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Advancement News and Events
Marian Honored three extraordinary people at the annual benefactors Appreciation Mass and Celebration
On April 23, Marian recognized three members of its community for the selfless and extraordinary work they do for Marian and the Omaha community. received the 2010 Alumna of the Year award and were presented with the Marian Award.
Nancy Mullen Oberst, Marian’s 2010 Alumna of the Year, is a 1971 graduate. Marian honors her for her unwavering commitment and contributions to the field of elementary education.
Nancy was a Marian girl at a time in history when the women’s rights movement was front and center. In 1971, Nancy’s graduation year, a joint resolution was passed to designate August 26th Women’s Equality Day in honor of that day in 1920 when women were first given the right to vote and for that day in 1970 when there was a nationwide demonstration for women’s rights. Yes, this was the time when Nancy discovered who she is and what impact she wanted to have on the world. At Marian, Nancy was instilled with the notion of peace and justice for all and like many graduates of that time, Nancy left Marian armed and ready to make an impact in the world, really much like the Marian girls of today.
Nancy received two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Nebraska—Omaha, Elementary Education and Special Education and one master’s degree, Educational Administration and Supervision. She also holds a Visually Impaired Endorsement from UNL.
Nancy is the epitome of Marian’s mission: “She is a leader and life-long learner whose talents and faith bring hope to our world.” Nancy has been employed in the Omaha Public Schools System for more than 35 years. She has been principal for four different elementary schools. Currently, she holds the position of Director of Elementary Education. Where Nancy fulfills Marian’s mission is her ability to learn from the students and families she serves, recognize the needs of those families and then provide hope and solutions.
When Nancy was named principal of Liberty Elementary Grade School in downtown Omaha, she immediately took action to engage the surrounding community to ensure that families whose children were to be educated at Liberty were getting what they needed from their school. What Nancy discovered was that her students needed more than an education and she was ready to provide what services she could to her community.
Nancy really changed the way Omaha Public Schools teach and serve the underserved, undocumented and impoverished. Nancy wanted Liberty to be a part of the downtown community, not just a school. Liberty began opening its doors before and after school for students who did not have a place to go. Liberty partnered with the YMCA for physical education classes, and One World Community Health Center opened a health clinic at Liberty, staffed with doctors, social workers and counselors. Creighton University Dental School holds annual demonstrations on oral hygiene and preventative care. The University of Nebraska Medical Center began a program to address childhood obesity. As a result, Liberty students walked everywhere. They walked for field trips, to get to the Y for gym class and many walked to and from school each day. Liberty collected coats, schools supplies, clothing and food from various organizations for students and families in need. Nancy began a mentoring program for junior high students. At Christmas time, Liberty families were adopted by various organizations.
Nancy’s hard work at Liberty has been recognized by the YWCA, where Nancy was named the 2002 Woman of Excellence in Education. She also received the 2003 Norbert Sheurmann’s Outstanding Principal Award.
Nancy says she has loved all of her jobs, but the best one she has ever had is that of principal. She says that the long-lasting relationships she made with families in those positions are some of the dearest in her life.
Even in Nancy’s community service work, she has remained an advocate for children and families whose voices may not always be heard. She has served on Boards for the Rose Theater, Girls, Inc., and Voices for Children.
Nancy is a woman who embodies peace and justice for all and who has dedicated her life to that mantra. The hope she has brought to the families of the OPS school system is unparalleled.
Joe and Bonnie Shea
Marian High School is honored to recognize Joe and Bonnie Shea for the many years of selfless service they have given to the Omaha community and Marian High School
It is hard to know where to begin with these two, so Marian asked around. When asked to describe their parents, the Shea children used words like: dedicated, happy, involved, reliable and loving. I know Joe and Bonnie’s children are speaking from personal experience, but the Marian community and the Omaha community can use these words too.
If one had to use a word, or better yet three words to describe the Sheas, they would be:
Faith. Family. Friends. These are the cornerstones of the Shea’s life.
Let’s begin with Faith: the Catholic faith has been the foundation for which Joe and Bonnie have built their life. They have always trusted in God’s plan for them. Faith and Family go hand in hand for the Sheas. Joe and Bonnie put family first. They are very active parents in the lives of their eight children, three boys and five girls and their 17 grandchildren with two more on the way in September 2010.
Joe and Bonnie have been members of St. Phillip Neri Parish for 35 years. And they have been more than just parishioners. Joe and Bonnie sent their eight children to grade school there, and as a result, Bonnie became a permanent fixture at St. Phil’s. She was a Room Mom for all of their kids’ classes, which kept her quite busy. In 1986, Bonnie was given the St. Philip Neri Volunteer of the Year Award. Joe was an equally active dad, as his children would say: "he coached everything under the sun"—baseball, basketball, and softball to name a few.
