ACU will honor the personal and professional achievements of two prominent alumni this weekend – a former Houston judge and current congressman and a Nashville entertainment industry executive.

U.S. Congressman Ted Poe will be honored as the 2009 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year on Sunday afternoon, while Randy Brewer, executive producer of Revolution Pictures, will be named 2010 Young Alumnus of the Year on Friday.

“We have alumni who have done amazing things in so many fields,” said Jama Cadle, assistant director of Alumni Relations.

The university annually honors one outstanding and one young alumnus from a selection of nominations. A development leadership team culls the list of nominees to make sure the candidates are worthy as well as timely, said Samanth Adkins, senior Alumni Relations officer. The Alumni Advisory Board, composed of 36 alumni, then choose from the short list to name the honorees.

According to the ACU Alumni Association, the Outstanding Alumnus of the Year award is a “timely recognition of lifetime achievement that brings honor to the university through personal and professional excellence and service to the university, church or community.”

The website also states the Young Alumnus of the Year is selected based on “professional achievement and/or distinguished service to Abilene Christian University” to an alumnus under the age of 40.

“Their work shows how important what the university is teaching them relays into their later work,” Adkins said.

Recognizing alumni such as Brewer and Poe also emphasizes to the ACU community the importance of success, Cadle said, but success tempered with faith.

“Their spiritual leadership is also just as important as what they have accomplished professionally,” she said.

This will be the last year the Outstanding Alumnus is awarded in February. The 2010 recipient will be honored during Homecoming in October in the hopes of involving a larger number of older alumni, Cadle said.

The Young Alumnus of the Year will continue to be honored during Sing Song week in February.

“We’re trying to give awards on weekends where young alumni come in,” Adkins said.

The Young Alumnus of the Year luncheon is Friday at noon in the William Performing Arts Center. Tickets for the Outstanding Alumnus of the Year luncheon are available through Friday for $20. Sunday’s luncheon is at 12:30 p.m. in the Bob and Shirley Hunter Welcome Center.