USM Hilltop and Community Service Award Recipients Named
Kenneth M. Nelson of Falmouth and Maine State Senator Mary E. Small of Bath have been named the 2002 recipients of the University of Southern Maine Alumni Association’s top honors.
The awards will be presented at a luncheon scheduled for 12 noon, Thursday, May 23, at the Woodlands Club in Falmouth.
Nelson is the recipient of the University of Southern Maine Hilltop Award, which recognizes those who have shown outstanding loyalty and commitment to the university by giving of their time and energy to work for the betterment of the institution.
Small is the recipient of the University of Southern Maine Community Service Award, which recognizes those who have brought honor to USM through distinguished service.
Nelson, president and CEO of Nelson and Small, Inc., has been an advocate for USM and the University of Maine System for many years. He is currently the president of the USM Foundation Board of Directors and a member of the USM Board of Visitors.
"Kenny Nelson was one of the first business and community leaders to realize that USM's quality is critical to the region's economic and cultural well-being," said USM President Richard L. Pattenaude. “His tireless advocacy has led to public recognition of USM as an invaluable Maine resource worthy of significant public and private support."
In a guest editorial that appeared in the Portland Press Herald in December 2001, Nelson highlighted USM’s impact in the community, calling it “a vibrant force in the region’s intellectual lifeblood.” He went on to state that: “USM is worthy of our substantial support, through real money, real commitment, and real passion.”
Nelson has demonstrated his own passion for USM and the UMaine System through countless hours dedicated to various efforts. He was a leader of efforts to establish USM’s electrical engineering program. His company established the Nelson and Small Prize in Electrical Engineering, a grant to USM to provide faculty stipends for special efforts in electrical engineering, and he helped establish the Maine Foundation for Technology Education. Since 1987, the Foundation has raised $1.5 million in cash and equipment to support technology education in the University of Maine System. Nelson also served as the co-chair of the Osher Map Library capital campaign, helping to raise
$1.5 million for the new map library.
Mary Small, a 1976 USM graduate, is another long-time supporter of USM, as well as a long-time advocate of higher education.
"Mary's 23-year tenure in the Legislature affirms the well-deserved respect and genuine affection of her constituents," said Pattenaude. “All of us owe her a debt of gratitude for her leadership and the significant personal commitment she has made to improving the quality of education for all Maine people."
Small is the longest serving legislator in the state. She served eight terms in the House as a District 75 representative in Bath before being elected to the state Senate in 1994, where she now serves as Senate Floor leader.
Throughout her career, she has worked to ensure Maine’s youth have access to a quality education. She has served as a senior member of the Joint Standing Committee on Education, a committee she has served on for two decades. She also has served through the years on numerous boards and groups focusing on educational issues ranging from student aspirations and teacher training to school funding. She is a former member of the Governor’s Commission for Excellence in Education.
>more news releases
|
