The American Marketing Association (AMA) has given out an annual volunteer award for the last 10 years. This year, the AMA board of directors announced the award would be named after Ric Sweeney, Cincinnati Renaissance, to recognize him for his service. Sweeney has been a member of AMA since 1996 and has volunteered for nearly 20 years.

Sweeney is an associate professor — educator in the marketing department at the University of Cincinnati’s Lindner College of Business, and also serves as the director for the Circle of Excellence Business Scholars program. He joined Cincinnati in 2005 and has been actively involved in engaging students both inside and outside the classroom. Sweeney serves as faculty fellow and balanced man steward for SigEp’s Ohio Theta Chapter, and became a Renaissance brother in 2011. He is also the faculty advisor for the University of Cincinnati AMA, CATALYST Marketing and the Cincinnati Dance Marathon.

Over the past 10 years, he has received numerous awards for excellence in teaching and service, including the Michael Dean Excellence in Classroom Education and Learning (EXCEL) Undergraduate Award (2009), the Student Activities Board Faculty Advisor Award (2008), and the Harold Grilliot Award for exemplary service to undergraduate organizations (2007, 2010, 2011). Sweeney also received the 2009 Hugh G. Wales Faculty Advisor Award from the AMA, and received the 2012 George Barbour Award from the University of Cincinnati, the university’s top award for student/faculty relations.

Sweeney received his undergraduate degree in English and philosophy from Mount Saint Mary’s University and his MBA in marketing from Xavier University. Ric was a member of the International Board of Directors for the AMA, previously serving as Chairman of the Board. In his spare time, Ric and his husband David enjoy traveling, volunteerism and cooking.

In late April, Sweeney presented the first Ric Sweeney Volunteer of the Year Award at AMA’s Converge 2016 Leadership Summit.

Learn more about the Ric Sweeney Volunteer of the Year Award.