Six ISU alumni have taken the skills they learned in school and made honorable careers out of them.

The College of Business’s Honors and Awards Ceremony will be Oct. 29 at Cornerstone Church and will reward Dan Houston, Allan Landon, Frank Ross, Denise Essman, and Mark and Julie Blake for their achievements.

Houston, Landon and Ross will receive the Citation of Achievement of Award.

Houston, a 1984 graduate in marketing, is the president of retirement insurance and financial services at Principal Financial Group.

Landon, who earned a degree in industrial administration in 1970, recently retired as chairman and CEO of the Bank of Hawaii Corporation. The bank was named “America’s Best Bank” by Forbes magazine in December 2009.

Ross, a 1984 accounting graduate, will be recognized posthumously, as he passed away of a heart attack in June. He was vice president of global commercial business with Pioneer Hi-Bred International.

The John DeVries Service Award, which honors alumni who have demonstrated outstanding service to the university, will go to Denise Essman, a 1973 graduate in industrial administration. She served on the ISU Alumni Association board of directors for four years and the ISU Foundation board of governors for 11 years. Essman is president and CEO of Essman/Associates, based in Des Moines.

Mark and Julie Blake will receive the Russ and Ann Gerdin Award, which honors those individuals who did not graduate from the College of Business. Mark graduated in 1977 with a degree in Ag Business, while Julie earned a degree in physical education in 1978. They offer the Mark and Julie Blake Scholarship to deserving College of Business students in need.