Michael Coleman Honored with ACUI’s Butts-Whiting Award
Michael Coleman, associate vice president at Wake Technical Community College, was honored with the 2026 Butts-Whiting Award for his contributions over his career to the college union and student activities field. The award was given during the Closing Banquet of the 2026 ACUI Annual Conference in Pittsburgh.
“You all don’t know how much ACUI means to me,” said Coleman, who served as president of ACUI from 2018–19. “As I’ve grown in the profession, I’ve been encouraged to move on to other associations and look at other opportunities, but this is home.”
Coleman was introduced by friend and fellow past ACUI board memberHayden Greene, who described Coleman as “my friend, my brother, my battery, my former conference roommate, your 94th ACUI president, and this year’s Butts-Whiting recipient.”
Coleman holds a master’s degree from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree from Clark Atlanta University. It was at Florida State’s Oglesby Student Union where Coleman began his career in higher education as an event management and staff training graduate assistant. In 2007, he left Florida State as an assistant director at Oglesby for a career that took him to Georgia Institute of Technology, Brooklyn College, New York University, Tallahassee State College, and the University of North Carolina–Greensboro. He started at Wake Technical Community College in 2020.
In recognition of his service to ACUI over the years, Coleman has also received the Region III Richard Steele Jr. Distinguished Service Award, the Region III Smith-Steele Award for Outstanding Professional Service, the Revis A. Cox Memorial Scholarship Award, and the Two-Year College Professional Service Award. In addition to serving as president, he was also a Board of Trustees member, served on both Annual Conference and Regional Conference program teams, and was as a co-leader of the Association’s Community of Multi-Ethnic Professionals and Allies.
“What sets Mike apart is his unwavering commitment to people. He creates spaces where voices are heard, ideas flourish, and community thrives,” wrote one of Coleman’s nominators. “His mentorship has shaped not only my journey but the paths of countless professionals who now serve as leaders across higher education. Mike’s influence is evident in the programs he has championed, the leaders he has mentored, and the friendships he
has nurtured.”
In accepting the award, Coleman said, “Honestly, ACUI, I love this association so much. I appreciate you all. You all give me the space, you all allow me to get re-energized, and I just hope that you all know that you all are leaders, and find your way for the new professionals, for the students, lean into this experience. Find a way or make one. You know, this association is yours, and it goes where you want it to. So, thank you all so much.”
After the event, Coleman expressed gratitude for his father, Michael Coleman Sr., being invited to attend the Annual Conference, traveling from Atlanta to share in the award. “My father spent years working in law enforcement and took on a second job seven days a week to put me through college and grad school. Seeing him there, while the association I had the privilege to lead recognized our shared journey, was incredibly special,” he shared.
The Butts-Whiting Award recognizes and honors outstanding leaders in ACUI who have made significant contributions to the college union and student activities movement and whose accomplishments and careers are a credit to ACUI. It spotlights the accomplishments of the Association and recalls the work of Porter F. Butts, ACUI president in 1932 and publications editor from 1936–1970, and Edgar Whiting, ACUI secretary-treasurer from 1941–1968.
