By CSC COLLEGE RELATIONS
CHADRON – The annual Chadron State College Faculty and Staff Recognition Luncheon included special acknowledgment of seven employees who have or will retire during 2021-22. They are Pam Anderson, Timothy Anderson, Sherry Douglas, Bruce Hoem, Lucinda Mays, Joy Omelanuk, and Don Watt.
Pam Anderson
Pam Anderson, Administrative Assistant to the President, retired in November 2021. She began her career at Chadron State College in October of 1994 as an Office Assistant in the Internship Office. At that time the Internship Office had just been established with funding through a federal grant.
A short time later, Anderson moved to Student Services as an Office Assistant under the Vice President for Student Services.
In the summer of 2000, she became Administrative Assistant to the President. She has worked in the President’s Office with Dr. Tom Krepel, Dr. Janie Park, and Dr. Randy Rhine.
She said although each President had their own leadership style, each of the three was wonderful to work with and cared deeply about Chadron State College and its students.
While the Presidents all worked for student success, Anderson also noticed the State of Nebraska invested in student learning.
“Over my 27 years on campus, the physical facilities have changed dramatically. It is encouraging to see the State of Nebraska invest in the campus buildings with the recent renovations and new construction,” Anderson said.
In 1978, the Nebraska Legislature declared a statewide policy, called the 1% for Public Art, that a portion of all appropriations made after January 1, 1979, for capital expenditures be set aside for the acquisition of art to be used in public buildings.
Anderson said she considered it an honor and privilege to have served on the 1% for Public Art Committee for Old Admin and Sparks Hall, the Rangeland Complex, and the Chicoine Center and Beebe Stadium.
“I’ve met many great people during my time at Chadron State College, including students, staff, and faculty. Although I will miss the people of CSC, I look forward to joining my husband in retirement and spending more time with family, traveling, and pursuing hobbies” she said.
Dr. Timothy E. Anderson
Dr. Timothy Anderson’s retirement as a Professor in the Business Academy in the fall of 2021 marked the end of a distinguished career at Chadron State College that began in 1977 when he was hired as a Business Instructor.
An alumnus of CSC, Anderson left a position as a medical clinic business manager to take a job at what was then known as Chadron State Teachers College. His initial assignment was instructing classes in computer programming and statistics, but in more than 40 years at the college, he taught a wide variety of business and business education courses.
He completed a master’s degree in Education at Chadron State and earned his doctorate from the University of Nebraska.
During his early years in Business Education, Anderson was elected President of the Nebraska State Business Education Association. As Business Administration programs began to expand, Anderson and the Business Department established the Management Information Systems program, which was eventually renamed Business Information Systems, to provide courses aimed at managing business information and applications. He also served on a number of campus and Faculty Senate committees.
Anderson was promoted to Professor in 1992 and served as the Business Academy Chair for 19 years. During his tenure, Anderson led an extensive self-study of CSC’s Business program that led in 2003 to the department receiving specialized accreditation through the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).
Accreditation assures employers that CSC graduates have been exposed to a comprehensive and relevant business curriculum and gives students
confidence that they have the concepts and skills necessary to compete in the job market, Anderson said.
A site evaluator for ACBSP, Anderson served as President of Region V, was elected to the ACBSP Bachelorette/Graduate Board of Commissioners and served as its Chair. His involvement with ACBSP also included a role in reorganizing the group’s structure, election to its Accreditation Governance Board, and participation in the establishment of its Unified Accreditation Standards.
In retirement Anderson and his wife, Pam, plan to enjoy the freedom of traveling and spending time at their sons’ families and grandchildren’s activities.
Sherry Douglas
Sherry Douglas, the long-time Financial Aid Director for Chadron State College, retired in September 2021. Douglas said as she looked back over the many roles she had at the college, the best was helping students.
“This has been such an incredible experience and uplifting feeling. I’m so incredibly blessed to have had such a rewarding career,” Douglas said.
Douglas started working at CSC in 1988 in the Business Office in Old Admin as a graduate assistant. She was hired in 1990 by Del Hussey as a Financial Aid Counselor. She was promoted to Director of Financial Aid in 1994. Throughout the 1990s, Douglas had the opportunity to co-host with WNCC an annual day- long financial aid workshop for local high school guidance counselors that was well-attended.
In the early 2000s, she met with Nebraska State Sen. Bob Wickersham, Chair of the Revenue Committee, to talk about three state grant programs and the distribution model that favored private institutions. Following their work, the three grants were combined into one and the distribution was based on need,
which favored students attending public institutions. This change resulted in about $200,000 more state funding for CSC students annually.
During her tenure, Douglas participated in two student information system conversions, the most recent one from 2008 to 2010, requiring weekly trips to Lincoln.
“One of the greatest things that came out of it was the networking with our sister institutions, both in the state and university systems,” Douglas said.
