinity from Butler University in 1987.
He enjoyed a long and impactful career in ministry up until his death in 2001.
Nigh started out as senior pastor in 1974 at Zion Evangelical United Church in Indianapolis, where he doubled the congregation’s size and launched programs for families, singles, the mentally challenged and the unhoused.
After leaving Zion, he earned his Doctorate Degree from Butler University, then moved to Ridgefield, Conn. to serve as a senior minister at a First Congregational Church.
While there, he was featured in “Time Magazine” for his work in creating the Ridgefield Job Network, which was aimed at helping people find employment.
He also started the town youth ministry, was a member of the Drug and Alcohol Awareness Committee and served as Ridgefield Police chaplain. He was also president of the Yale Alumni Club and chairman of the ordination committee for South Connecticut.
In 1994 Nigh took on the role of senior minister at The United Church of Christ in Vero Beach, Florida where he spent his golden years.
While there he started a new $5 million educational center at the church as well as a community outreach program for mentoring and tutoring to nine public schools. He was recognized at the local, state and national levels for his work.
Claudia Foster Sahm
Claudia Foster Sahm is a prominent economist now living in Virginia.
Professionally, she is best known for the development of the Sahm Rule, a Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) indicator for identifying recessions in real-time.
Sahm graduated from Greenfield-Central High School in 1994, finishing at the top of her class.
In school, she played basketball and volleyball and took part in the Principal’s Advisory Board, Student Council, National Honor Society and the Athletic Leadership Council. She was also active in the school’s academic team, German Club and Future Problem Solvers.
Sahm earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, political science and German from Dennison University before a doctorate in economics from the University of Michigan.
She has worn a number of professional hats over the years, including serving as a senior economist at the Council of Economic Advisers for the Obama Administration, where she worked on macroeconomic developments and housing policy.
“Claudia has always worked to achieve at the highest levels,” said Sarah Davis, who nominated Sahm for this year’s Hall of Fame. “She is an outstanding person. She is a very well respected economist who represents her family, her schools and her community to the best of her ability.”
From 1998 to 1999, Sahm was a Fulbright Scholar at the Technical University of Dresden, where she studied economic transitions in post-socialist countries. From 1999 to 2001, she worked at the Brookings Institution as a research assistant. Sahm began her PhD in 2001 at the University of Michigan, where she studied the impact of unusual weather on economic data.
David Spencer
Spencer, a 1989 graduate of Greenfield-Central High School, has become well-known throughout the community for his work as Director of Marketing & Community Engagement for NineStar Connect, where he has overseen a great deal of growth for the company over the past 20 years.
In April, he was appointed vice president of the Hancock Economic Development Council. Spencer has served on the HEDC’s executive committee for the past several months and on the board for over a year.
Spencer was nominated for the Hall of Fame by the high school’s longtime radio and television teacher, William McKenna, who has since retired.
“David was instrumental in getting the GC radio and TV program associated with NineStar and lifting the program to levels it wouldn’t have if he hadn’t got involved,” said McKenna.
Spencer was inducted into the Greenfield-Central Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019. He served as the high school’s tennis coach from 2003-2013.
“He has been on a good many boards on various groups in Greenfield,” said McKenna.
In his nomination form, McKenna commended Spencer for his long list of community involvement, serving a number of organizations throughout the years.
“ Just ask around…everybody knows Dave Spencer. When you see him he is always there to help,” said McKenna.
Spencer is a member of the Greenfield Area Chamber of Commerce, has worked with Meals on Wheels of Hancock County and served on the City of Greenfield’s planning board.
He’s also been affiliated with the local Kiwanis, Sertoma and Riley Old Home Society.
“Through his efforts through NineStar he has used his position to support many activities in pretty much all the schools in the corporation,” said McKenna, adding that Spencer is an advocate for NineStar Connect as well as the Greenfield Central Schools.
