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Dec. 20, 2004

Morningside honors six with Thompson Staff Excellence Awards

Morningside College has awarded the second annual Thomas S. Thompson Staff Excellence Awards to Gene Ambroson, director of Alumni Relations; Karen Gagnon, director of Student Financial Planning; Randy Hansen, director of the college's bookstore; Vivian Isaacson, coordinator for Academic Affairs; Mary Krejci, coordinator to the vice president of Student Services; and Mary Peshek, registrar. Gagnon was also named the Staff Employee of the Year.

The annual awards are funded by a $500,000 endowment established by Margaret Thompson, wife of the late Dr. Thomas S. Thompson, who served as president of Morningside from 1969 to 1978.   He passed away in 1999.

Morningside President John Reynders presented the awards at the annual Christmas banquet held Friday night at the Olsen Student Center on campus. The recipients will each receive a bonus of $4,000.   As employee of the year, Gagnon will receive $5,000.

The recipients were selected based upon their demonstration of outstanding dedication, service, and commitment to Morningside and its students during the 2003-04 academic year. Criteria for selection included the nominees' contributions to their respective departments, their representation in campus organizations, and their service and volunteer efforts towards fulfilling the college's mission statement.

Ambroson came to Morningside in 1986 as the college's director of Public Affairs. In 1995, he became director of Alumni & Community Relations and assumed his current title as director of Alumni Relations in 1997. As director of alumni relations, he provides leadership for two of the college's annual events, Homecoming and Family Weekend. He also serves as advisor to the Acacia Fraternity and works closely with the Student Alumni Association, whose membership doubled during the past academic year.

He is a member of the Abu-Bekr Shrine Chanters and a volunteer member of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Committee assigned to the local Army Reserve units. He attended Morningside and is a 1971 graduate of Briar Cliff University. He holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Gagnon has been at Morningside since 1988, when she started as an accounting assistant in accounts payable. Six years later, she also assumed duties as director of human resources. In 1996, she became a financial planning counselor and was promoted in 1997 to assistant director of Financial Planning. She was appointed to her current position as director of Student Financial Planning in 1998. As director, she meets personally with the majority of prospective students and their parents and oversees a $17.1 million financial aid budget. She works closely with departments across the campus to improve enrollment management and customer service.

Gagnon is a member of the Iowa Student Loan Advisory Council, the Iowa Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (IASFAA), the Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, and the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. She has served on the Community Outreach and Professional Development and Training Committees for the IASFAA. She is a 1997 graduate of Morningside College.

Hansen began working as director of the college's bookstore in 2001. In addition, he assumed duties as the athletics fundraiser in 2003. He served on numerous college committees, among which were the Homecoming committee, the international student committee, and the men's basketball 20-year reunion committee. He volunteered as radio broadcast assistant for the 2003 football season. Additionally, he assisted at alumni events held in Sioux City, Omaha, and Des Moines and hosted an alumni event in San Antonio.

Hansen is an active member of Morningside Lutheran Church of Sioux City and has served as coordinator of the Morningside Days Celebration Carnival and Parade for the past 23 years. He was a volunteer for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II Women's Basketball National Tournament held last spring and also helped out at the South Sioux City Cross Country Invitational. He is a 1972 graduate of Morningside College.

Isaacson has been at the college for 24 years, beginning employment with the college in 1980 as administrator for a special project in data coordination. In 1985 she became administrative coordinator to the vice president for Business Affairs, and, in 1998, assumed additional responsibilities as payroll/administrator coordinator. She accepted her current position as Academic Affairs coordinator in 1999. During the past academic year, she served on three self-study committees as the college prepared for its periodic accreditation review by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. She also serves on the Main Users Group (MUG) and is the Web editor for the Academics and Academic Affairs Web sites. She is the lead organizer for the college's annual spring commencement exercises and related events.  

She volunteered many hours in support of East High School 's choir and band programs. Isaacson is a 1980 graduate of Morningside College.

Krejci joined the college in 1995 as executive secretary to the vice president for Enrollment and Student Services.   Her title was changed to administrative assistant to the vice president for Admissions in 1999 and currently is coordinator to the vice president of Student Services. She serves as the sexual harassment officer for the campus and oversees the Alumni Referral Program, through which alumni referred 144 prospective students who enrolled for the fall 2004 semester. She works closely with many student groups on campus and serves as one of the Web editors for the Student Services Web pages. She recently completed a two-year term as representative on the Administrative-Staff Council and currently serves as administrative representative to the Finance and Facilities Committee.

She volunteers for United Way of Siouxland and Meals on Wheels and is an active member of the Siouxland Y. She is a 1999 graduate of Morningside College.

Peshek began duties as the college's registrar in 1998. During the past academic year, she served as an ex-officio member of two faculty committees, Academic Standards and Curriculum Policies. She worked closely with faculty to plan for the implementation of and transition to the new curriculum for the fall 2004 semester. She is responsible for the content of the college catalog, which needed to encompass these changes. She also worked with 19 athletic teams to determine athletic eligibility of students.

She is an active member of Calvary United Methodist Church of Le Mars, Iowa, and a board member for the Westmar Alumni and Friends Association. She has been a regular donor at the Siouxland Blood Bank for over 20 years and has donated over 12 gallons.