In 2010, conversations started about developing a one-stop shop for student services. Douglas helped design the solution which came to be known as the START Office. She oversaw its establishment and training of START Advisers.
She became Senior Director of Student Services in 2012 which oversaw Admissions, Records, START, and Financial Aid.
In 2016, she was named Associate Vice President of Student Services, which included oversight of the START Offices in Scottsbluff and North Platte and the International Office.
She also established the Dine With Us program that allowed international students to share cultural experiences from their home countries with the campus and community.
The international mentorship program she designed was expanded to become the Eagle Mentor Program for all incoming freshmen.
Douglas, along with Dr. Jim Margetts, and several others on campus developed the college’s first Strategic Enrollment Management Plan.
As the third financial aid director in CSC’s history, she retired with 31 years of successful audits and successful Department of Education recertifications and Homeland Security (international students) recertifications.
Her retirement plans are to spend more time with family and friends, garden, golf, and travel.
Bruce Hoem
Bruce Hoem, who joined the Chadron State College faculty to teach Social Work in 2006, retired in the summer of 2021.
Hoem, who lives in Crawford, was a bit surprised he was hired as the Field Director without a teaching background.
“[Former Dean] Margaret (Crouse) and [President] Randy (Rhine) didn’t stand in my way. I always received a ‘Go for it’ message from them. They had confidence in me, which was wonderful,” Hoem said.
Hoem and Program Director Rich Kenney worked together for eight years until Kenney moved to Texas. Hoem said he thoroughly enjoyed meeting contacts at agencies and setting up student internships.
Hoem was promoted from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor in 2011 and Professor several years later. In 2016, he received the Nebraska State College System’s Teaching Excellence Award and served as CSC’s Winter Commencement speaker.
In his nomination, Dr. James Powell said Hoem regularly used high-impact learning practices, and most of his activities were designed as service learning or experiential projects. Powell also noted Hoem mentored each class of seniors in Social Work 435 as they organized and hosted an annual conference he established in 2008.
Hoem said he and his students usually chose a somewhat controversial topic, something conference attendees hadn’t heard of before, or a topic the Social Work program could invite attendees to ponder more deeply. Topics included veteran awareness, bullying, teen suicide, sexual assault, and drug use.
“All of our conferences were, in some way, very impactful. They were all student-driven. If I saw they were going off the road, I would push them back on,” Hoem said.
Hoem also tried to create impactful experiences for his students and others. When Hoem decided to teach the Elderly and Differently-Abled (SW 332) course at Crest View Care Center in Chadron rather than on campus, it seemed like a logical thing to do.
“Go where there are elderly and differently-abled people,” he said. “Fortunately, the administrators at Crest View and CSC were fine with the idea. So, the class met at Crest View with residents always present.”
Hoem said retiring was a difficult decision and he will miss teaching.
A self-professed homebody, he is not planning on much travel, except a few camping trips to the Black Hills. He will have more time to pursue his hobby of making cigar box guitars and license plate guitars. Hoem’s wife, Wendy, retired as a paraprofessional from the Crawford School system two years ago. They plan to spend more time with their three English bulldogs.
Lucinda Mays
Grounds Supervisor Lucinda Mays joined Chadron State College during the Spotted Tail Wildfire of 2006. In the ensuing years since the destructive fire, she and the CSC grounds crew have done much to improve the campus landscape.
Her work as Grounds Supervisor includes designing and working with staff and student workers to create and maintain ornamental plantings and
teaching collections. She also provided regional horticultural training for staff, college students, visiting school groups, and community members.
When she served as CSC’s commencement speaker in Dec. 2021, she said she was proud to see some of those hard-working students in the graduating class. She asked the graduates to celebrate moments like commencement and purposefully bring the good qualities they seek, such as laughter, to their workplaces.
Mays, who will retire in June, graduated from the University of Nebraska- Kearney in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in Education and from CSC in 2005 with a master’s in Humanities.
She entered public horticulture in 1984 as assistant director of Kalmia Gardens of Coker College in South Carolina, rejuvenating historic plantings, and creating native plant collections. She originated Kalmia’s children’s summer day program, A Week in the Wild, organized plant sales, and coordinated Coker College theatre department performances in the gardens.
From 1989 to 1998, Mays worked with the education and horticulture departments at Callaway Gardens, in Pine Mountain, Georgia, as curator of demonstration gardens and floral trials.
Mays created content for Southern segments of the PBS television program, The Victory Garden, and worked with Iowa Public Television to create television specials, and was a guest on Nebraska Public Television’s Backyard Farmer.
She co-authored Vegetable Gardening, and was featured in Laura Martin’s book, Georgia Gardeners. She lectured regionally and nationally on a range of garden topics, contributed articles to Southern Living magazine, and reviewed and recommended gardening books for the American Horticultural Society awards.
Mays worked to influence the campus landscape.
