Alumni of the Year

Alumni of the Year awards recognize graduates who have exhibited exceptional volunteer or career leadership and personal character. Nominees must be a Metropolitan State graduate.

Alumni of the Year Recipients

2010: Monte Bute

Monte Bute is an associate professor of sociology at Metropolitan State University in Minnesota. His opinion essays appear on the editorial pages of daily newspapers in the Twin Cities. Bute also frequently testifies on higher education issues before the Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives.

Bute began teaching at Metropolitan State as a community faculty member in 1984. He finally finished a long-delayed B.A. at the university in 1991. After a 20-year career as a community organizer, he realized that his next mission in life was teaching. To fulfill that calling, Bute began graduate school rather late in life. Professor Bute has been a prolific writer over the years, publishing 65 articles in scholarly publications and the popular press. Bute is also regularly invited to give public talks, having made over 75 presentations at academic conferences and community events.

Monte Bute is, first and foremost, a master teacher. As a social scientist, he has taught thousands of students and delights in the challenge of reaching each student. At times, he employs a provocative teaching style in his interactive classes. His passion for teaching extends to all levels of university students, from freshmen to graduate students.

Sociologists of Minnesota (SOM) gave Bute the Distinguished Sociologist award in 2004. Bute has received Metropolitan State University's Outstanding Teacher award and the Excellence in Teaching award. He has also been given awards by Minneapolis Community and Technical College, the Jobs Now Coalition, and the Job Training Partnership Association.

Professor Bute is a past president of both Sociologists of Minnesota and the National Council of State Sociological Associations (NCSSA). Bute has been the editor of Sociograph, associate editor of the Sociological Imagination, and is currently on the editorial board of Contexts, a journal of the American Sociological Association. He has been a fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota.

Like many of his students, Bute came to both academic life and sociology by a rather circuitous route. Majoring in American studies and European humanities, he dropped out of college in 1967 and landed in Berkeley and the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. Bute then spent the next two decades on the barricades of social change, working as a grassroots organizer and independent scholar for organizations representing the unemployed, tenants, welfare recipients, union members, and students. He served on the Governor's Poverty Commission in 1986-87 and was the lead author of A Poverty of Opportunity: Restoring the Minnesota Dream.

Having become a social scientist by the seat of his pants, Bute adheres to Alfred Schutz's distinction between scholarship aimed at the "expert" and scholarship directed to the "well-informed citizen." Bute's intellectual activities for the past 40 years have been devoted to communicating with the well-informed citizen.

2009: Margaret Lovejoy

Margaret Lovejoy ('90) is the founder and executive director of The Family Place - Ramsey County's only day shelter for homeless families with children.

As an employee of the St. Paul Council of Churches in the late 1990s, Lovejoy interacted with homeless families on a regular basis. It was clear to her that during the daytime, their needs weren't being met. Lovejoy envisioned a place where these families could spend their days and receive the support needed to bring stability to their lives.

Lovejoy began the project with her own money and was then able to secure funding and support from Ramsey County and numerous other agencies to open The Family Place in October 2001. Since that time, The Family Place has functioned as a central hub for homeless families needing services in Ramsey County.

Lovejoy is a former member of the St. Paul Area Coalition for the Homeless and former Trustee of the Jeremiah Program. A highly-sought after speaker, she has given workshop presentations at the 2007 Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless Conference and the 2008 Invisible Child Conference.

She has earned a bachelor of arts degree in communications from Metropolitan State University, a master of arts, religion and theology from the United Theological Seminary and is a doctoral student at the University of St. Thomas studying educational leadership.

Lovejoy is an innovator, a visionary, and an advocate and was named a General Mills "Local Legend" in January 2009 for her active involvement in the community.

2008: Jesse Bethke Gomez

Jess Bethke Gomez Jesse Bethke Gomez ('87) is the president of Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES), which serves Minnesota's Latino community through a variety of health and social services. In 2006, Bethke Gomez received the Reconocimiento Ohtli from the Consulate of Mexico in Saint Paul for his work in advancing the lives of Mexican nationals in the United States. Also that year, he wrote the foreword for the book titled Latinos in Minnesota. In 2003, he was appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty to serve as a panel member on the Minnesota Citizens Forum Leadership Panel on Healthcare Costs led by former U.S. Senator David Durenberger. Bethke Gomez is also a recipient of the prestigious Presidential Scholarship Award, which was presented by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole, then-president of the American National Red Cross.

