Advancement News
Marian Honors Three Extraordinary Women
at Annual 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.”