Michael R. Jury and Christopher S. Cooper received the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Awards in recognition of their professional accomplishments, service to others and continued support of the college.
Jury, a 1994 graduate, attended Delta while working and serving in the Air National Guard. After earning his associate in science, he continued his education at Central Michigan University.
Today, Jury is an environmental specialist with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, where his work focuses on PFAS, commonly known as forever chemicals. He also serves on the board of Saginaw Covenant Academy, sings with the Saginaw Choral Society and supports local philanthropy through the Jury Foundation.
"We're representing a lot of other successful people that come from Delta," Jury said. "So, we're happy that you're honoring us, but there are so many other people out there that we ought to honor too."
Cooper, a 1985 graduate and Bay City native, earned his associate in arts in Business Administration before transferring to the University of Michigan, where he earned his bachelor's and master's degrees.
His career has included leadership positions with major financial and consulting organizations, including nearly three decades with Deloitte. He currently serves as chief financial officer of SheltonAI.
Cooper's connection to Delta extends beyond his education. His mother, Mary Jane Cooper, spent much of her career teaching at the college and later served as director of the Teaching and Learning Center. In her memory, Cooper and his brothers, Karl and Kevin, established an endowed scholarship to help future Delta students.
"When I think about this life journey that I've been fortunate to have, I think about Delta," Cooper said. "I couldn't have imagined it as a student at Delta at the time. But it all started here. It started with this community."
Written by Mikaila Bluew, writer & editor.
