The Citation, inaugurated in 1949, is presented at each UNO commencement. The UNO Alumni Association’s highest honor encompasses career achievement, community service, involvement in business and professional associations, and fidelity to the university.
SUBMIT A NOMINATION FOR A CITATION FOR ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Debra K. Anderson, Ph.D., MSW, has more than 35 years of experience in child welfare, mental health, and education. She is currently the district mental health liaison for Papillion La Vista Community Schools where she works to ensure that students have access to quality mental health support. She is an adjunct professor and program manager at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Grace Abbott School of Social Work.
Anderson served as deputy director at Project Harmony Child Advocacy Center and was the founding director of a school-based mental health program and a national child abuse and neglect training institute. She has worked as a consultant and professional associate for Action for Child Protection in Charlotte, North Carolina; technical assistant for the Nebraska Child Abuse Prevention Fund Board; and child protective service supervisor with the Nebraska Department of Social Services.
Anderson holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Mary, and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Missouri. She earned a doctorate in public administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2000.
She has shared her expertise at national and international conferences including the National Children’s Alliance Leadership Conference, the National Conference on School Mental Health and the International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment. She has contributed to several books, journals, and other publications on child welfare and social work.
Anderson currently serves on the Board of Directors for the NExT Foundation and Lift-Up Sarpy County, Community Collaborative; is a member of BRIDGE Advisory Board; a community representative for the Nebraska Methodist College, Institutional Review Board Committee; a member of the Nebraska School Mental Health Conference Steering Committee; and a co-founder and member of the Nebraska School Mental Health Collaborative. She is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Committee for UNO’s College of Public Affairs and Community Service.
Rolland “RC” Thompson is the founder and CEO of Tactical Air Support (Tactical Air). Founded as a commercial TOPGUN, Tactical Air is redefining government contracting as a non-traditional defense company focused on value-based, innovative, and technology-driven products and services for the U.S. Armed Forces. Tactical Air’s hallmark is their highly upgraded F-5 Advanced Tiger fighter aircraft, where a digital infusion of proprietary capabilities allows a 60s vintage design to replicate today’s most sophisticated threats.
Prior to founding Tactical Air, Thompson served five years in the U.S. Army and 26 years in the Navy. Some of his many assignments and positions included: “Exec” to the Commander, U.S. Strategic Command; commander of an Operational Carrier Air Wing and Strike Warfare Commander during Operation Enduring Freedom where he led the combat flight operations of three carrier Air Wings; Commanding Officer of TOPGUN; and Director of Training at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC). His aviation experience includes two instructor tours at TOPGUN, over 1,200 carrier landings and 7,600 hours in tactical aircraft. He was designated an Army Aviator at 19 and has completed three combat deployments.
Thompson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a master’s in national security strategy from the National War College. He earned an Executive MBA from UNO in 2005.
Thompson is passionate about veteran suicide prevention and has sponsored events supporting the Wounded Warrior Foundation, the Step-Up Foundation, and the Navy SEAL Foundation.
He enjoys sailing, soaring, motorcycling, and outdoor adventuring of any type. He has three daughters and lives in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida with his wingman/wife Angela.
1949: Stanton W. Salisbury
1950: Margueritte Harmon Bro
1951: William L. Shearer
1952: Adolph J. Schneider
1953: W. Robert Jenkins
1954: L. Joe Arenas
1955: Roman L. Hruska
1956: George Pardee
1957: Glenn C. Cunningham
1958: Alfred J. Eggers Jr.
