(Posted April 22, 2008)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. -- Klare Sunderland, former chair of the Juniata College board of trustees from 1991 to 1996 and president of Sun Enterprises Inc., Sun Investments Inc. and a variety of imported car dealerships, received the John C. Baker Award for Exemplary Service from Juniata College at a recent meeting of the board.

The John C. Baker Award is presented by the Board of Trustees to recognize and honor individuals or organizations for exemplary service to Juniata College. The award is not given annually, but is reserved for appropriate candidates as they arise. Sunderland is the fifth recipient of the award since it was established in 1997.

"Klare Sunderland has epitomized all that our college looks for in a student, alumnus and trustee."

Thomas R. Kepple, president

"Klare Sunderland has epitomized all that our college looks for in a student, alumnus and trustee," says Thomas R. Kepple, president of Juniata. "Klare's passion for the college has been reflected in the many hours he has dedicated to us as a volunteer, trustee and donor. His generous work has allowed us to offer our students untold new opportunities."

Sunderland, a resident of Mechanicsburg, Pa., earned a bachelor's degree from Juniata College in 1956, paying his tuition by selling cars at Sausman Chevrolet in Steelton, Pa. After graduation, Sunderland accepted a full-time job as head of the truck division at the Steelton Sausman dealership. He later was named general manager of the dealership in 1961 and became president of Sunderland Chevrolet in Lemoyne, Pa. upon the 1969 death of its previous owner David Sausman.

Today, Sunderland owns and operates Sun Motor Cars Inc., a Harrisburg-area Mercedes dealership which opened in 1983; Sun Motor Cars Porsche; Sun Motor Cars BMW; Mechanicsburg Audi; Evergreen Motor Cars Inc., a Chicago BMW dealership; and Mercedes Benz of Orland Park, Ill.

Sun Investments is an equity investments firm specializing automotive dealerships and other businesses, real estate investments and capital investments.

Sunderland began his career as a dealership executive when he bought Sausman Chevrolet. In 1972, he bought Sunderland Chevrolet-Cadillac in Frederick, Md. He sold his original dealership in 1984 and sold the Frederick dealership in 1988.

Sunderland has been extremely active as a volunteer and trustee for Juniata. The college gave him an honorary doctor of humane letters degree in 1997 and he received the National Alumni Association's Alumni Service Award in 1989. He attended Temple University from 1952 to 1953 and completed the Chevrolet Retail Sales Academy at Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich. in 1963

He has been actively involved in all of Juniata's fund-raising programs and capital campaigns. He has served on the board of trustees since 1970 and chaired the investments committee from 1996 to 2007. He was chairman of the Century II Campaign for the Juniata College Stadium Improvement Project, the campaign for Juniata's sports and recreation center, and the trustee gifts committee. He also was chairman of the Juniata National Alumni Campaign "Margin of Difference." He is a past president of Juniata's Central Pennsylvania Alumni Club.

He is a member of the board of directors of the Graystone Bank, in Harrisburg, Pa.

Sunderland is a native of McVeytown, Pa. He is married to Lea Sunderland. Sunderland has three children, Debra, Donna and Daniel, a 1988 Juniata graduate.



Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.