Gallery of Achievers honors Erie County natives

HURON TWP. — A scientist, a football star who helped break college football's color barrier and the new chairman of the Bowling Green State University board are among six Erie County natives honored Thursday.The "Gallery of Achievers" awards given by the Erie County Chamber of Commerce honors distinguished locals making a significant impact. The awards are now in their 18th year, and 127 people have been honored so far, said William Lally, master of ceremonies at the chamber luncheon at Plum Brook Country Club.Here are this year's honorees:• Ellison Lamar Kelly, who died in 2016, age 80, was a track star who set school records at Sandusky High School for discus and shot put and also starred as a football player, graduating in 1955.He played college football at Michigan State at a time when it was difficult for black players to get into majority white schools, helping the school win a national title, and went on to play in the NFL and Canadian Football League.Kelly's award was accepted for him by David Biechele, a high school classmate. Biechele said the two played the same football position but weren't equal in talent."I was a tackle on one side, and he was a tackle on the other side. I was a terrible tackle," Biechele said.• Richard Russell Redman, a member of the Sandusky High School Class of 1976, was a successful TV newsman in Louisville and went on to become a sports producer at another Louisville station, vice president for the Kentucky Lottery and vice president for communications for Hillerich and Bradsby, which makes sports equipment, including the famed Louisville Slugger baseball bat.Richard RedmanRedman supported the event by having special bats made for the other honorees, engraved with their names.• William O. Semans, a member of the Sandusky High School class of 1972, is a dentist who is a graduate of The Ohio State University's College of Dentistry.Semans worked for the United States Navy's Dental Corps and then returned to Sandusky to join his father's dental practice. Active in the community, Semans leads the city of Sandusky's bicentennial commission.• Rick Hogrefe, class of 1979 Margaretta High School, took his Ph.D. from Northwestern University's elite chemistry program and then went to work for Genta Inc., a biopharmaceutical company. Hogrefe then began founding his own medical companies, such as Glen Research, TriLink Biotechnologies and ETAGEN Pharma, working to help cure many diseases.[Imageuncropped=RICHARDHOGREFE.jpg]Hogrefe gave Margaretta High School $250,000 in 2016 to improve the school's science program and invested close to $20 million in Sandusky and Bay View to buy and refurbish several properties. He plans to continue investing in both communities.• Daniel R. Keller, a 1968 Sandusky High School graduate, became a top Cedar Fair executive. After running Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, he was brought home to serve as general manager of Cedar Fair, retiring in 2005.Daniel KellerKeller founded two venture capital companies, Keller Capital and Kellco Investment. Also on Thursday, a busy day for him, he became chairman of the Bowling Green State University board.• Roger Gundlach, a 1968 Sandusky High School graduate, majored in mechanical engineering at The Ohio State University and went to work in the family business back home.Roger GundlachHe currently serves a president of Gundlach Sheet Metal Works, a multi-million dollar sheet metal and heating and cooling company. He is the current chairman of the Erie County Community Foundation and a board member at Firelands Regional Medical Center.Two other former Erie County residents were noted in the program for Thursday's event:•Davis Elliott Chaffee, Sandusky High School Class of 1933, was a World War II torpedo bomber pilot who died in the Battle of the Coral Sea.• Errol Henry "Zip" Zistel, born in Sandusky in 1895, was a World War I fighter ace. During World War II, he oversaw the training of pilots at Hamilton Field in California.Reach reporter Tom Jackson at jackson@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @jacksontom.Rick Hogrefe with his wife, Meghan.