1959: Helen F. Hansen
1960: William H. Thompson
1961: Thresa Clark
1963: N. Murray Longworth
1967: William D. Brodbeck, Joe Hanna, Lawrence B. Rohde, Gordon Severa
1968: Jay L. Beecroft, Oldham Paisley, Milton Wolsky
1969: Jerome F. Kutak, Frank Mansell, Carl Palmquist
1970: J. Donald Butler, Oliver W. Hasselblad, J. Westbrook McPherson
1971: Margaret Fischer, Howard Sorensen, Norman Sorensen
1972: Einar Viren
1973: Richard T. Burress, Robert W. Turner
1974: Robert Brown, James P. Duff, J.J. Exon, Ruth King Soloman
1975: Gary Penisten, Don D. Pittmann, Eugene L. Step
1976: John W. Madden Jr., Sharon Gidley Marvin, Stan L. McClellan
1977: Robert G. Cunningham, Bryce Poe II, Herbert Sklenar
1978: Robert W. Bell, Edward C. Binder, Elmer Rhoden, Ralph Shaw
1979: Jerry R. Curry, John Estabrook, Patricia J. Matson
1980: Joann “Jody” Fike, Frank Menolascino, James P. Mullins, Raymond R. Nelson
1981: John S. Holland, John R. Maenner, Thomas M. Ryan
1982: D. Nick Caporale, Mary Caritas, Samuel Leftwich
1983: A. Mort Crim, Harvey L. Hayes, Robert L. Matthews
1984: John C. Gaffney, C. Mickey Skinner
1985: Robert M. Spire, F. Thomas Starkweather, Wanda M. Wollert
1986: Daniel L. Dienstbier, Barbara Evans Markuson
1987: R. Craig Hoenshell, Ruth Randall, John Schuchart
1988: George F. Haddix, R. Michael Moran, Kenneth L. Peek Jr.
1989: Chuck Hagel, Mary Dean Hunt Harvey, Sheila Anne Ryan
1990: Donald O. Aldridge, Ronald J. Burns, Lynn L. Phares, James N. Skinner
1991: Charles D. Platt, Ree Schonlau, Alfred G. Thomsen
1992: Lawrence Comine Jr., Bernice Stephens Dodd, David Sokol
1993: Fred Petersen, Charles Schmid
1994: Robert Hemenway, Margaret Lehning, Stephen Wild
1995: Margaret Robinson, Joe Edmonson, Nancy L. O’Brien, Rod Rhoden
1996: Clifford H. Hollestelle, Michael Kudlacz, Fran Flairty Marshall
1997: Tal Anderson, Connie Claussen, Mike Hill, Stephen Roberts
1998: Kenneth M. Bird, Howard Hawks, Michael McLarney, Carol Schrader, Johnnie Wilson
1999: Richard E. Collins, Kathleen Dodge, Jack Koraleski
2000: Russell C. Davis, Lawrence D. King, Patricia A. Lamberty, John E. Nahas
2002: James Zadina, Rodrigo Lopez, Karrin Allyson Schoonover, John Hancock
2003: Leonard de Barros, Steve Martin, EvaJon Sperling, Daniel K. O’Neill
2004: Guinter Kahn, Richard H. Christie, Robert C. Dahlquist
2005: Thomas H. Warren Sr., Winnie L. Callahan, James R. Young
2006: Michael D. Jones, Mike Denney, Magdalena A. García
2007: Timothy D. Hart, Robert L. Whitehouse, Richard D. Holland
2008: John E. Christensen, Sally Ganem, John A. Jeter
2009: Lloyd E. Roitstein, Dennis J. Duffy, Lori L. Hogan
2010: J. Terrence Haney, Robert Batt
2011: Katherine L. English, Laurie S. Fulton, Mark E. Grieb, Paul G. Smith
2012: Robert P. Houston, James W. Freeman, Penny Parker
2013: Gail DeBoer, Gary Johnson, Ron Withem
2014: Penny Sackett, Viv & John Ewing, Kevin Munro
2015: Pete Festersen, LaVonne Kopecky Plambeck
2016: Mary Lou Chapek, John L. Morgan, Barbara Weitz
2017: Todd Schmaderer, Steve Seline, Carey Hamilton
2018: Paul Critchlow, Ivan Gilreath, Janice Gilmore
2019: Anne Branigan, Ed Pechar, Mark Martinez
2020: Thomas Hagel
2021: Sandy Friedman, Travis Deyle
2022: Susan Brennan, Tony Kiehn
2023: Praveen Neppalli Naga, Lou Anne Rinn, Mark Steele
2024: Debra K. Anderson, Ph.D., Rolland “RC” Thompson
University of Nebraska at Omaha Alumni Association
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University of Nebraska at Omaha Alumni Association
2285 S. 67th Street, Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68106
[email protected]
402-504-3342 | 800-432-3216
Copyright | Privacy Policy