With a small group, Mays started the Campus Arboretum Volunteers in 2009, coordinating seasonal work projects on campus including an annual Swag Workshop where participants crafted greenery décor for the campus’ main entrances.
“My intention has been to develop a landscape that invites students and staff to enjoy their time on campus, provides quiet, shady spots to relax at between classes, and serves as an inspirational teaching collection,” Mays said.
In 2010, the Nebraska State Forest Service presented Mays with its Educator/School award. The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum honored Mays with the
Jim Kluck Award in 2016. In 2021, Mays was presented the Natural Resources Education Award by the Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District.
Joy Omelanuk
A long and varied employment history that included work as a florist, public school teacher, screen printer, and youth organizer may have helped prepare Joy Omelanuk for the multiple positions she filled in a career at Chadron State College that ended with her retirement in 2021.
A native of Augusta, Georgia, Omelanuk’s educational background is diverse. She graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Art and German, received Art Education certification from Augusta University, completed a printing program at Augusta Area Technical School, and took graduate courses in communication/journalism and quality management at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania.
The majority of Omelanuk’s work experience prior to coming to CSC was in corporate environments, where she had positions including technical writer/ illustrator, project manager, and media manager. Prior to starting work as a graduate assistant at Chadron State College in 2009, Omelanuk was Executive Director of the Chadron Chamber of Commerce.
Following completion of a CSC master’s degree in Business Administration in 2012, Omelanuk worked part-time for the Business Academy and as an adjunct instructor until receiving a full-time position later that year.
Since then Omelanuk has worked as Project Coordinator for Liberal Arts departments with campus-wide responsibilities for the Tk20 data
management system for assessment and accreditation, as Administrator and Direct Online Adjunct Support under former Vice President for Academic Affairs Charles Snare, as Interim Lead Consultant for the Nebraska Business Development Center, and as Coordinator for Assessment and Accreditation.
Omelanuk said supporting faculty and students, and the work and mentoring relationships developed with student workers in the assessment department, were among the highlights of her CSC career. She also takes pride in the contributions she made to Chadron State’s successful 10-year accreditation and four-year review accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission.
The best part of working at CSC has been assisting students achieve academic success and supporting faculty members in their efforts toward that end, Omelanuk said.
Omelanuk’s retirement plans include enjoying family, friends and her cats, pursuit of some long-postponed interests, and developing new activities and interests.
Omelanuk’s sister, Dr. Katherine Bahr, retired in 2015 from a 21-year career as professor of English and Humanities at CSC and still lives in Chadron. Their mother, Myra, an accomplished watercolor artist, also lived in Chadron for several years before her death.
Don Watt
Don Watt, a familiar figure on the sidelines as well as the classroom, is retiring from Chadron State College in May. Watt, a Professor in the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation program and the Eagles’ head athletic trainer, has worked at the college for 33 years, both as a full-time
employee and student worker.
Watt, a native of Upton, Wyoming, brought stability to the athletic training position when he returned to his alma mater in the fall of 1994. Prior to Watt’s appointment, CSC had five athletic trainers in 10 years. Since that fall, Watt has been a recognizable face to fans of the Eagles – both at home and away
competitions, as well as practices. During his career, Watt has provided athletic training to student-athletes and officials, established concussion protocols, supervised a team of student trainers, assisted with organizing student-athlete insurance, and traveled millions of miles to carry out his job duties or to drive student-athletes to medical appointments.
“It has been a rewarding career,” Watt said. “I have had the opportunity to meet so many great individuals. To see them go on and have success in their various careers is great to see. And, being able to help someone return from an injury and seeing them have some level of success was gratifying.”
In the classroom, Watt, a licensed Red Cross First Aid Instructor, taught CPR, the care and prevention of athletic injuries, and health and wellness. He received release hours to serve in his other capacity as the head athletic trainer.
Watt graduated from CSC in 1980 and earned his Master’s in Athletic Training from Central Missouri State. Prior to working at CSC, he was the head athletic trainer at Jenks High School in Oklahoma and Arkansas-Monticello.
Watt, who mentions the relationships he was able to make with student- athletes and colleagues as his biggest professional accomplishment, is well-respected by his peers. He was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Wayne Barger Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2019. The award is presented to the head athletic trainer who demonstrates commitment and acts ethically to assure proper health and safety for the student-athletes under their care.
In 2018, Watt was recognized by the National Athletic Trainers Association with one of the organization’s annual Athletic Trainer Service Awards. He was also named the Nebraska State Athletic Trainers Association George F. Sullivan Athletic Trainer of the Year for the 2016-17 academic year. Finally, he was named to the college’s Athletic Hall of Fame for meritorious service in 2015.
Watt was active on campus. He served on Faculty Senate for a decade and he said he was on the Promotion and Tenure committee for approximately 20 years.
In retirement, Watt said he plans to go on a few fishing trips. He also said that he and his wife, Jana, plan to travel and visit their children and seven grandchildren often.