From 2005-2008, he was a member of the Metropolitan State Alumni Association Board. He also serves as a member on the following boards of directors: Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis Foundation, Catholic Spirit Publishing Company, Wells Fargo East Metro Bank Group Community Board of Advisors and Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Plus of Minnesota. He is also a member of the Community Action Diversity Council for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. At the University of Minnesota, he is an Alumni of Notable Achievement in the College of Liberal Arts and also a member of the Dean's Advisory council for the College of Human Ecology.

2007: Jim Lukaszewski

Jim Lukaszewski('74) is considered to be among the founders of modern American crisis communication management techniques, and is the author of several books and hundreds of articles on crisis management and leadership. He is profiled in the publication, Contemporary Legends of Public Relations. His monographs and newsletters are available at his Web site, www.e911.com.

Lukaszewski has been an Alumni Board member since 2007. He has been involved as an alumnus of Metropolitan State in many ways, and, in May of 2010, along with President Sue Hammersmith and Professor Susan Rydell, he hosted the second gathering of Metropolitan State alumni and friends in New York City.

2006: Yusef Mgeni

Yusef Mgeni ('74) and Metropolitan State share a rich and colorful history together. He was one of the university's first enrolled students, taught classes at the institution, and helped Metropolitan State with recruitment, fundraising, promotion and other efforts.

But his long-time association with and support for the university is not the sole reason the Saint Paul Public School's equity chief was selected the university's 2006 "Alumni of the Year". It's also his mile-long and soul-deep commitment to community service and social justice.

A member of the superintendent's cabinet, Mgeni directs equity and inter-district programs, multicultural activities and acts as a bridge between the district and community groups, communities of color and others. Previous to his position with the Saint Paul Schools, Mgeni was president and CEO of the Twin Cities Urban Coalition for 12 years. Mgeni's passion for community service is also evident in his prior work at the Northwest Area Foundation in Saint Paul and the Sabathani Community Center, Inc. in Minneapolis. He was also an award-winning community journalist in radio, television and in the print media.

2005: Victoria Reinhardt

Victoria Reinhardt ('96 and '99) began her life in public service as a president of her local Parent Teacher Organization. In 1996, she was elected to the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners and in the same year she earned her B.A. from Metropolitan State University. Victoria used her experience working to decrease departmental boundaries and shifting Ramsey County's focus to reward long-term outcomes as the basis for her 1999 MBA thesis at Metropolitan State. In 2000, she received the Bruce Vento Distinguished Service Award from the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless and was named one of the 25 Most Innovative Women in the Twin Cities by CityBusiness. Victoria was elected Chair of the Ramsey County Board in January 2004. She earned her doctorate in public administration from Hamline University in 2007. Victoria is married to Assistant Attorney General J.P. Barone, and has two sons and a daughter-in-law, Michael, Erich and Sarah.

2004: Jean Hart

Jean Hart, a long-time executive with the Saint Paul Foundation, was selected the university's 2004 Alumni of the Year. A 1979 Metropolitan State graduate, Hart was with the foundation 22 years, working as grants and programs vice president, senior vice present and deputy director and last serving as special assignments director before retiring in March 2003. She also served as assistant secretary/treasurer for the Bigelow foundation and assistant secretary for Mardag Foundation. Among other Saint Paul Foundation activities, Hart was involved in adult literacy, promoting diversity, AIDS research and education, evaluating family sexual abuse programs, enhancing elementary school libraries and developing a community-owned grant-making program in the Summit-University area. Hart also served in a variety of leadership positions with the Metropolitan State Foundation, the Minnesota Children's Museum, Twin Cities Public Television, the Science Museum of Minnesota, Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library and other community organizations.

2003: State Senator Sandra Pappas

Sandy Pappas State Senator Sandra Pappas ('86). Pappas has served the state of Minnesota with 26 years of public service. She was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives, where she served three terms. In 1990 she was elected to the Minnesota State Senate, where is still serves District 65. She is an activist and is involved in the environmental and women's movements.

