The National Western Stock Show made the following announcement on Sept. 20, 2017. 

The National Western Stock Show has named Dr. Tony Frank the 2018 Citizen of the West, an award that recognizes those who embody the spirit and determination of the Western pioneer and perpetuate the West’s agriculture heritage and ideals. A committee of community leaders selects the recipients.

Frank is the president of Colorado State University and chancellor of the Colorado State University System. He will receive the prestigious award at a dinner on Jan. 8, 2018, at the National Western Events Center. Proceeds from the event support 100 scholarships awarded annually to colleges and universities in Colorado and Wyoming by the National Western Scholarship Trust.

Growing up in Illinois, Frank was heavily involved in 4-H and has since been inducted into both the Illinois and Colorado 4-H Halls of Fame. After graduating from Wartburg College, he earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. in comparative pathology from Purdue.

Prior to his appointment as president of Colorado State University in 2008, he served as the University’s provost and executive vice president, vice president for research, chairman of the Department of Pathology, and associate dean for research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Frank is lauded for his academic vision and leadership enhancing the land-grant mission of Colorado State University.

“Tony has served Colorado State University and the CSU system with impressive leadership for many years,” said Pat Grant, chairman of the board of the Western Stock Show Association. “He is an extraordinary visionary who is committed to a broader engagement of CSU regionally, nationally, and internationally, through an expanding role at the future National Western Center.”

Frank’s dedication to the larger community shines through nationally in his role on the University Research Alliance; the NCAA Division I Board of Directors; the National Renewal Energy Laboratory External Advisory Council; Board of Managers, College Football Playoff; and as past chair of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities Commission on International Initiatives.

Locally, he serves on the boards of the National Western Stock Show Association, the Boettcher Foundation, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, and the Food Bank for Larimer County. He has served on panels including the U.S. Department of Commerce Deemed Export Advisory Council, the editorial board of Toxicologic Pathology, and as a member of the Colorado Climate Action Panel.

Frank and his wife, Dr. Patti Helper, live in Loveland and have three daughters.

To purchase tickets to attend the 2018 Citizen of the West event honoring Tony Frank, please contact Morgan Unks at (303) 299-5560 or MUnks@NationalWestern.com

About the National Western Stock Show

In its 112th year, the National Western Stock Show is a 501(c) (3) charitable organization that provides college- and graduate-level scholarships in agriculture and medicine for practice in rural areas. Its mission is to serve producers and consumers throughout the world by being the premier Stock Show, Rodeo, Horse Show and center for year-round events. The 16-day show also serves as an entertainment arena, hosting one of the world’s richest regular-season professional rodeos, largest horse show and Colorado’s largest western trade show. For more information, visit www.nationalwestern.com