The Sheas commitment to Catholic education continued with Marian for their girls and Prep for their boys. Let me tell you an interesting fact about Joe and Bonnie Shea and their five daughters, Kelly, Katie, Kristy, Maggie and Maddie. Some of you may have already put this together from the Liturgy program. Marian is blessed to have had 20 wonderful years with the Sheas as current parents because each of their daughters was four years or more apart in age, so the Sheas had each daughter through these halls one at a time. Marian kept the Sheas quite busy for those twenty years and beyond. Joe and Bonnie were both active in the Home & School Association, Bonnie worked on numerous FEST events and the two were supporters of FAME (Fine Arts Enthusiasts at Marian). In recent years, Bonnie chaired this parent organization as their youngest Maddie, who graduated in 2009, was a very active thespian and choir member. Joe and Bonnie never missed a single performance. In fact in 2009, the Select Women’s Choir, in which Maddie was a member, competed in its first festival of gold in New York City. With a personal fondness for NYC, Joe and Bonnie took the lead in planning this trip. The trip was a huge success and as a result, Miss Cathy Pruitte commissioned Bonnie’s assistance to plan the 2010 trip to Chicago, and Bonnie obliged her.
Nowadays one can find Joe working next to his three sons and two sons-in-law at Rochester Armored Car Company, where Joe is president, and one can find Bonnie lunching with her "moms club" which consists of her three daughters, Kelly, Katie and Kristy and soon Maggie with join the club.
Faith Family and finally Friends: For those of you who do not know Joe and Bonnie, you cannot find a nicer, friendlier couple. It is no wonder that so many people call these two "friend." With their faith in God and their family at their side, Joe and Bonnie always have time for others, no matter their obligations. As their son Bill puts it: "My parents taught me how to enjoy all aspects of life. No matter the situation or how busy they were with work they always seemed happy and made everyone that surrounded them feel the same."
The Sheas are truly living testaments of the Servite charism of service, compassion and community. It is with great honor that I Joe and Bonnie Shea with the 2010 Marian Award.
April 26, 2009
Marian Honors Three Extraordinary Women
at Annual 2009 Benefactors Appreciation Mass and Brunch
In April, Marian High School recognized three women who stand out from the rest. They are all accomplished, compassionate, strong women who are leaders in their respective fields. Dr. Theresa Townley ’82 was awarded the 2009 Alumna of the Year, Vickey Thayer Kleinsmith, Ph.D. received the Marian Award and Maureen Neary Miller ’70 was given the Spirit of Marian Award. These women were selected because they represent the values and mission of Marian High School. They were honored at Marian’s Appreciation Mass and Brunch. This annual event is an opportunity for Marian to thank all of those who support her mission and vision. Nearly 200 benefactors attended the Mass, brunch and awards ceremony.
Dr. Theresa Townley ’82, Marian’s 2009 Alumna of the Year, is a woman of compassion and fortitude. She acts locally and globally to better the lives of the less fortunate.
Growing up in a household of 12, it was likely impossible not to consider about how others affect you and vice versa. Theresa’s parents, Robert and Nancy, instilled in her the value of respect for others and responsibility. Through Bob and Nancy’s example, Theresa learned that she, as one person, can make a positive impact on the lives of others and that it is her responsibility to do so.
Theresa brought this lesson with her when she entered Marian in 1978. It came to life through her service as a member of the Campus Ministry Team, and in particular during the countless hours she spent at the local women’s shelters as a baby sitter.
After Marian, Theresa received a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Creighton University. During college, she spent a year studying abroad in Leuven Belgium, where she discovered an interest in international health. With that, Theresa went to medical school at the University of Minnesota, and specialized in internal and pediatric medicine.
What happens next is quite a story…Theresa joined Doctors without Borders. Doctors Without Borders or Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971. MSF provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, and exclusion from health care or natural disasters.
During Theresa’s three years with MSF, she spent time providing direct medical care in Kosovo and south Sudan, and she worked in a hospital and refugee camp conducting clinical work and administrative tasks in Liberia. She bore witness to thousands of people living in conflict and in poverty. Not only did she provide medical care, she also developed a greater understanding of the impossible situations these people faced. In 1999, MSF was awarded the international Nobel Peace Prize. Theresa was one of the thousands of health care providers who was honored by Nobel for her work as part of MSF. Theresa says her experience with Doctors Without Borders was the most personally and medically rewarding of her life.
From there, Theresa went back to school to receive her Masters in Public Health from John Hopkins University.
Today, Theresa is an assistant professor with Creighton University’s School of Medicine in internal medicine and pediatrics, and practices medicine at a Boys Town clinic in south Omaha, where she sees many at-risk patients. Theresa is also actively involved in the Omaha Area Health Education Center (OAEHC), whose mission is to work with Douglas and Sarpy Counties to recruit, educate and inspire underrepresented students’ interested in careers in the health professions as well as encourage health care professionals in providing equitable and quality services to disadvantaged and underserved populations. Once a year, through OAEHC, Theresa gives free school physicals at the Youth Health Extravaganza, and she frequents Marian speaking to in the classroom and inspiring the current students.