2002: John Owens

John Owens ('94), president and CEO of Owens Companies, Inc., a heating and air conditioning company. Owens was recognized for his corporate and volunteer leadership, working to improve the health, welfare and qualify of life for all Minnesotans. Owens raised more than $20,000 for people with AIDS and a significant amount for cancer research.

2001: Bernice Sisson

Bernice Sisson ('86) was a pioneer in the international battered women's movement. She is a longtime community activist and lifelong learner. She was a cofounder of the first battered women's shelter in the country. She worked in the trenches, offering information to battered women on their legal right plus food, clothing and housing availability. Sisson was out in public, educating people about the dynamics of domestic violence and lobbying legislators, foundations and others for more shelter funding.

2000: Segundo Velasquez

Segundo Velasquez ('92) was selected because of his outstanding leadership and his contributions to both local and international communities. Velasquez and his wife, Joan, formed the "Mano a Mano Medical Resources". This nonprofit, all-volunteer organization collects, packages and ships surplus medical equipment and supplies from the Twin Cities to Bolivia, South American's poorest nation. Mano a Mano has upgraded exam, operating and delivery rooms, and dental and x-ray facilities. The organization constructed, equipped and supplied clinics in four poor communities, funded medical staff in two clinics and contributed medical inventory to over 50 hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities throughout Bolivia.

1999: Sam Rock

Sam Rock ('88) was recognized for his outstanding leadership and commitment to the Native American populations. He has received many awards citing his training activities in diversity, language and culture. He has held prestigious positions at the Bureau of Indian Affairs and at the White Earth Reservation. His love for children and expanding knowledge has been praised. Rock exhibited exceptional leadership, service and personal character.

Past Alumni Award Recipients

1996 25th Anniversary Award:

Peter Bell ('76), Nancy Blanchard ('81), Julie DeCosse ('96), Cheryl Dickson ('76), Joanne Englund ('74), Brian Goodroad ('92), James Griffin ('74), Gloria Haines ('91), Clarence Harris ('74), Terri Hawthorne ('77), Ange Hwang ('92), John Laux ('90), Juan Lopez ('83), Clarice "Chris" Matteson ('76), Vince McGraw ('76), Yusef Mgeni ('74), Rosalia "Sally" Olsen ('73), Elsa Vega-Perez ('93), Victoria Reinhardt ('96, '99), Charlotte Samuelson ('77), Arvid Schwartz ('79), John Sipe ('91), Linda White-Anderson ('83) and Marcia Yugend ('90).

1987 Volunteer Services Award, Carolyn Ring ('78)

1987 Alumni Volunteer Service Award, Linda White-Anderson ('85)

1987 Public Service Award, James Griffin ('74)

1985 Association Volunteer Award, Thomas Ransom ('77)

1985 Public Service Award, Rep., Rosalie "Sally" Olsen ('73)

1982 Association Service Award: Virginia "Ginny" (Johnson) McCain ('74)

Alumnus/Alumna of the Year nomination/selection policy:

Metropolitan State graduates, staff and faculty or members of the community may nominate a candidate.

Each nominee is judged on the quality of their leadership performance and/or the extent to which they have made a meaningful contribution to Metropolitan State University and/or the community. In order for the nominee to be adequately evaluated, the quality of the nomination itself may be a factor in the selection committee's decision. Therefore, please provide sufficient information in the nomination by answering the questions as completely as possible.

The selection committee consists of an appointed Alumni Association Board committee, the Association Board president and the alumni relations and annual giving coordinator. The committee forwards their recommendation to the Alumni Association Board for approval.

Alumnus/Alumna of the Year nomination rules:

Nominations must be submitted in writing.
Nominations are accepted by mail, e-mail, fax or in person.
E-mail nomination to alumni.relations@metrostate.edu; fax to Alumni Relations and Development Office 651-793-1825; or mail to Metropolitan State University, Attn: Vicki Lofquist, 700 East Seventh Street, Suite 219, Saint Paul, MN 55106-5000. The recipient will be honored at the Recognizing Excellence event and featured in the fall issue of Buzz magazine.

2011 Alumnus/Alumna of the Year nomination form (Word document)

For questions or more information: contact Vicki Lofquist, alumni relations and annual giving director at 651-793-1810 or e-mail: vicki.lofquist@metrostate.edu.