Neff College of Business Honors Local Leadership Scholar with 2026 Pacemaker Award

Neff College of Business Honors Local Leadership Scholar with 2026 Pacemaker Award

The University of Toledo's John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation will recognize business and academic excellence during its 63rd annual Pacemaker Awards on Friday, April 10.

The 2026 Business Pacemaker Award will be presented to Clinton "Clint" Longenecker, an executive educator, consultant, leadership coach, and motivational speaker who works with organizations and professionals around the world to drive career growth, high performance, and team unity. Through his consulting, coaching, executive education, and speaking engagements, he helps leaders improve organizational performance, strengthen leadership capability, and build cultures that deliver results.

Over the course of his career, Longenecker has delivered presentations and leadership programs to more than 250,000 professionals worldwide and has worked directly with more than 9,500 senior leaders in the U.S. military and intelligence community. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurial organizations, and senior government leaders seeking practical strategies for improving leadership effectiveness and organizational performance.

Longenecker is a Distinguished University Professor of Leadership Excellence Emeritus in the University of Toledo's John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation. During his academic career, he taught more than 11,000 undergraduate and graduate students and published more than 200 articles in leading academic and professional journals. His research and insights on leadership and performance improvement have been featured in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily, MSNBC, and NPR.

His work has earned more than 70 teaching, research, service, and industry awards. Among these honors are the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the Toastmasters International Leadership Award and the Jefferson Award for Outstanding Public Service. The Economist has also recognized him among the top 15 business professors in the world, and The John Maxwell Organization named him one of the top 30 transformational leaders in the United States.

Longenecker is also a featured professor in The Great Courses Critical Business Skills Series and the author of several books on leadership and professional development, including "The Successful Career Survival Guide," which highlights research-based practices for improving personal effectiveness and career success.

As a community servant and committed member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church, Longenecker has led missionary school and hospital construction projects in Haiti.

A former University of Toledo Rocket football player, he holds a B.B.A. in marketing and an M.B.A. in management from The University of Toledo and a Ph.D. in management from Pennsylvania State University.

Student Pacemaker Honorees

The annual Pacemaker event also recognizes the Student Pacemaker Award-winners, presented to Neff College of Business graduate and undergraduate students for their outstanding academic achievement, University and community service, and leadership.

This year's awardees are:

• Accounting: Vaida Eichenlaub (Junior) and Madison Amstutz (Senior)

• Finance: Ella Boerger (Junior) and Deniz Gocmen (Senior)

• Information Systems and Supply Chain Management: Soha Patil (Junior) and Ashlynn Deats (Senior)

• Management: Ellie Eberly (Junior) and Olivia Eisaman (Senior)

• Marketing: Sam Yonker (Junior) and Carson Langford (Senior)

• Master of Applied Business Analytics: Smriti Jha

• Master of Business Administration: Dana Bower

• Master of Science in Accountancy: Brandon Raczkowski

"The Pacemaker award is a longstanding tradition that recognizes both outstanding students and a single community member who has made significant contributions to the region," said Dr. Barbara A. Ritter, dean of the Neff College of Business and Innovation. "Clint Longenecker's impact has been felt far beyond NW Ohio and the countless students who have passed through his classroom. He has spent his career asking how we can all lead better, work better and serve better. Then, he lived out those answers every single day. It is a privilege to recognize someone whose life's work continues to inspire the next generation of business leaders."

The invitation-only Pacemaker Awards event takes place at the Inverness Club in Toledo.