Theresa is a selfless giver of her time and talent. Marian is proud to honor her for the hope she brings to the Omaha community and the world.
Vickey Thayer Kleinsmith, the Marian Award recipient, is a consummate giver of her time, talent and treasure. Her impact on the Omaha, the Marian and the Catholic schools’ community is unparalleled.
Vickey has an impressive career in education. She first began teaching English in the Bellevue public schools. From there she spent seven years working for the Nebraska State Department of Education as an evaluator for Federal programs. Later, Vickey spent several years with the Omaha Public School system as Director of Project Empathy, which was a research-based project that interviewed teachers to decipher their empathy for students. Through Project Empathy, Vickey trained school administrators so that they could choose the best candidates for their students. Her work with this project was published in the North Central Association Quarterly (Volume 2). Vickey was also the Assistant Principal at Horace Mann Ninth Grade Center in the Omaha Public Schools. In 1982, she was named Educator of the Year by the Nebraska Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders. One aspect of her work with OPS that she truly enjoyed was the hiring of quality educators for the school system.
It was that love of personnel and human resources that brought Vickey to a career change, and she began working in HR at the Lozier Corporation, where she spent the last 26 years and recently retired as the Vice President of Human Resources. She is beginning a new venture as part of a national executive search firm DHR, international.
Vickey and her husband, Mark, are parents of 2004 Marian alumna, Cassie. However, Vickey’s first encounter with Marian occurred before Cassie ever stepped foot into the building. When Vickey was in college at UNL, she met and befriended her first Marian girl. As she puts it, “ I was in awe of her intelligence, study habits and grades.” Much later in life, Vickey hired a young Marian girl to babysit Cassie, and that girl too left a lasting impression on Vickey and Cassie. As eighth grade approached, Cassie decided to attend Marian. Vickey has witnessed time and time again what a Marian girl can achieve, and her daughter is no exception. Cassie will begin classes at Creighton University’s School of Law in the fall.
Vickey has given countless hours of service to many local organizations over the years. She served on the Board of Directors for the Omaha Children’s Museum, The Child Saving Institute, INROADS of Greater Omaha, United Way of the Midlands and has served a president for the Metropolitan Community College Foundation and Great Plains Girl Scout Council. She is also a part of the Children’s Scholarship Fund of Omaha, which gives over 2,000 scholarships annually to low-income families who want their children to attend private and/or Catholic schools. Since 1998, over $9 million has been awarded to 10,000 students in K-8th grades.
Vickey has also served Marian High School in an extraordinary way. She was a member of Marian’s Board of Directors from 2001 thru 2008, and was Board Chair her last two years. As Board Chair, she implemented the first Board of Trustees to manage Marian’s Endowment Trust. Also, during her Board tenure, Marian replaced all of its old windows for energy efficient ones, installed central air conditioning and Marian received its first $1 million gift to the Spotlight on the Future capital campaign, in memory of Sr. Marcella Sitzman, OSM, Marian’s first principal. In addition, Vickey served as Search Liaison for the New Head of School Search Committee.
Marian is grateful to Vickey for her stellar leadership, generosity and unwavering commitment to Marian’s mission.
In 2002, a beautiful statue of an angel was given a place of honor in our freshman hall. It was dedicated in gratitude for the many volunteers who share their time and talents with the Marian community. The angel is named “The Spirit of Marian.” She represents those who give of themselves again and again and again.
Maureen Neary Miller ’70 is no exception. Maureen has served Marian as the Director of Public Relations from 1975-1978. Currently she coaches our junior varsity tennis team. However, it is what she has done as a volunteer that is truly outstanding.
Whenever something needs to get done, Maureen is standing right around the corner ready to jump out and say “yes.” Whether it is keeping stats at a sporting event, setting out nametags or just offering a warm hello, she has done it all. She is the Queen of behind the scenes, creating beautiful and colorful work and play environments for Marian for decades. If you have attended a Marian event in the past 25 years, you have witnessed first hand her service to Marian.
Even more impressive than Maureen’s resume of tasks is the attitude in which she embraces each task. Not only does she agree to help whenever asked, she is always wearing a smile, she attacks each task with enthusiasm and joy, and each service is done with perfection as if it was the most important thing to her.
Some might say Maureen’s true claim to fame at Marian is likely as the wife of Jim Miller, our Athletic Director and Assistant Principal. She and Jim also have a Marian girl, Jaime who graduated in 2000. As an alumna, a past employee, a Marian mom, and the wife of Jim, Maureen has given selflessly to Marian more than we could ever ask or imagine. She is truly a living and breathing “Spirit of Marian.”
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