MADISON, Wis.—Sept. 23, 2011—Employees and partners from across Wisconsin were honored for their exemplary contributions to University of Wisconsin-Extension, the University of Wisconsin Colleges, and Wisconsin’s quality of life during the Chancellor’s Award Reception, Sept. 22, at the Pyle Center in Madison.

While presenting the awards, Chancellor Ray Cross said, “The Chancellor’s Awards recognize today’s leading-edge contributions made to undergraduate education and university extension work being done here in Wisconsin. This year’s awards recipients help make Wisconsin a better place to live and work.”

The 2011 UW Colleges and UW-Extension Chancellor’s Awards recipients are:

Wisconsin Idea Award

The Burnett County Lakes and Rivers Association received the prestigious UW Colleges and UW-Extension Wisconsin Idea Award for protecting Burnett County’s lakes, rivers, and attendant wildlife by working with partners through education, conservation and long-range planning.

Friend and Advocate Award

The Chippewa Valley Inter-Networking Consortium (CINC) received a Friend and Advocate Award for its leadership in bringing public institutions together to attain advanced broadband services, and for providing a vision for other communities.

Rich Lepping received a Friend and Advocate Award for his leadership of Friends of Wisconsin Public Television through a time of unprecedented change and strategic improvements.

Award for Excellence in Community Engagement

The Award for Excellence in Community Engagement recognizes outstanding performance by an individual, program or unit that has advanced UW Colleges’ or UW-Extension’s commitment to civic engagement, community outreach or service learning. The recipients of this award are:

William R. Andresen, successfully leveraged community assets to engage citizens and local governments, thereby helping to create jobs and economic development that attracts and retains young people across the Gogebic Range.

Brian Russart, who set superior standards of excellence with the Milwaukee County Parks Department and engaged and educated the community through hands-on learning using restoration ecology.

Award for Excellence

The following UW Colleges and UW-Extension individual employees and teams were recognized for their outstanding performance during the past year:

Deb Piper and Russell Awe, Wisconsin Public Television, UW-Extension

Nena Beier, Dean’s Office, UW-Baraboo/Sauk County

Family Financial Education Team, Cooperative Extension, UW-Extension

Marty Farris, UW-Extension Conference Centers

Steve Kaiser, Student Services, UW-Marshfield/Wood County

Shelley King-Curry, Cooperative Extension, UW-Extension

Career Award

Three employees were honored with a Chancellor’s Career Award for outstanding and significant program, administrative or support contributions for more than a decade:

Mary Hoeft, Professor, UW-Barron County

Charlene Schmidt, Dean’s Office, UW-Marathon County

Everett (Butch) Soetenga, Wisconsin Public Television, UW-Extension

Each year UW Colleges and UW-Extension serve approximately 1.5 million Wisconsin residents with both credit and noncredit programs delivered through the 26 University of Wisconsin campuses, all 72 county offices, and the statewide networks of Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television. For more information, visit http://www.uwex.uwc.edu.

High-resolution photos of awards recipients with UW Colleges and UW-Extension Chancellor Ray Cross will be available shortly after the Sept. 22 Chancellor’s Awards reception. Contact Mary MacKendrick, mary.mackendrick@uwex.uwc.edu, (608) 890-1213.

The UW Colleges and the UW-Extension are two statewide institutions led by a single chancellor. UW Colleges is comprised of 13 freshman-sophomore campuses and UW Colleges Online that offer an associate degree in arts and science and prepare students of all ages and backgrounds for baccalaureate and professional programs. The UW-Extension includes Cooperative Extension offices in 72 counties and three tribal nations, 12 Small Business Development Centers and Outreach and E-Learning programs delivered via the 26 UW System campuses and distance-learning channels, as well as the statewide networks of Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television.

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