Portales, NM – March 4, 2025 – Eastern New Mexico University will bestow honorary doctorate degrees upon three distinguished business leaders during commencement on Saturday, May 10, 2025. The candidate's entrepreneurial and community impact in their respective fields is an extraordinary example of what it means to be a Greyhound. The Candidates are:

Steve Loy – Business leader, sports Agent, Coach, and champion of ENMU

Max Merrick – Business leader, Eastern New Mexico developer, and champion of ENMU

June Merrick – Business leader, Eastern New Mexico developer, and champion of ENMU

Honorary degrees—the highest recognition the University can bestow—are awarded by the Eastern New Mexico University Board of Regents and conferred by the System Chancellor, James Johnston, during commencement exercises.

While the Board of Regents approved awarding the degrees, the recipients were recommended to the President of ENMU by an ad-hoc committee for honorary doctorates. The committee was comprised of faculty leaders and staff. The candidates were recommended for the conferral of Honorary Doctorates to recognize their exceptional entrepreneurial efforts and community impact.

Honorary degrees are not academic credentials but part of a broader initiative to raise the visibility of student success and showcase Greyhound values, honoring those who exemplify these values through their calls to service, community, fellowship, and contributions to society. Honorary doctorates are a shining example of what is possible after graduation for ENMU students' past, future, and present.

Recipients will receive prominent recognition at the University Ceremony on Saturday, May 10. Additional details on the commencement events will be posted on ENMU's Commencement Website in the coming weeks.

Honorary Degree Candidates

Steve Loy | Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters

Originally from Albuquerque, Loy graduated from ENMU in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts in Business and received a Master of Science in Psychology from the University of Utah.

After college, Loy began a successful career as a collegiate golf coach and athletic administrator. Loy started his career as a head golf coach and professor at Scottsdale Community College. He continued his career as an associate athletic director and head golf coach at the University of Arkansas and finally moved to Arizona State University as their head golf coach. Since 1992, he has served as the president of Gaylord Sports Management, Lagardere Unlimited, and SportFive (presently the largest golf sports agency in the world, operating in 41 countries on five continents).

As a college coach, Loy was a three-time national coach of the year, coaching three NCAA National Championship teams. His 1990 Arizona State University Men's and Women's teams were the only teams to win the National Championships together in the same year. The dual-team win is the only time this has been accomplished in NCAA history.

When Loy moved into his management career, he owned and operated multiple golf properties throughout Arizona and is an avid investor in several businesses. He has coached or managed over 40 All-Americans, eight Ryder Cup players, seven national champions, four US Amateur champions, and two number-one professional golfers worldwide, including Hall of Famers Phil Mickelson and Davis Love. Additionally, Loy has represented some of the game's superstars, including Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, and Davis Love, among others.

Loy has been inducted into several halls of fame throughout his career, including the ENMU Athletics Hall of Honor, Scottsdale Community College Hall of Fame, NJCAA Coaches Hall of Fame, NCAA Coaches Hall of Fame, Arizona State and University of Arkansas Hall of Fame the Sandia High School Hall of Fame, and the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame.

Loy is married to Linda Bell Loy, a 1974 ENMU graduate, and has two children and two grandchildren. While at ENMU, Linda was a member of the Chi Omega Sorority.

Loy's illustrious career and business success embody the entrepreneurial spirit we cultivate at ENMU.

Overcoming a significant physical challenge as a high school athlete, when a coach "saw something in him," he was recruited by ENMU to play football. Ever since that time he has been committed to honoring and giving back to those who would not otherwise have the opportunities he enjoyed because of the generosity of others.

Loy's values were developed at Eastern, and his life and career exemplify the kind of student success and values ENMU hopes to create for Greyhound students.

Max and June Merrick | Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters

Max and June Merrick have been entrepreneurial models and community leaders in Eastern New Mexico for over four decades. They have also instilled a deep sense of entrepreneurial spirit in their family. Max and June have been married for over 45 years and are truly a team in every way. They have two amazing and successful daughters, Megan and Cassidy, and sons-in-law, Bobby Hamilton and Rustin Self, along with three grandchildren.

At the age of 10, Max started his first job at the Portales Livestock Auction. Raised by a single mother of four children, he knew at this early age he wanted a different outcome in life. This drove his determination for success and developed into pure grit, which is evident today.

Max and June grew up in Portales, and they both graduated from Portales High School in 1974. Max and June each attended ENMU. Max attended ENMU for two years with an emphasis in agricultural business before leaving to begin a career as a general construction contractor building and overseeing numerous regional residential and commercial projects. June's college education started at Texas A&M University, where she studied pre-veterinarian medicine before returning to Portales to continue her academic studies at ENMU, focusing on elementary education into her senior year. Even though neither of them graduated from college, they emphasized the importance of higher education to each of their daughters. As a result, both are ENMU alumni.

Max and June's first business together was started at the age of 28, along with June's parents, Charlie, and Norma Horn, who mentored them through the beginning of their careers. Max and June started and remained in retail and real estate for over 38 years, bringing various businesses and real-estate investments to both Portales and Clovis, New Mexico. Along the way, Max and June brought Ace Hardware, Ashley Furniture, Enchantment Vineyards, and the Oakwood Manor subdivision to the community. They have been instrumental to various residential and commercial projects numbering over 110 properties in all. Max and June have also served on numerous civic and financial boards within the Portales community.

Max and June's careers started slowing down in January 2022 after selling most of the retail and real estate investments to their daughters and sons-in-law, who continue to operate and grow the businesses today. Max and June are passionate about the Portales community and continue to work tirelessly for both Portales and ENMU.

Continually exploring ways to help ENMU students, the university, and the community, Max and June Merrick are consummate Eastern champions and have been models for past and future Greyhounds. Becoming and remaining among the most entrepreneurial and selfless community success stories, Max and June Merrick exemplify family, work ethic, and Greyhound values.