Spring 2023 retirees Shelly Heller, Renee King, and Patty McCann
Congratulations to Metro State University's Spring retirees! The close of the academic year means we are bidding farewell to many stalwarts of the Metro State community. They leave their individual legacies of service and selflessness, and we ask you to join us in thanking them for their contributions to the university and in wishing them each a joyful, fulfilling retirement.
Shelly Heller, Assistant to the President—Shelly Heller started her career with the Minnesota State University System in 1981. Her experience as an executive assistant and office manager has spanned 42 years. Twenty-one years were spent at MnSCU, after the merger, now Minn State, in academic/educational innovations supporting executive leadership. In 2011, she received awards for outstanding service from the Minnesota Online Council and a Trail Blazer Award from the Finance Division. Prior to 1995, she supported the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs with the Minnesota State University System.
In 2016, Heller began her role to serve as assistant to the President at Metro State. She enjoys most being the communication link between groups and partners, coordinating operational tasks, and serving as staff liaison to councils and committees. She thoroughly enjoys event planning and executing memorable events.
In 2018, Heller received the Ambassador Award for outstanding work with faculty, staff, and students across the university. She enjoys assisting Metro State in moving forward the important work of the university in a supportive role in a respectful and positive manner.
Heller completed a two-year meeting and event management certificate from Dakota County Technical College in 2015 and previously earned an associate in arts at Century College.
Heller looks forward to spending time with her family and her four amazing grandchildren Maddie (4), Jack (3), Charlie (2) and Ben (9 months). The summer will be busy with impromptu road trips, camping and beaching, gardening, and collaging many years of photos.
Renee King, Lead Enrollment Processor—Renee King provided administrative support to Metro State beginning in 1995, working in CPC and supported other areas. From 2000–2009 she was the office manager at the School of Law Enforcement. From 2011–2013, King provided support to the School of Nursing and was the facilities event coordinator from 2013 to 2018.
In recent years, Renee has supported the Office of Equity and Inclusion and the Admissions Office.
Patty McCann, Assistant to the Provost—Patty McCann has been an employee within the MinnState system since September of 1997. She began her work in the system office working in a temp position assisting the Public Affairs vice chancellor until July of 1998. She then moved to assisting the chancellor and his executive staff as the receptionist within the chancellor’s office until March of 2000. From there, she moved to the position of executive assistant to the Board of Trustees for 17 years. McCann is proud to have received a Chancellor’s Achievement Award from the chancellor in 2015 in recognition of outstanding work outside of normal job parameters for solely staffing the Board of Trustees in absence of the board secretary at a two-day retreat. A new chapter began in January 2017 as she moved to Metropolitan State University in the role of executive assistant to the provost.
McCann is an avid home cook and baker and has received blue ribbons for her Irish soda breads and scones. She also won third place in a local pie baking contest with her blueberry goat cheese pie recipe. She volunteers with the Minnesota Irish Fair and has volunteered for the Irish and Music Dance Association. Another passion is dog rescue; she rescued her beloved yellow lab, Grace, and feels blessed to have spent 10 years treating Grace to a good life. Her second rescue was a true gift following the passing of Grace and Jameson came at a time so needed. Jameson is a funny, sweet, and adorable mix of pittie and labrador.
McCann is grateful to her family for their ever-strong support and their absolute love. She is blessed her with two loving sons’ Matthew and Andrew: their spouses, Corrin and Morgan, respectively; and her beautiful, funny, and loving grandchildren, Emma, Madeline, Benjamin, and Griffin. They have their grandma tightly wrapped around those little fingers!
McCann plans to move to her next chapter with enthusiasm and excitement for all that is yet to come. One goal is to offer her time at a local pet shelter as well as at local events. Another is to travel to Ireland to connect with the land of her maternal ancestors.
Fall 2022 Emeriti Carol Lacey and Michal Moskow
Others recognized at the Spring 2023 Retirement Reception include:
Carol Lacey, Professor Emerita Fall 2022—Empowering students has been at the heart of Professor Carol Lacey’s advising and student-centered, interdisciplinary, cross college, and online curricular development, as well as her leadership in student-directed learning and prior learning assessment. An early online learning adopter, she began online course development and leadership in faculty training at Metro State beginning in the early 1990s and continuing as a certified Quality Matters Peer Reviewer, guiding colleagues in online course development.
During nearly half a century, first as Metro State community faculty, then resident faculty in the College of Individualized Studies, she has mentored thousands of students to design and complete degrees that fulfill their educational goals. Metro State has recognized her teaching and advising work with the Donna Blacker Lifetime Achievement Award, the Carol E. Ryan Excellence in Advising award and Metro State’s Outstanding Teaching Award.
Michal Moskow, Professor Emerita Fall 2022—Michal Moskow’s fifteen years as resident faculty at Metro State, preceded by several years as community faculty teaching online from Sweden, have been marked by her tireless championing of international interconnectedness and the possibilities of online learning. Coming as it does from a sense of the role of connection in working towards justice, Moskow’s work both at Metro State and abroad has been a powerful exemplar of the power of higher education to change lives.
Moskow’s areas of interest span a broad area of studies, including gender studies, linguistic and cultural studies, human rights, and educational access. She earned a PhD in American studies at Case Western University, with additional graduate studies at Freie Universität, Berlin. Moskow’s educational path led her not only to her time as resident faculty at Metro State, but also time as tenured faculty at Göteburgs universitet/Högskolan Väst, Sweden, and guest lecturing/program design consulting at institutions all over the U.S. and abroad.
In addition to instruction, Moskow served for four years as the Center of Online Learning’s resident faculty director. She also served on several Metro State, Minnesota State System Office, and Inter-Faculty Organization committees. Her dedication to student success was demonstrated beyond the classroom through her championing international exchanges, scholarships, and research collaboration with students. Future plans include spending more time with grandchildren and continuing work with research groups in Europe.